ALGORITHM

 “You can’t write this exam, not even the Vice Chancellor can intervene.”

The words hit me like lightning, each syllable carrying the weight of a reality I wasn’t ready to accept. I stood there in front of the exam official, my hands trembling, my voice breaking as I tried to explain.

“Sir, please, I just need a little time. I will pay, I promise. Just let me write the paper.”

But my pleas fell on deaf ears. His expression remained static, cold, unmoved. The rules were the rules, and I was on the wrong side of them.

I had gotten to the exam hall hours before, hoping that maybe, just maybe, the examiner would show me mercy. I had worked too hard for this day. From the moment I secured admission into one of Nigeria’s most prestigious faculties, the faculty of Law, I had devoted myself entirely to my studies. I could already see my future, wearing the black robe, standing tall in a courtroom, advocating for justice. Was I going to be denied this reality?

Everything seemed to be slipping away because of one unpaid school fee installment. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to pay; things happened.

Drenched in tears, I walked away from the multipurpose hall in my pink gown which my mother had bought me on my secondary school graduation day. My mouth sour, my legs weak. The walk from the hall to the school gate was the loneliest that I have ever walked. How was I going to break this news to my parents? How would I face the community who had been so proud of my journey? 

Dear friend, I had toiled day and night reading hard while I studied Law. I woke up as early as 4 AM so I could meet up with lectures and got home late at night. I’d trek some distance just so I had little money on me to eat. My mother had followed me to write the very first exams, standing under the rain, waiting for me to finish exams with my sister on her back. I encouraged myself that everything would be worth it. My chest ached, not just from crying but from the weight of disappointment pressing down on me.

When I finally got home, I could see the sadness in my parents’ eyes. They had done everything they could for me, and I knew this wasn’t just my burden to bear—it was theirs too. The worst part? It was already too late to register for JAMB again that year. 

Then, the unexpected happened.

The next morning, I received a call. A new window for JAMB registration had suddenly opened. I almost didn’t believe it was real. Without hesitation, I registered and wrote another JAMB because sometimes in life, we miss 100% of the shots we don’t take.  Funny how I was the one consoling my mother. For me, this was my challenge to God! Was He going to keep to His words? 

Saturday mornings in my house were for chores. It was my turn to wash the toilet that weekend. I set my small phone at the window, in a way that would make the speaker echo loudly enough,  playing "This God is too good” by Nathaniel Bassey ft, Micah Stampley, when I heard my phone beep. 

I hastily wiped my hands to check the message. My heart was shaking when I saw it was from UNILORIN.

“Congratulations! You have been offered provisional admission into the University of Ilorin…”

I ran out of the bathroom, to break the news to my family. The walls that had felt like they were closing in on me shattered in an instant. My mother rolled on the floor thanking God they allowed me to start again, thanking God they allowed me to pick the school and course of my choice, thanking God for giving me this admission on the school’s first list, despite having no connection.

Well, God owns the universe and He is my connection. He kept to HIS words

You see my friend, the Algorithm of Life is not programmed for those who passively wait because the patient dog eats the fattest bone! Life has been designed to recognise persistence, resilience, and trust in Yahweh. It responds to those who keep showing up, despite the obstacles. Those who choose to rise every time they fall. Those who choose to fall in love with the pursuit of God’s will for their lives.

Alignment with God’s purpose is not sitting back and expecting things to magically work out. It’s about being intentional, seeking His will, taking bold steps, and trusting even when the path seems uncertain. 

Success isn’t a guaranteed sequence of steps; it’s a journey of endurance, adaptability, and faith. There will be moments when your efforts seem unnoticed. When the doors you knock on remain shut. When the sacrifices you’ve made feel like they were in vain. But life’s algorithm is always running in the background, recalibrating, redirecting, and making way for those who refuse to quit.

So don’t give up. Keep moving forward. Keep trusting. Keep building. Because the moment you decide to press on, even when it’s hard, is the moment you align yourself with the unstoppable force of destiny. You will definitely get that EMAIL, that CALL, that MESSAGE.

Create your own life’s ALGORITHM

Trust God and keep Building.

Written with Love,

Esther Wisdom-Oluwaseun