The Diary of a 9ja girl in Yankee

Remember that career workshop you had in secondary school when you were about to transition into SS1. It was the only time I saw the guidance counselor. She tried to ensure I got my career path right. I was given some survey to fill, which was supposed to show me my strengths and weaknesses, and the certain career that suited me.

I remember shaking my head on how ineffective those things are, as I did completely rig the outcome. I had always wanted to be a lawyer, so I made sure that the best profession that suited me was law. Now, I didn't reminisce to pinpoint just how much one can beat the system but to talk about this: parents' expectation for your chosen field. I never understood or could picture why some parents thought they could and wanted to influence their children's career path. Now, I don't have the luxury to say that.

             
I was so into law that my favorite colors were black and white. For years, I never wore colors and hated pink like mad. My last year in secondary school, it was time for the almighty JAMB. It filtered that law wasn't accredited to major federal universities. The first time I heard the news, I shook my head, vehemently denying its truth value. But lo and behold, it was true. I had to find another major.

Blank. I had wanted law so badly that I had no inkling about any other major. My mum had friends and colleagues over to explain different courses to me. I remember Mr. Dan explaining sociology to me and how Greekish it sounded. As he kept talking, all I could think of was "Murewa, this is just need a means to an end." And even though I might not be able to study law as my first degree, it was definitively going to be my second degree. So I thought.

I eventually got admitted to the University of Ibadan to study linguistics. I had no idea what it was, but I eventually got to find out. Besides, English and linguistics work well with law, so I was told. I went through linguistics knowing it was not my lane and that I wasn't going to be a practicing linguist. It showed.

But, first year in college I learnt something else. Law wasn't for me. I can't explain why or how I came about this discovery but I knew LLM was never ever going to be put alongside my name ever. It was the time for accreditation and the ban lifted. Second year students were allowed to transfer to the department of law but I never filled a form. In fact, I never saw one. I wasn't interested.

I also experienced something. I fell in love with the creative me. Or at least, I was on my way to finding the creative me. I opened my eyes to the world of media and dug up my baby-dream of being in the industry. It made me volunteer in Diamond Radio. I could finally explain my love, my passion for music and make-believe world, both in print and on screen. I was on my way to finding my passion.

         
I transferred to University of South Florida, a journey that I can write a book on but one I am not willing to open at this moment. I had to pick another major, as USF doesn't have linguistics as a B.A. major. Then, I stumbled on English and choose creative writing as my concentration. I hated writing but English seemed pretty close to linguistics. I remember the first time I ever wrote a story for my class and how I discovered my writing capacity and my love for it. All I did was finally let go and write with no Mrs. Teboh hanging over my shoulders. I was on my way to finding my passion.

"Murewa why are you wasting your parents money?" said a friend when I told her my major. I had no answer for her. It was also my reintroduction to the Nigerian education/career mentality. Really, why was I wasting thousands of my parents' hard-earned money to get a degree that wasn't a professional one? So, I learned to say English instead of creative writing, when asked for my course of study by a Nigerian. And I braved myself for the eventually selling of law to me by such concerned individuals. In short, English just wasn't an acceptable major for a Nigerian living in the USA.

I had a conversation with a friend currently studying public relations in a UK university , my curiosity was piqued. Many months later, I got admitted into USF's College of Mass Communication. My concentration, public relations. I had found my passion. Not PR alone, but a combination of my majors. For the first time in my life, I finally understood what having passion for one's career is. But enough of my mushy mushy feelings.

         
The Nigerian community in diaspora is worse than the one at home. The list of accepted occupations and majors is stricter. If you can not be a doctor, be a pharmacist. And if not, nursing. Law or engineering are alright but so down the drain. As for English and public relations, they are definitely not on the said list. Medical related profession are the cake, the ones to bring in the ego. From the very first month I stepped into this blessed country, people have been insinuating that I needed to change my profession.

I am tired of Nigerians not understanding that I hate law as a profession, not for any other reason but because I had loved it too much once. And that I can not be a doctor because I hate the sight of blood, it makes me queasy. As for pharmacy, I hate drugs, down to its smell and really can't bear to stand on my feet for 8-12 hours. Why can't they believe that I can make it in the world of PR? So many times I want to shout that the reason my father can stand the rigor of pharmacy is because he loves it. I don't and would never ever do. But if I ever do that, I would be labeled proud, stubborn and unyielding. Now these name calling ain't new to me but one I had hoped I had left behind in 9ja.

Now this post isn't to show how crappy my life is. Sorry, my life is great. But to show just how uptight Nigerian society in diaspora is. Their expectation is even worse than the one back home, all just for bragging rights. Nigerian society would never cease to amaze me with its hypocritical social standing policy. Everyone has some knowledge about the Asian society's expectation of STEM courses but never realize just how crazy the Nigerian counterpart is. As for me, I want and need to succeed in my chosen career path, so that a Nigerian kid in diaspora can also have the chance to follow his or her passion someday.