I took the Jesuit Memorial College (JMC) entrance examination because the school is prominent in Nigeria for its academic prowess and its ability to mould young disciplined people more than capable to face the world ahead of them. 
I have also heard good reports about the school from many parents and relatives who have experienced the spectacular qualities of the school, which made it easy for my parents to make the decision for me to attend JMC. I was initially skeptical about coming to the school because it meant that I would leave my family and go and meet different people from different backgrounds without seeing my parents, but I eventually got over it. I had very little knowledge about boarding school so I was ready to explore a new thing.
Overall, my first year was quite interesting. There were lots of events that I was surprised to see that the school had, which was a contrast to the notion I had about the school having more of academics with little or no social activities. Personally, there were some activities that I found interesting like Treasure hunt, Christmas Carol, Inter House sport, Children’s day, and Cultural Day. There were some activities that I felt were quite boring like movie night, free time in the hostel, because I was always not as happy doing those activities as much as the others. I was also happy that I was able to fit into the JMC system quite seamlessly and understood the work needed to be done to do well and in academics and character. I was satisfied with my academic performance especially in third term where I registered my best performance both in academics and character. Although I had some challenges interacting with seniors, especially JS3 students, I soon overcame the initial challenge and was able to focus on school work.
At the beginning of the academic year, it was quite difficult to eat the meals they gave us in school because it didn’t taste exactly like my mother’s cooking but I was able to manage, although there were some meals that I just couldn’t eat like fish roll and puff puff. I also did not like the short time that was provided for us to get ready after school hours, especially on Thursdays and Fridays. The time was always not enough to get things done. I also found it hard to be consistently waking up by 5:30 am daily making it difficult to stay awake during mass. Which are both key things that I need to improve on. One key value that really stuck with me in JS 1 was, ‘Procrastination is the theft of time’. I value it a lot, because it helped me to know that things that ought to be done are to be done as quickly as possible so that you don’t forget what you wanted to do.
A moment I felt that God loved me was when he always gave me wisdom and watched over me. If I were to start JS 1 all over again, I would try my best to make more friends because I think that was an aspect I lacked in JS 1. Overall my experience has been a rollercoaster ride. It was a great experience and I am generally happy with it. My advice to the incoming JS 1 students are to eat well, manage your time wisely, and be prayerful. These are aspects that most of us struggled with. I would also advice that they should be responsible with their belongings and they should be open to meeting different kinds of people
Evaluating myself with respect to the profile of a Jesuit High School Student based on the mission statement of Jesuit Memorial college, I would say that I am a person who pursues learning and is willing to learn, both intellectual and character wise. Passing the JMC entrance examination shows that I am capable intellectually. I strive to grow into a complete person as I further my studies in the school. I will also strive to improve in all facets of my being; socially and spiritually which are also very important aspects in life as I continue my stay at the Heights.
I would like to thank my family for being alongside me even when they are not physically present, I would also like to thank my friends – Kaito and Sogide, who have been a strong support to me throughout my stay. I would also like to thank the academic and non-academic staff for trying their best to teach us and make us better individuals, I am truly grateful.
Olugbenga Somtochukwu David IYOWU
Class of 2029