My Diary Game: When “Strategy” Backfires… and Campus Life Still Moves On 18/02/2026

Today has been one of those days that feels like a full week compressed into 24 hours.

GST exams have officially begun, and today made it the second day of me writing. If I’m being honest, I’m already counting down to when this phase will be over, because the stress that comes with these exams isn’t even just the questions — it’s everything around it: timing, crowd, heat, movement, and the unpredictable “Nigeria factor” that can humble your plans in seconds.

Let me start from yesterday, because that’s where the real drama began.

Yesterday’s paper was slated for 12:30pm, but I didn’t go early. Hold up… I know what you’re thinking: “Why would you go late for an exam?” 😂
But I had my reason. Last session taught me that arriving exactly at the scheduled time usually means meeting long queues from the previous set of students who haven’t even finished yet. And standing under that sun for hours? Not me.

So I decided to use what I thought was a “smart hack”: go later when the crowd has reduced, enter quietly, and avoid unnecessary suffering.

My people… the story was different.

When I got there close to 3pm, the crowd was still massive — as if they hadn’t even started anything. It was heat, noise, impatience, and frustration packed together. I tried to maneuver my way forward, and somehow I made it close to the front. But getting there and staying there? That was a whole different battle.

the crowd waiting for exams

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There was serious pushing and dragging. Everybody was pressed. Everybody was trying to “shine eye” and secure their spot. And while all that was going on, one thought kept ringing in my head:

“This is exactly how I lost my phone.”

Immediately, I held my phone tight like my life depended on it. The struggle didn’t look like it was ending anytime soon, and I wasn’t about to learn the hard way again. So I quietly found my way out of the thick crowd and stood back.

That crowd was so intense that a couple of girls fainted. They had to pour water on them to revive them. It was sad to see, because you could tell it was the heat + stress + standing too long. And after all the drama and waiting… guess what?

The exam was postponed to the next day.
All that suffering, for nothing.

So today, I did the opposite. Even though my time was still 12:30pm, I went early — like early early. I got there past 8am. I thought I was doing the right thing.

But even with that, the crowd was still much. Before the centre even opened, students had already gathered like it was a concert. When lecturers and examination officers finally came, they rearranged everyone by faculty. This time, to avoid yesterday’s chaos, they decided to follow timing strictly. So only students scheduled for 8am were allowed in, and the rest of us were asked to leave and come back at our allotted time.

Since I had time to spare, I decided to go check out something else happening today: Matriculation.

It was matriculation day in the university, so I went to the arena to see what was going on and to meet a few roommates who were matriculating. The event hadn’t started fully, but just sitting there and observing was interesting. The freshers were dressed beautifully — you could tell they took the day seriously. And honestly, why wouldn’t they? It’s their special day. That excitement, that fresh energy… it reminded me of how we all start with hope.

image of the matriculation arena

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When it was almost time for my exam, I went back to the centre. This time, I didn’t stand for too long before it was our turn to enter.

And yes… today’s GST paper was Foreign Language — Japanese.

Japanese???
Yes oh. Japanese. 😭

I won’t lie, the exam didn’t go so well. I’m leaving it in God’s hands at this point. I’m praying my CA and other scores will help balance it out because… whew. Let’s just say I tried.

After the exam, I went back to the matriculation ground, hung out a bit, then returned to the hostel. And as if today wanted to add one more plot twist, one fresher arrived with a cooler of rice. It was shared, and it honestly felt like one of those small blessings that land when you least expect them.

After all the stress and struggle, I needed this

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After that, I fetched water, took my bath, and that bath? Ehn. Cold water after sun and stress is one of life’s greatest pleasures. It reset my entire body.

I started working on an assignment I have to submit, but sleep crept in and I obeyed it without argument. I’m awake now, and I have another GST exam tomorrow, so before I go out to read, I decided to gist you guys first.

If there’s anything today reminded me, it’s this: you can plan, you can strategize, but sometimes campus life will still humble you.
Still, we move. One paper at a time. One day at a time.

Tomorrow, we go again.

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