Exam hall dramas every Nigerian student has experienced

As a long-time teacher in a Nigerian institution, I can tell you for free that there are so many dramas going on in Nigerian schools. Well, the most epic of these dramas happens in exam Halls.

They are comical and filled with suspense. There's a significant chance you've even partaken in some of these unforgettable scenes.

Let's jog down memory lane a bit and refresh our minds with some of the popular exam hall dramas that happen in Nigerian institutions.

There’s always that one student who arrives just as the invigilator is closing the doors. Sweaty, disorganised, and pleading with puppy eyes, they disrupt the entire hall. Some make it inside after a dramatic display of begging, while others stand outside whispering and begging throughout the exam time.

You know that student who never carries a calculator but spends half the exam counting with fingers, tearing small pieces of paper, or scribbling numbers furiously in the margin? Sometimes, you wonder if they’re solving the question - or summoning spiritual powers because of how dramatic they often make their quest for finding answers.

This one spends more time twisting and turning their neck than actually writing. Every few minutes, their head slowly tilts toward another student’s script, pretending to adjust posture. You’ll be amazed at how their neck becomes more flexible than you'll ever think once the exam kicks off.

This student feels they were hired by WAEC, NECO, or JAMB to keep everyone updated. Every five minutes, they announce: “Remaining 30 minutes o!” Their constant reminders only make you sweat more, even when you’ve barely started question two.

You’ve seen them - the ones who read all night but suddenly blank out when the paper arrives. They’ll bite their pen, scratch their head, sigh loudly, and mutter, “But I read this thing na…” Sometimes they even look like they’re about to cry.

Nothing unites Nigerian students like the invigilator’s dreaded words: “Pens up, time is over.” Instantly, the hall erupts with groans, sighs, and last-minute scribbling. Some even risk sneaking in one extra line as if those few words will guarantee an A.

Exam halls in Nigeria are more than test centres - they are stages for some of the funniest and most dramatic performances of student life. Whether you were the neck-stretcher, the human calculator, or the panicked, you’ll always have stories to laugh about years after.