W.A.E.C…Finally, it’s over!

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) is an examination board that conducts the West African Senior School Certificate Examination, a University entry examination in West African countries. Established in 1952, the council has contributed to education in Anglophonic countries of West Africa (Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and the Gambia), with the number of examinations they have coordinated, and certificates they have issued.

It had become a regular song on the mouth of our teachers in school telling us to prepare for WAEC; thank God it is over now.

These long awaited exams posed different faces to people. For some, they were anticipating, others perturbed but to me, it was one of mixed feelings. There was pressure from all corners so much so that I could feel the heat emitting from the first paper I wrote.”It’s all in my head”, I thought until everyone complained about this same ‘heat’. Even at home, my study room was forced to become my best friend all in the name of WAEC.

Considering that I am a social science student, my subjects were spaced out. My mother often said I didn’t look like I was writing exams at all because I had so much time lapse. That feeling of coming out of the exam hall and hearing another person’s answers correlating with yours was not uncommon, especially for Maths and English; the two compulsory subjects major emphasis are always placed on.

Marketing being my last paper was very exciting for me, I was thrilled that this over-hyped WAEC was finally over. I could feel the weight being lifted off my shoulder as the WAEC invigilator collected my answer script. My mates and I were exhilarated to say the least.

In writing exams, it is one thing to study and another to recall appropriately and also writing with speed, accuracy and precision counts too.
The pressures from teachers and family, tension of studying, funny invigilators and the intense environment added taste to my experience in writing the ‘almighty’ WAEC. I very much appreciate God because without Him, I would not have overcome, my family and friends for their support and my teachers for their preparations and advice on burning the midnight oil. Thanks to them, I can proudly say: I came, I saw, I conquered! Now unto the next phase of my life …University…hmn…I hear it’s a different ‘game’ all together but believe you me, I am mentally prepared for it and I can hardly wait…in the meantime, I will engage in acquiring skills that may not necessarily be useful for me now but will be in the nearest future meaning, my degree on one hand and my gift on the other, both giving me income. They say we are the leaders of the future, I better start planning for that future right away because before I spell JACK ROBINSON, behold, my future is here already! Wish me well…
OSARENNOMA A. OGBEIDE