The ping came through as I sat in the quiet of my room—today felt different. I had a choice to make, one that would alter the course of my life. The problem wasn’t just picking a school; it was deciding whether to listen to my heart or let the cacophony of voices around me dictate my future.

“You’ll regret it if you don’t go to the University of Lagos,” my mother had said for the hundredth time. “It’s the best in the country.”

UNILAG—the university everyone dreamed of. The only problem? The distance. I wasn’t sure I was ready for that kind of pressure.

“Why not Lagos State University?” my uncle suggested. “It’s cheaper, and it’s still in Lagos. You’ll save money.”

There it was again. LASU—the compromise, the practical choice. But it didn’t feel quite right.

And then there was my father. “Obafemi Awolowo University, that’s the one for you,” he said. “It’s not too close, not too far, just right.”

OAU—his balanced choice. But it wasn’t mine.

What did I want? What did I truly feel about my future?

There was only one university that felt like my own—a place where I could grow, academically and personally. The University of Benin. It wasn’t the closest, and it certainly wasn’t the most famous. But there was something about UNIBEN that resonated with me. It felt like a place where I could carve out my own identity.

The decision weighed heavily on me. I wanted to please my family, but I also realized the only person who could decide my future was me.

So, I did it. I chose the University of Benin—UNIBEN, my choice. Not the prestigious UNILAG my mother wanted. Not the cheaper LASU my uncle pushed for. Not the balanced OAU my father preferred.

It wasn’t easy, and I knew it would upset them. But in that quiet moment, when the ping interrupted my thoughts, I realized it was time to trust myself and listen to the one voice that mattered most—mine.

I look back now, and I know that choosing UNIBEN was the right decision for me. It wasn’t about choosing the most famous university or the one closest to home. It was about listening to my heart and taking a step toward my own future. It taught me that sometimes, the toughest decisions are the ones we make for ourselves.