Don’t Live Your Life Based On People’s Assessment (“Jack Is Dull” They Would Have Said)
A school is a place meant to build the horizon of a person, and equip him or her with practical skills to be functional in real-life outside the school.
But what if the intelligence on paper does not reflect the true ingenuity of a student? Who will take the blame? The teacher? The student? Or Poor management?
Let’s consider the experience of Jack.
The news of his admission brought happiness not just to Jack, but to his poor parents who were struggling hard to give their children the best things of life, even though they barely had the resources to do so. Everyone could sense the great joy that enveloped Mr. and Mrs. Porch when they heard that their first son, who had been seeking for admission for the past 2 years has finally been admitted into one of the seeming prestigious universities in the Country.
All through his stay as a student in the university, Jack had always done his best, as far as his studies are concerned, even though he engaged himself in some extra-curricular activities and basically teaching, to make ends meet. He served as a private tutor to children of some of the residents where he was living with a friend, so as to complement the meagre allowance his parent were sending to him through their nose, occasionally. It wasn’t easy, but he had to marry all of this with schooling to achieve his dream of becoming an accountant.
(For those of us who have gone to a higher institute of learning, we know how important it is for a student to carefully keep track of his or her sessional results.)
In the case of Jack, he followed his academic results religiously from his first year to final level… he would calculate his CGPA himself at the end of each session. In fact, at 400 level Jack knew he was going to graduate with a second upper degree, even though his dream of getting a first-class was shattered. Little did he know.
His GCPA calculation skill was called upon, one more time!
Now, Jack has spent a couple of months off school, after his final exams, waiting for the management of his school, particularly, his department, to call students to come and do their final clearance.
He was at home when a friend of his, John, who was somewhat close to a lecturer called him...
John had seen Jack's final CPGA for the entire years he spent as an undergraduate. The Senate could have approved the results tabled before them, and if this has happened, there wouldn’t be any room for amendments. I mean, when a thing has been approved it means it has been approved! But thankfully, this hasn’t taken place.
(Phone ringing in the sitting room)
Jack grabbed his little mobile phone… 
Conversation...
John: Hello
Jack: Oh, John, how are you?
John: I’m fine. And you? Are you still at home?
Jack: I’m good. Yes, I’m at home. What’s the latest…?
John: Yes, I called to actually ask… what happened to your result— Grade point?
Jack: what happened to it?
John: I was opportune to see it… it shows that you finished with a second-class lower.
Jack: Really? That can’t be! I can’t graduate with anything less than a second upper.
John: I said so! However, please try to come to school as soon as possible to rectify it, before the Senate eventually approve the results.
Jack: Okay. Thanks for this vital information. Indeed, a friend in need is a friend indeed.
John: You’re welcome. Bye for now.
At this point, Jack was a little anxious, however, he brought out his results and recalculated his results all over again… he arrived at a figure (CPGA) far greater than what his friend had told him earlier on. "An error must have occurred", he said.
In a nutshell, Jack traveled down to his school and took necessary actions for his result to be amended by the management of his school. This he did achieve! In other words, Jack graduated with a 2:1 (second-class upper).
Now, imagine if Jack had not been informed of such a great error, and say, the Senate had endorsed such a result; he would have left school in the end with a dis-satisfactory result (so to say), and his parents, siblings, as well as others, would have said that he was dull, right?
If you do not remember anything else in this piece, please don't forget this:
The story is a true life experience of someone I know.
The characters used are imaginary.