A THROW IN THE SAND

A short story about how I missed a graduate school opportunity (including how to not make the same mistakes I made)

- Thread!
2) When Yakubu Aiyegbeni lost a glorious chance that knocked Nigeria out of the world cup some years ago, everyone fumed.
I fumed too. All over social media, everyone cursed him and even attempted some silly actions. Don't blame the mob.
3) They were emotionally and financially invested in the football match. Did the player intended to miss the less than 10 cm miss? Absolutely not!

But somehow, he missed it.
4) Blame it on anxiety, blame it on fear, blame it on over-confidence; the fact remains - He Missed The Chance
While I thought this was a moment characteristic of Yakubu, I did not know that my "Yakubu" moment was waiting in the pipeline.

Wait for it!
5) In October 2017, I sent an email to a potential advisor in the United States. This was a time when I was exceedingly committed to securing a scholarship.
6) Truth is, I was indifferent about where I was going to get the scholarship but I focused on the United States because I believed that I had a higher chance of securing a scholarship there.

So I thought!
7) Europe was not on my radar at the time because asides from not really being acquainted with how European Scholarships work, I thought opportunities were limited in Europe compared to the United States.

A misconstrued perception.

After sending the email, I went to rest.
8) Three days later, I received the following message:

----
Hi Michael,

Thanks for your interest in my research and my lab. I am accepting graduate students, and so I encourage you to apply to our joint program at Northwestern University and the Chicago Botanic Garden.
9) Graduate students in the program are formally Northwestern University graduate students, but research space, office space, advisors, etc, are typically at the Chicago Botanic Garden.
Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Yours,

XXXXXXXXXX

----
10) I replied to him as soon as I could, leaping for joy that something was coming up. In my reply mail, I clarified certain information and further asked If I could include him in my application.

He replied:
11) Hi Michael,

Great. Yes, you can certainly include me as a potential advisor in your application materials.
Best of luck!
----

Ladies and gentlemen, what If I tell you that I totally forgot about this reply until one year later? (Village people got me @AaronAkpuPhilip )
12) I was going over my "special email" folder one day and I found the different emails I failed to track or tracked poorly.

Do not be like me.

Put in place a good mail-tracking routine. I know you are an expert at remembering things, so I thought too.
13) Eventually, what you track does not get lost.

There are other opportunities I later saw but felt so ashamed of myself because how could I have gotten so close and just "Yakubued" my opportunities.

Don't ever try to be like that version of me in October 2017.
14) What would you have done if this happened to you?

(Unserious/wrong answers only)

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