Mary is a newcomer at hortative college. She was admitted along with two others to S.S.1.
The class in which they secured admission has one underperforming student, Ojo.
Ojo, being the oldest student in S.S.1 has repeated the class three times. Had it not been for the intervention of the college to keep Ojo in the classs so as to be extensively tutored and per his catching up be promoted to S.S.2, he would have been pulled out of school.
Now Ojo’s parents with long patience and insistence by the college have maintained that if he can’t pick up that year, they would suspend his schooling to place him on vocational training.
On his part, Ojo’s absent-mindedness has been an impediment to his academic breakthrough. Whenever, teaching is in progress, Ojo’s attention, would spontaneously shift towards irrelevant objects.
So as these new students, being led by a teacher entered the class. Ojo’s attention was directed to their non-uniform appearance so much that he wasn’t aware the students were newcomers.
Pep talk session began 10 minutes after the newcomers were settled. The Principal, as usual walks into the classroom and commenced.
“Good Morning Students!”
“Good morning sir”, they replied in unison
“I welcome you all to a New Calendar year. As you all know, every year, we have new intakes. So this year isn’t any different. Although our intake of three is low this year compared to eight last year.”
“So we begin with the formalities, introduction of ourselves”
The students, sixteen in number introduced themselves.
“Now I will talk on Adaptation”, the principal announced as he writes on the board.
Facing the students, he looked through their faces for much needed attention, and halted at Ojo’s whom he noticed was glowering at Mary.
“Ojo! Can you please tell us what you know of Adaptation”
Ojo shivered. He wondered why he was asked this particular question.
“I have no idea sir”, he humbly replied.
The three newcomers were so outstanding in the pep talk session that Ojo saw their non-uniformity blend with so much austerity.
His attention would fall on them, and as it does, teachers get them to participate, so as to assist Ojo’s mind as with others taken aback.
The principal, having noticed the effect of non-uniformity on Ojo, took it to advantage. He positioned the seats of the four together so that Ojo could consistently communicate with them.
And it worked! Within a week Ojo made friends with the three newcomers and they were able to change him.
Ojo became very attentive in class and to a large extent improved academic-wise.
Inspiration
Life is like Ojo’s class. Everyone is working to achieve the same thing, and they are well on it, except you.
Each time you try to work it out, something takes your mind off. You lose focus and you are hardly able to concentrate due to distractions.
But then, like the three newcomers, when the distractions are shifting you to the work, you will eventually end up on the work.
If you can’t do away with distractions, do not let them take you away from work, rather ensure they lead you to work.
Hence, even if you can’t complete it, you would end up better that not doing at all.