There’s a kind of feeling that comes when ones struggle, sweat, and sleepless nights finally makes sense and pays off. Well, it happened, and that was exactly how I felt the day my project defense results came out. Let me take you back memory lane.
As a student of Agricultural Technology, I knew the final year project was the real deal. It was that one thing that could either crown your efforts or humble you completely, it could also help increase ones GP or worsen it. So, I made up my mind to give it my all, even though I know it would be stressful. I remember picking my topic after much deliberation and then facing my supervisor. My supervisor then was the weapon fashioned against me, nothing was ever good enough, correction upon correction, I started rewriting, I got insulted, I got snubbed, ignored and all, it even got to a point where I thinking "am I this clueless" "was he just being unnecessarily tough".
He made me start to question myself, he gave me a tough time, my laptop got spoilt around that time, and he said he couldn't supervise a student who does not own one, I started borrowing, it wasn't working for me, so I rented one, it was financially draining and all, hit, this is my final year project. I wanted to change my supervisor, but, I thought against it, my friends didn't make things easier also, most of them had supervisors that practically wrote the projects for them. Meanwhile, I was stuck, he would always find something wrong, I’d correct it and he would find another issue. There were times I cried, felt like giving up and all, but something in me refused to quit. I kept pushing, rewriting, and researching, determined to make it work.
Eventually, the project was done. But there was one final hurdle, it was the defense. I walked into that room, my heart pounding so loud, my hands and body tremble, but still, I held my head high. The panels eyed me like I was a fast food. But as I started presenting, everything eased, I knew my work inside out, the thing is, I didn't even have time to read and all, but because this was what I did myself, I knew it inside out, and every question they threw at me was met with confidence. By the time I was done, I knew I had given and done my best.
Results day came faster than I thought, whten I saw my grade, I froze, all the frustration, the tears, the late night typing sessions and everything was all worth it. I didn’t know whether to laugh, cry, or scream. I just stood there, feeling this overwhelming sense of pride and relief. I did it, I didn't just made everyone proud, I made myself proud. Against all odds, despite my supervisor choking me, I made it through and came out on top.
That’s just how life works. Sometimes, you give your all and get nothing in return, but other times, your effort pay off in ways you never imagined. It’s easier for one to give up when it feels like the world is against, but those who push through are the ones who truly see results. Nothing good comes easy, and that’s a fact. That experience taught me that if you want something bad enough, you’ve got to be willing to fight for it, even when it seems/looks impossible, the taste of victory is far sweeter than the bitterness of giving up.
All pictures are mine.