The Lesson I Learned the Hard Way

Hello everyone,
I am Samuel Emmanuel Thompson, and today I want to share a life lesson I learnt the hard way.

During my secondary school days at Christian Secondary Commercial School, I specifically loved chemistry as a subject so much that I couldn't afford to miss a class, but unfortunately, I did not have a good teacher to guide me properly. Because of this I tend to struggle to understand some important aspects of my so called best subject.

At that stage of my life, I was interested in learning but I was not fully teachable because instead of looking for better ways to learn the subject deeply, I looked for shortcuts. I wanted to pass chemistry but I did not really want to go through the stress of learning some difficult parts of it.

Since I became a teacher, I have now learnt to become more open to learning because learning never ends in life. This time, I could no longer wait for a tutor because I was now the teacher. I had to read textbooks, make research online, and constantly improve myself so I could teach my students effectively in classroom.

When I was preparing for my WAEC examination, I specifically did many forms of examination malpractice just to pass easily without studying hard as I needed a tutor and a mentor. At that very moment it looked like it was the easiest way out for me as I depended on it instead of learning the subject properly so as to have the content. As I continued my education and entered the university, the reality finally met me. I was forced to study that same subject seriously because it became one of my courses in the university as a biochemistry undergraduate student. There was no shortcut anymore for me because my lecturers did not accept sorting to pass examination or bribery so, I had to learn it the hard way so I could pass my examinations and avoid carryovers that could lead me to spill over.

After I graduated from the University, I needed a job, so I ventured into teaching in a secondary school. Little did I know that I would still meet that same subject called "chemistry" again in another dimension. During my interview process, I had to stand before experienced educators such as professor Williams, a professor of education from university of Uyo to defend my knowledge of the subject confidently.

After successfully getting the job to work as a chemistry teacher, the real challenge was before me. My students were much more interested in knowing the subject, and I became afraid of being embarrassed or tagged as a teacher who did not know what he was teaching. Because of that fear, I dedicated myself to studying day and night so I could master the subject content very well because I was not only teaching them but I was preparing them for WAEC examination.

This chemistry as a subject, I would say was a nightmare for me particularly the part that required me to think more deeper.

Yes, learning chemistry the hard way really made me a better person today. It taught me that shortcuts in education can later become obstacles in life. What we refuse to learn today may become our greatest challenge tomorrow if left unattended to.

Today, because of the hard lessons I passed through, I can now stand confidently to teach students chemistry and prepare them for examinations. It also taught me hard work, personal study, determination, and self development.

I also learnt that sometimes life can force someone to learn what they tried to avoid in the past. If I had learnt chemistry very well from the beginning, maybe I would not have suffered that much later in life.

Thank you for reading my post.

I wish to invite the following people @ruthjoe, @xkool24, @ngoenyi