News: I used to think education was just about passing exams By Olatayo Daniel

I used to think education was just about passing exams By Olatayo Daniel, but it wasn’t until I stopped chasing grades that I truly began to learn and in that journey, I discovered a better version of myself.”

I’ll start from my junior secondary school days. Honestly, those were some of the best years of my schooling. I was focused, serious, and consistently got good grades because I put in the work.

I never played around when it came to exams. I read and studied very hard whenever tests or exams were approaching. My efforts paid off, and I was proud of my results. But everything changed when I got promoted to senior secondary school.

In my first year of senior secondary school, things started off well. I made a lot of friends, and school felt exciting. However, I began to lose focus. I stopped studying regularly and only prepared when there were tests or exams, which isn’t how it’s supposed to be.

Because of my lack of seriousness, I failed my exams and had to repeat the class. It was a difficult time for me. Before resuming again, I received a lot of advice especially from my parents.

My mom, in particular, told me something that stuck with me: “Education isn’t just about passing exams; it’s about truly understanding what you’ve come to school to learn.” I took her advice seriously.

It wasn’t easy watching my classmates move ahead while I stayed back, and I was really disappointed in myself. But I knew I had to move forward and learn from my mistakes.

First, I stopped focusing solely on passing exams. Instead, I made a commitment to pay better attention in class and to genuinely understand what I was being taught. I even gave myself a personal challenge to learn something new every single day.

That mindset kept me motivated and helped me develop a habit of studying, even when no exam was coming up.

Fast forward to today, as a student in a higher institution, I still follow that advice. It has helped me grow academically and personally.

Through this journey, I began to truly learn, and in doing so, I found a better version of myself.

My advice to anyone reading this especially students is: Don’t wait for exams or tests before you start studying. And don’t be afraid of failure. Sometimes, failure is the best teacher it pushes you to grow, reflect, and come back stronger.

O. DANIEL.