School & Work (Afi Writes...)

Dear Diary,

I have just had the most upsetting experience in my entire career as a student, my entire career as a living being even. I never understood why the Cowries Television Network insisted on airing that segment on strange happenings but I do know that my experience ought to be aired on their show.

I flunked on the last major assignment for literature class and it’s not even my fault! Ms. Ashie gave us the assignment three weeks back and I did it. No cat pooped on it, no dog or hamster chewed on it, nothing of the sort. I actually submitted it on time! But…(You should be feeling all apprehensive right about now) When she handed it back, there, staring me right in the face, in a thick red marker, and embolden to about twice Ms. Ashie’s handwriting was “UNACCEPTABLE!” Talk about absurd!

What’s more is the fact that the assignment was issued in groups. Objective: research into the life of Efua Sutherland. Unfortunately, I landed in the worst group ever created; Vugo, Tijani,Yelba, Suhyini and I.I mean, there couldn’t be a worse combination in the history of mankind! Everyone in the group had a GPA of four point something; meaning major attitude problems. Of course, the part about attitude problems doesn’t apply to me.

Anyways, for two whole weeks, we could not settle on which presentation style to adopt. Vugo and Yelba were for a prosaic informative essay while Tijani and Suhyini insisted on a hip and fun narrative. I didn’t really mind which approach we took so long as we did the assignment. Well, the only agreement we came to was that we split up. So we did.

I actually took the pains to go to the library AND research on the internet for the assignment. Why all the effort? Just so I could hear a remix to Ms. Ashie’s remarks to me on the last assignment we did.” Afi, your work was great. You have a unique style of writing that could take you places. Well done.” Yea, some remix I got. To think that I took time off my busy schedule…ok. Enough. I won’t think about it. But next time…in case I ever have a group assignment…please remind me to ensure that the assignment is presented as a group as all cost ok? Apparently, that was the essence of the assignment in the first place: teamwork.

ADVICE

Read over the instructions carefully before attempting the questions. Yea, that’s really all there is making your grades in school. Sure, you can study like crazy for a test or an exam. You can decide to present your assignment in a corporate file. You could even go the extra mile of having a video taped interview with one of the personalities you’re studying about in school. But if you got the instructions wrong in the first place, you might as well be working on a couple of trial questions you set for yourself.