I have for long been writing on the secrets to passing the multi-herculean examination, UTME, but I haven’t brought the final truth to the limelight. Well, for those who want to excel and to quickly run away from the crowds of those “dreaming” candidates that do not read for it, this is the truth; the only truth.
The choice is selflessly left to you. It’s either you quickly take it into consideration, or you join the crowds in failing the examination; however, that’s not what we’re hoping for. But the truth is that, it’s either you pass, or you inevitably fail. It’s left for you to decide.
As we all know, for about 45 years now a secondary school graduate in Nigeria will have no means of getting into a higher institution; a university, school of nursing, college of education or any polytechnic, without passing through this inevitable examination, UTME. But why, as someone who wants to build his/her future, has always been failing this same examination? It’s really a question that needs an honest answer. One needs to dig out and tell the truth to oneself. We should all be fair.
To mention one of the greatly noted impediments that is at the forefront to leading one in failing the examination is, succinctly, self-hatred; yes, self-hatred. Why, despite all the recommended ways of passing the examination you have been failing or have been preparing to fail?
That’s, frankly, lack of self-love. You should love yourself by building a block between yourself and your society, friends and so forth that have been, or will be calling you names whenever you fail or if, by happenstance, you mistakenly fail due to your fault. That’s, due to the lack of early preparation and prayer, engineered beautifully by useless procrastination.
However, the only truth is that, for one to pass UTME in this our contemporary ‘film-loving’ society that hates anything related to reading, there’s really a battle; a great one. But that’s the way forward; the only and the only way forward for one, a student, who is intent on going to any dittoed higher institutions. It’s a battle that should be mercilessly fought for a student to step on the path of progression.
In a straight-forward, the student should keep in mind that studying for the examination is just for a very small amount of time, but the failure is a lasting pain. One should really be patient and study for it and be celebrating till the end of time.
Before then, it’s of fundamental significance for the student to know what to study for the examination; it’s not everything that should be studied having seen the very little time one has. There are syllabuses set by the JAMB. Every year, the body suggests some areas to be well studied for the examination. The candidate should go through at least 80% of the recommended syallabuses.
The body hardly asks something outside the syllabus. In the same vein, the past questions should be thoroughly studied. Quite a number of questions are yearly repeated in the examination. Beyond that, this gives one a sense of knowing the mostly asked areas. They can be simply downloaded as PDF files and be read on a low-budget smartphone screen.
They can also be simply gotten through some apps like MySchool, Scholarly and JAMB Prep (free) at N1000. But for the Use of English, I would recommend using the hardcopy, N700 at local bookshops due to the amount of time it consumes using a software application.
In view of the fact that the examination is around the corner, I would strongly advise that a student set aside 10 hours or more for the UTME studies, daily. Remember, it’s just for one month. Don’t get bored by the constant reading of the needful.
The pain of studying them is for a while, but for the failure, it can’t be estimated. Do not forget to pray, for reading without praying is as eating a flesh of suya meat in a dream. This is the final truth; the only and the only truth. May the students pass the examination with flying colours!
Salim Yakubu Akko,
Dan Malikin Sadaukin Gona,
Gombe, Gombe state.
