As schools, colleges and universities begin another academic year, I found myself reflecting on a moment from my own education that taught me a lesson I still carry today.
In 1996, shortly after completing my first year at university in Nigeria, I stood in front of a notice board looking for my Chemistry result.
There it was. 27%. A fail.
I can still remember the feeling. Shock. Confusion. Disappointment. I stood there staring at the result, reading it over and over again, hoping I had somehow made a mistake.
What troubled me most was not the failure itself. It was that the result simply didn’t make sense to me.
After speaking with some trusted senior friends, gathering the courage to ask questions, and with the help of a professor who barely knew me but was willing to help, the truth eventually emerged.
My score wasn’t 27%. It was actually 72%.
The published result was wrong. That experience taught me lessons that have stayed with me for the last 30 years.
- Sometimes the first version of a story is not the final version of the truth.
- Sometimes bad news requires patience before it makes sense.
- Sometimes hope and action need to coexist.
- Sometimes one person taking the time to help can change another person’s future.
- And sometimes what looks like 27% today turns out to be 72%.
There will always be people starting new jobs, receiving exam results, applying for opportunities, recovering from setbacks, or wondering what comes next.
My encouragement is simple: don’t give up too quickly on yourself.
The story may not be over yet.
A lot can happen between 27% and 72%.
An earlier version of this essay was first published on LinkedIn on 1 September 2026.
