2024 - my weirdest year yet.

Hold on, "weird" doesn't always have to mean bad, right? 🤷‍♂️

I started this year knowing it wasn't going to be an easy one—I was in my finals, a departmental president, and just another dude with a chip on his shoulder trying to figure out his place in the world. 

Anyone who graduated from a Nigerian public university would attest to the fact that 'final year' is one of, if not the most difficult academic sessions of their whole academic journey. That assertion held true for me.

Aside from the usual stress of working on an undergraduate thesis and having to attend back-to-back classes, I also had to deal with seeing patients during my weekly clinic rotations as well as having presentations to work on and assignments to turn in (almost every other week). On top of that, I had to deal with the day-to-day headaches that came with being my department's student body president.

Let's talk about my "presidency" for a while. 

I'm not one to shy away from responsibilities, but there were times when I wondered why in God's name I chose to serve in the first place. As president, I had quite a number of plans. I'd been around for a while and to an extent I believed I knew exactly which areas needed to be addressed. But I immediately recognised that it wouldn't matter if there wasn't a foundation to support it once I was gone. I had to double down on some of my plans and pivot. I shifted most of my focus into creating a blueprint and laying the groundwork for the vision's success.

I had to empower people, build capacity, foster relationships between the student body and department's management, become actively involved in the faculty, collaborate with other student bodies in the university, and then do everything I could to fulfil some of my original vision, particularly in terms of student welfare. 

Trust me, it was difficult. I got in trouble a couple of times, had my name smeared, and my character assassinated (sounds a bit much, I know,🌚 but it's my blog, allow me be dramatic). Funny thing is that most of these didn't even come from my fellow students.

I recall one day sitting in class listening to a lecture when a very senior professor walked in, enraged, asking for me. I stepped forward, and he literally yanked me out of the classroom. What was my offence? 

The long and short of it is that I was accused of being rude simply because I refused to give up my position in no longer allowing something that was harming the student body continue. 

I have never been so embarrassed in my life.

When I hear and see people make remarks like "Why didn't he do this, that, and the other?" I'm not fazed because I've come to see first hand the many impediments to achieving great things, especially in positions of leadership. But what has made it worthwhile for me is seeing the foundation and template I worked to put in place being followed and expanded upon.

Creatively, I wasn't at my peak this year. Looking back, I didn't do my best, and I certainly didn't meet my goals for the year. Don't get me wrong, I did some pretty fantastic stuff, but I know I could have done so much more and so much better. Looking back, as much as there was quite a lot on my plate—which contributed to my creative underperformance, I struggled with time management. I really did.

After my final papers, clinic examinations, and undergraduate thesis defence, I had a lot of free time between then and when we were to write our board exams. I decided to take a break to relax and then focus on other elements of my of my life. But I became too comfortable. I relaxed for far too long. Again, I did a few interesting things during that time, but they were only a scratch on the surface of what I could have accomplished.

It wasn't until towards the end of the year that I got considerably more active; I began developing my brand, which I intend to debut in early 2025, and I improved my time management skills. I still succumb to procrastination on occasion, but I'm better able to cope with it now.

Fast forward to November 2024, and I officially became a doctor. That came with a slight bump at the end of the line, but I pulled myself by my bootstraps and reached the beautiful tree. I'm glad my 7 years pursuing this degree eventually paid off. Could not have been happier. I got to celebrate with my family, and seeing my parents' faces beaming with pride was the nicest feeling imaginable. As my parents' first child, my mother always admonishes me to be the one to set the example and create the precedent for my siblings, and I was delighted I could do so. I'm not flawless, believe me, but I put in the effort. I struggled, but I persevered.

In summary, this year pushed me to juggle more than I've ever had to, and it was anything but easy. I tried to stay sane; I almost lost it a few times, and on occasion I freaked the f*** out. Fortunately, I had friends around to support, advice, and call me out.

So yeah, you get why it was a weird year.

My expectations for 2025? I simply want to be a better version of myself. I want to grow, learn, earn and achieve.

As I always say; it's upward and onward from here on out.

Here's to an amazing 2025. 🥂