A young lady who wrote the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) exam merely for experience, despite being underage, has successfully graduated from the University of Ibadan (UI). She recently shared her inspiring journey, which included a tragic accident and weeks of survival on supplements and Coca-Cola.
From JAMB Experience to UI Admission
The lady, identified as Joan-Lois Olaoye on LinkedIn, recounted how she sat for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) without any serious preparation, as she was not yet of age and only wanted to gain experience. Surprisingly, the same exam secured her admission into the prestigious University of Ibadan.
In her LinkedIn post, she compared her life to a Netflix documentary, stating that Season 1 wrapped with her final exam. She wrote: "From writing JAMB 'just for experience' because I wasn't even of age yet, to actually gaining admission, thank you COVID and EndSARS for the plot twist nobody saw coming."
Overcoming Challenges and Winning Scholarships
During her time at UI, Joan-Lois faced numerous challenges, including bullying, financial struggles, and a serious accident that kept her away from school for five weeks. She survived on supplements and Coca-Cola during that period. Despite these hurdles, she won several scholarships and discovered her passion for history.
She noted: "From consistent '68s and '69s (the lecturers' favourite numbers) to surviving bullies, and briefly becoming one (growth happened). From stepping into parliament life; loved being an Honourable, being Speaker? Let's archive that experience. From losing money and entering debt, to winning scholarships."
Graduation and Reactions
Joan-Lois concluded her post by reflecting on writing the last word of her final paper, "INDEPENDENCE," and wondering if she would graduate. Her story touched many, with comments pouring in from well-wishers.
Adefioye Adedayo commented: "The 68's and 69's part I can relate. Grateful to God for seeing us through the journey so far. Congratulations, Joan! Greater heights from here." Kabirat Ojo added: "Congratulations, Sis Joan-Lois Olaoye. You came, saw and conquered." Adewumi Matthew Aduragbemi noted: "Congratulations on your journey and growth. May it keep getting better from here. I love how carefully you crafted the writeup to explain your experience. But... Did you really become a bully too?" Idema Faith Omeram said: "Love this for you. After everything you scaled through. Sorry about the bullies. At the end God did. I'm grateful for life, growth and family."
Similar Stories of Perseverance
In a related story, a UI candidate who missed the 2025 admission cut-off by three points shared her 2026 UTME score of 317 after scoring 314 the previous year. Another young man eventually gained admission to study Medicine and Surgery at UI after years of trying, scoring 295 in his first UTME in 2020 but improving his post-UTME score.
