Caleb University Graduate's Emotional Journey After Four UTME Attempts
A recent graduate of Caleb University has captured widespread attention after sharing her emotional academic journey on social media, revealing she wrote the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) four different times before finally gaining admission.
The Viral TikTok Revelation
The young lady, identified as Favour, posted a heartfelt video and several photographs on her TikTok account @favour_luna1, where she detailed her struggles and eventual success. In the photos, she appears wearing her graduation gown, symbolizing the culmination of years of perseverance.
In her post, Favour wrote: "Delayed, not denied. This cap and gown has a story. Wrote JAMB four times. Tried JUPEB once. Now I'm wearing a convocation gown. If perseverance had a face, it's mine. I cried over results. I doubted myself. I felt left behind. But I never stopped trying. Now I wear this gown with pride."
The Heartbreaking CGPA Revelation
What made Favour's story particularly poignant was her confession about her final-year Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA). She explained that seeing her result initially broke her, not because it was poor, but because she came agonizingly close to achieving first-class honors.
"When I saw my final result, it broke me. Not because it was bad, but because I was so close," Favour wrote in her caption. She graduated with a CGPA of exactly 4.49, just a hair's breadth away from the first-class threshold that varies between Nigerian universities but typically begins at 4.50.
Finding Peace and Perspective
Favour described her initial disappointment: "For a while, all I could see was what I missed, not what I achieved. I forgot the nights I stayed awake, the days I almost gave up, the years I kept trying when things didn't work out. I forgot that just getting here was already a victory."
She eventually found perspective, adding: "With time, I made peace with it. I learned that growth is not always loud, and success is not always round numbers. Sometimes, success looks like standing up after being tired of falling. I am grateful, not because it ended the way I imagined, but because it ended with me still standing, still hopeful, and still proud of how far I've come."
Social Media Reactions and Similar Stories
The post sparked numerous reactions from social media users who related to Favour's experience. One user named Not_Your_Regular_Bae questioned: "If 4.49 is Second Class upper then what CGPA is first class?" while another user, YoumayknowGold, asked about improving from a lower GPA.
Several commenters shared their own similar experiences. Emmanuel Etuka recounted: "I had a similar issue, but fortunately during the Senate's consideration of results in my school, a lecturer noticed it and the Vice Chancellor directed my department to upgrade my result because a 4.49 was simply too close."
DeeOla shared: "I graduated with distinction in my school exams. During my licensing exam, I scored 69.25%, which was pass. For a long time, I was depressed about it because I only needed 0.75% more to graduate with credit."
Broader Context of Academic Achievement
Favour's story resonates within a broader context of Nigerian students sharing their academic journeys online. Recently, a University of Lagos graduate, Sikiru Jamilu Olawale, shared how he gained admission in 2019 to study Yoruba Education and graduated with a 4.54 CGPA, setting a departmental record.
Another UNILAG graduate made headlines for scoring 300 in his 2019 UTME and later graduating with a first-class degree and a remarkable 4.84/5.0 CGPA, demonstrating the diverse academic experiences among Nigerian university students.
Favour's journey from four UTME attempts to graduation with a 4.49 CGPA serves as an inspiring testament to perseverance in Nigeria's competitive educational landscape, reminding students that success comes in many forms beyond perfect scores.
