I arrived a few days late. I had already booked a room in a shared apartment close to the university via ImmoScout24 so I didn’t have to worry about accommodation. Classes had already begun but it took a while before it dawned on me that I was actually back to school again and not on a vacation.
The day after I arrived, I had a meeting with the environmental geoscience course supervisor to get all the information I needed to make a good start. Gradually, I began to accept the fact that I was going to dive into geology again and not explore the new world of business courses I had fantasized about. As I headed home from the interview, I met a Nigerian PhD student who worked directly with the head of the MBA program I was interested in. I was not too sure if it was a good idea to tell him what I really wanted or just move on because there was really nothing he could actually do to help but hey, what did I have to lose?
“I’m studying environmental geology but I actually plan to switch to the MBA program next semester,” I said. “Oh, really? Why next semester?” He asked. Admissions were long over already so I didn’t imagine it was possible to switch but I was completely wrong. This God-sent student suggested that I visit the professor in charge of the program, explain my situation and then see what happens. No harm in trying right? This happened on a Friday, so on Monday morning, I headed straight to the professor’s office and waited about an hour for him to arrive. Does he usually take appointments out of his speaking time? Nope. Did I have any intention of leaving that office without stating my case? Hell no! I’m not sure what exactly my pitch was but it sure made sense a lot of sense to him.
“Admissions are over, yes; but you’re already here, you meet the requirements, and you haven’t enrolled yet. I’ll write you a letter with which you can receive your new admission letter from the students’ office and just enrol for the MBA program instead.”
The words had me floating in the air as I watched him write, sign and stamp this letter before my very eyes. I had just been admitted into my dream program without any hassle!
Two things I learnt from my own story are:
- You miss 100% of the chances you don’t take.
- God is simply a master planner
Every time I think about it, I wonder what would have happened if I never met that Nigerian PhD student or if I met him and just decided to stay quiet. I would have wasted half a year on a program that didn’t excite me and I probably wouldn’t have graduated by now.
PS: I started this blog series to share insights and FREE tips for relocating to Germany. Take it from me, leaving the country legally is cheaper and easier than most people think. Beyond sharing my story (and those of my friends) so you can learn from real experiences, I’ll occasionally share useful resources through newsletters during this series. The resources would all be FREE and trust me, you’ll need them. All you have to do is subscribe to my newsletters so you won’t miss any of them.
Very apt. Speak, what is the worse that could happen?
haha, good question! There was really nothing to lose.
A great lesson learnt here
Thanks for reading!
Inspiring post!
I’ve read them all and have a couple of questions
Thank you! Mind sharing your questions here? I’d be happy to answer them.
Just as the saying goes, a closed mouth is a closed destiny.
God is indeed a master planner.
Exactly! He sure is!!
Master planner extraordinary!
100%!