2024 Has Been Tough!!!

---

When it comes to this year and how it has been so far for me, I just have to say that I have a lot to be grateful for with where I am. If you ask anyone, they’d easily tell you that this year 2024 has to be one of the worst years to be a Nigerian. There are just so many things that are happening and they all seemed to be weapons fashioned against the poor Nigerian masses.

But then what can we do? Our leaders are just hell-bent on impoverishing the people while they get rich and they get fat. They keep everything for themselves and leaving us nothing but suffering and strife. Yet, we do our best to endure and to survive. We do our best to adapt to the ever changing clime. Things don’t get easy, they get worse yet we’re still enduring. We’re still suffering. We’re still smiling.

For me, one of the hardest things I’ve faced this year was actually trying to balance my work and school life. In previous years, it wasn’t so difficult. Things were a bit easier then and the financial burden was a little bit more agreeable. As a result, I didn’t have to work so much to be able to afford the things I needed. That way, I was still able to make time out for my schooling and give it all the attention that it needed.

However, in my final year, the year where I would have even more financial obligations academically, it also turned out to be the year that the naira would go into a free fall against the dollar. The way the cost of living just skyrocketed in Nigeria was unprecedented and we’re not yet to recover from it. People are trying hard to adjust, however, the more you try, the more these guys keep shifting the bar. They keep making life hard for us and we’re the ones who get to suffer the consequences.

For me, it was really difficult making do. I had to work more so that I could earn more. Working more meant spending more time on my laptop and less time in the class room. If I kept that up, my academics would suffer and for a finalist, that was a terrible thing. Yet, if I focused on my classes and school doings, I would not have enough money to keep up with the financial obligations that came with being a finalist. There were textbooks to be bought, projects to be conducted, materials to be bought. The list goes on and on.

Every day that you’re a student is a day that you spend some money, whether you have it or not. It was frustrating and I had to find a balance. I had to find a way to make the extra money while still giving optimal attention to my academics. And I have to admit, it wasn’t easy. I just couldn’t do it, one was always going to be more dominant than the other. However, I had to make a compromise.

I was going to be working for a long time, meanwhile, my days as a student were numbered. So, I was forced to allow my student life take prominence. So, I worked according to the amount of money that I needed. It meant that I was always broke, but it also meant that I was giving enough attention to my books. And when the exams rolled around, I still performed well enough.

Now, the exams are over and I’m slowly claiming my life back. I’m working on my project now and the defense would be soon, once that is done, I’d know that I have nothing yoking me to this school and it’s blood-sucking capabilities. I’d finally be free to do what I want and work as hard and as long as I want.

Anyway, I’m glad that I was able to jump over that hurdle without any issues. Thankfully, my exams didn’t suffer for it and I’m glad about that. At least I know that I won’t have to go through all that again.

---

_{Thank you for reading. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below, I would love to know what you’re thinking. Till we meet in the next post.}

---

_{This post is inspired by the second topic of this week which is Hardest Of 2024. Feel free to try it out.}

---

_{N.B: All images used in this post are mine. The thumbnail was designed using Canva.}

---