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Math Improvement Journey

In my secondary school days, precisely in class four, I could excel in other subjects, but I would always spend a longer time writing my math examinations. In fact, many times I would leave the exam hall unsatisfied, knowing that I could not properly attend to the questions.

Every time we had a math exam, the atmosphere in the hall was serious and tense, and students would spend more time than necessary. There were a few who could not spend too long in the exam hall. Later in my class five, a young boy joined my class. On his first day, he was introduced by our principal, and he cheerfully smiled at the handsome and beautiful faces as we all stood to give our principal a standing ovation. His name was Innocent, and he quickly started making friends. From then on, he started coming to school very early. Being very social, he would always discuss several issues in the classroom.

Sooner than later, Innocent started dominating virtually every discussion. Whether it was sports, politics, or celebrities, Innocent would spend time discussing general issues, to the point that students complained that he never read his books. We girls knew intelligent boys in our class, and I was concerned about Innocent's constant discussions in the class during our free periods. I said to Comfort, my classmate, "This boy seems to be very intelligent, but I have not seen him reading his books. Instead, he discusses everything. How can he cope with his academics?" Comfort replied, "How does he think he can pass his examinations without reading his books?" I then said, "I enjoy the way Innocent expresses himself. It's as if he came from a very good school." While I was discussing with Comfort, one of our classmates, Goodluck, was listening and smiling. Then he said, "You serious students, wouldn't you mind your business?" Comfort replied, "Everybody came here to mind school business, ooo."

Within days, all our classmates became fond of Innocent. They would cluster around him, listening to him. Just at that moment, our mathematics teacher walked into the class, and all the students returned to their seats. It was as if the math teacher knew that Innocent was the center of attention. As soon as he moved to the blackboard, he presented Innocent with a mathematical question. Innocent answered it correctly, surprising everyone. His answer brought absolute calmness to the room. The teacher gazed at him as if he wanted to inquire about something but reserved his comment. No one had ever answered a mathematical question in such a manner in my class. Comfort looked at me, and I quietly said, "I know people who are very intelligent."

The teacher asked Innocent another complex question, and he accurately answered without spending any time at all. I began to clap for him, and others joined me. The math teacher then said, "I have always told you students that mathematics is the simplest subject if only you study and spend time solving math problems daily." He then said to Innocent, "What an excellent child you are. Keep it up." Innocent quietly replied, "Thank you, sir," and sat down.

All the mathematical problems that no class member could solve were handled neatly by Innocent. One day, when only a few people were in the class, I walked up to him and said, "Can I ask you a question?" He responded, "What's the matter, Blessing?" I asked him, "You are really good at mathematics. What is your secret?" He answered, "Ever since primary school, I have been spending time playing with math questions. My parents always made sure I spent time solving many math questions every day." Then I asked, "Is that your secret?" He replied, "If you spend time solving math questions every day, you will become very good at mathematics too."

From that day onward, I started spending more time solving math questions. It wasn't easy at the beginning, but Innocent helped me handle some difficult problems. After one year, I became very good and started competing with Innocent. Comfort and our other classmates were surprised by my sudden improvement in mathematics and other subjects.

In my first term in Class Five, I finished my mathematics examination questions without any difficulty. Our math teacher was impressed and said, "I have always told you students that mathematics is the simplest subject if you solve math problems daily." He looked at me and said, "Blessing, thank you for proving me right as well." I left the classroom with a satisfied smile. When I met Innocent outside, who had already finished before me, I said to him, "Innocent, thank you for bringing out the best in me. In fact, my significant improvement in all subjects is attributed to your encouragement." Innocent replied, "You're welcome, Blessing. Just spend time solving math questions regularly."

Furthermore, after one year, we sat for the West African Examination Council (WAEC), and Innocent and I emerged as the top performers in our state. As a result of our excellent performance, the chairman of our local government awarded Innocent and me scholarships to study our dream courses at our state university.