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3 reasons students commit suicide over poor grades

Suicide is becoming a thing in Nigeria and it has even crept into higher institutions.

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Suicide was unfamiliar and distasteful to Nigerians not only because it is an unpleasant experience but also because we believe is never the right way to die.

That was a long time ago. Today, suicide is becoming a thing in Nigeria and it has even crept into higher institutions.

The shocking death of a 16-year-old student, Mercy Afolaranmi at Obafemi Awolowo University who allegedly committed suicide because she had an E in a Chemistry test attests to the fact that suicide is becoming an escape from academic failure.

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Before Afolaranmi, there was a case of Chinedu Iromuanya in Nassarawa State University who took his own life because of piled up carry overs.

On Wednesday, October 4, 2017, Iromuanya had allegedly drunk poisonous substance suspected to be Sniper to protest his carryovers.

The student was reportedly sad because the polytechnic management allegedly refused to clear him even after he had sat for the paper in 2016.

Similarly, a final year student of Accounting at Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma, Benjamin Oghayerio in April 2010 committed suicide because of alleged carry-over courses.

Oghayerio was found hanging in his room.

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It is shocking that Nigerian students are so worried about their studies that suicide is becoming the last resort for them.

This is becoming a trend and we found out that there are three known reasons why a student would decide to take his or her life because of poor grades.

Parental Pressure:

Pressure from parents asking their kids to succeed academically at all cost could demoralise a student who is not sound enough to stand the pressure.

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Some Nigerian parents can be very dictatorial about the academic performance of their children. They choose the course to read  and demand too much from a child that barely understands profession he is being trained for.

And when a child who is not brilliant to read a science course is forced to read medicine, he is bound to fail. This may lead to depression when the heat from home gets too much.

Peer Pressure/Expectations:

Every student in every school can easily identify one particular student who always gets it right no matter how difficult the tests or exams are. He is the benchmark for every other students in their exams.

Such students are classified as Eficos and in some other schools, they are called Profs because of their academic brilliance. But, when the Efico  falters and gets the poorest grade, he becomes a butt of rude jokes among his peers. This may downcast, depress  and eventually leads him to attempt suicide, if he is the type who doesn't like to be mocked.

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Disillusionment:

Closely related to the second point, students get disillusioned because of the high expectations they have of themselves.

A student may feel disappointed in his own performance when the result is pasted on the board for all to see. A number of students withdraw into themselves when this happens. This perhaps explains what happened to Mercy Afolaranmi who first gave a suicide note on her Facebook page before she ingested Sniper days after, all because she had an E in Chemistry.

All these points still boil down to depression and anxiety.

Parents need not put the burden of pressure on their wards because they want to make them become Albert Einstein. This will only make a lot of them perform woefully rather than gear them toward success.

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Students also need not to overrate themselves and instead of seeing yourself as the benchmark for others only do your best and be happy about your effort. Only this will make you a happy student.

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