Five SSCEs, Three UTME Attempts, One Breakthrough: Eniola’s Journey to Becoming a Law Student

Eniola never planned to be in the Arts class in secondary school. Mathematics made the choice for her. She knew she wasn’t good at the subject, but brushed it off, thinking, “Art students don’t need Mathematics.” She moved on, excelling in Literature, Government, CRS, and English. But when WAEC results came out, there was a stumbling block: distinctions across her subjects, and an F9 in Mathematics.

Without a credit in Maths, no Nigerian university would admit her.

She was that child people had expectations for, in church, in school, in her neighborhood. Everyone was eager to hear how she performed. She herself waited for NECO like a woman expecting her due date. But NECO was no different from WAEC.

Her parents encouraged her to try again, this time with WAEC GCE. They arranged for a private tutor, who was shocked to discover that one of the brightest students he had ever taught had failed Maths in two major exams. She sat for GCE and managed a D7. It felt like a glimmer of hope, but not enough. She would need to rewrite it.

The following year, she sat for NECO again, this time in a nearby school to avoid the discomfort of sitting with juniors in uniform. But the results told the same story, every subject excellent, Maths still a barrier.

Meanwhile, she kept attempting UTME. First 259, then 275. Scores high enough for English, Law, or almost any course. But without Maths, they meant nothing. Each year, as friends posted matriculation pictures, she sat at home, muting WhatsApp statuses, deleting contacts, and withdrawing into herself.

Surviving the Waiting Season

Those years could have felt wasted, but they weren’t. Eniola prayed constantly, leaning on scriptures like Isaiah 41:10 and Exodus 33:14. She kept herself busy, singing in the church choir, teaching children in school, and tutoring younger students privately.

Still, the stigma was heavy. Every “when are you going to school?” from family friends pressed down on her like weight.

A Turning Point

Her sister, already at OAU, encouraged their mother to let Eniola move to Ife and enroll in a pre-varsity institute. Before then, her father’s professor friend had advised her to change her course to Law. At first, she resisted. Law, she thought, was for “extremely intelligent people”, not someone who had failed Mathematics over and over. But after prayer, she became convinced: she was going to study Law at Obafemi Awolowo University.

At the institute, she began to face Maths differently. What she thought she knew in Government and Literature was stretched to new levels, and with consistent guidance, she slowly grew stronger.

She sat for UTME a third time. Her center was at OAU’s ICT center, which felt like confirmation that she was going to get in. When results came out, she scored 297, just three points shy of 300. Her target had been 315, but she chose to count blessings, not losses. Determined, she prepared to face WAEC one last time.

The Breakthrough

She was enrolled in a school tucked away in a village, but she didn’t let the location discourage her. On August 12, 2024, she checked her fifth SSCE result. She scanned quickly, looking for a D, E, or F. None. The lowest grade was a C. Mathematics was finally there.

She cried, but this time, they were tears of joy. Her family gathered, not to console her, but to celebrate. They called her The Law.

A few months later, she wrote her Post-UTME, OAU released its admission list. Her name was there, on merit. Law.

Looking back, Eniola doesn’t take the credit for herself. She says eventual breakthrough was God’s doing. “In the end, I just want to give God the glory,” she shares.

Today

Eniola is now preparing for her second year of Law at Obafemi Awolowo University. The nickname The Law isn’t just playful, it is proof that she fought a long, uncertain road and won.

Her journey speaks to any student who feels stuck in delay. Failure doesn’t have to define the ending. Sometimes, it only sets the stage for a bigger testimony.

From F9 in Mathematics to the Faculty of Law at OAU, Eniola’s story and journey is living proof that the waiting season can still lead to joy.