Greetings!
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Smart as his name sounds was the best students in my class all through my secondary school days, though we also have those students that were bright as well, but not up to the level smart was.
One thing I have never seen smart doing was to read his book, most especially when in school and not only this, he's also fond of disturbing those acclaimed serious ones whenever they were reading.
So, on a particular, I went to meet this guy called smart and i asked him saying, “Smart we all know you to be brilliant, how are you doing it?” This friend of mine replied by saying: “ Sam, there's nothing too special in me, I'm just like you.” I said “ just like who?” He responded by saying “just like”
When I heard this, I felt embarrassed as I'm not even near his standard. So, after what he said in his response to my questions, I took it upon myself to be just like him as he's rightly said that:
“ he's just like me.”
So, I took it upon myself as I have rightly said earlier and I began to read without any recourse to my mission of squaring up with Smart. Though, he didn't tell me the secret to his brilliancy, but I was of the opinion that smart was a kind that reads at night. So, I too doubled my effort towards reading. So, I didn't only read at night, but whenever I found myself idle, I picked up my notes and textbooks and read.
It's after I have started this that I saw changes in me. Though I was not out to compete with the guy, but wanted to be one of the best in the school. So, this reason, i do go to smart to explain some of those things that was not clear to me.
In one of those occasions when I went to meet him for explanation, smart was amazed at the level of my sudden seriousness towards my academics and he asked saying:
“Sam, why are you this serious towards your academics these days?” I responded by saying “ serious, how?” It's then he replied by saying: “ the way you read and study your notes these days is baffling to me.” I said to him,” it's normal now, I have always been like that.” But he responded by saying, “ no, I have known you since our JSS1 days, you have never been like this.” I said,” really?” He said, “yes” but it's then I told him that, “ change is constant and that what I'm just doing is to embrace the needed positive change.”
When he heard this, he was so surprise and his body language changed. Though, I did really know what was in his mind, but I was of the opinion that he was of the thought that I was out there to challenge him. Though he explained what I took to him to me, but he wasn't comfortable. So, since then, I stopped going to him for any kind of explanation and instead of going to him, I would rather go to my teacher.
Not quite long, the 3rd term examination started and everybody did their possible best to pass the exam in which I was included. Then we were in SS1 going to 2. So, during the course of the exam, God really saw me through that all I read came out in most of the papers except English language which was normal. There's a particular paper I wrote that I collected two extra sheets and people were like,“ What's he writing?”
There's a girl named Tayo, a very close friend of Smart. Whenever I raised my hand to ask for more answer sheets, Tayo would be like “ If you checked very, all that he's writing is rubbish.”
And after her statement, she would hiss, but that's none of my business.
But the reason she hated me so much was that I couldn't fathom.
So, after the exam and before our vacation, we got the result of the exam and I came second behind Smart who has taken the first position of the class as his birthright. Though I was commended by many including my Mathematics and classteacher, Mrs Ojo who said,” I couldn't believe my eyes when I was recording ur position and I saw you came 2nd.
” She congratulated and advised me to Keep it up.”
Which I promise her by saying.“ Mrs Ojo, I will not only keep it up, but surpass this new milestone by taking the first position from Smart.”
It's later that Smart and Tayo, his girlfriend, came to me for no other reason than to mock me. When he came, the first thing he said was: “ I'm your boss, you can beat me.” And I replied him by saying, “ I'm not competing with you Smart, I just want you to know that”
I told him all I was doing was to improve on my academics, but his girl would not even allow us to converse and because of this I discharged both of them and went straight to my hostel room to pack my things and left for home. But I was happy the challenges I faced with Smart really paid up at last as I was not where I used to be academically, but on a new pedestal of excellence. So, that's how my QUEST for academic excellence paid off.
Thanks for reading.
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It is far better to compete with yourself than with others. It's a good thing you outdid yourself. Your teacher could see that too and encouraged you to keep it up. I hope next term, you will take the first place, even if you don't, I am sure you will learn more about yourself and what you can do.
Yes ooo, thank for stopping by
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