Last year, I shared a post on LinkedIn excited but completely unaware of the adventures ahead. And today, I graduate with a distinction in my Masters.
Miss Oluwatosin Likinyo, MSc. Renewable Energy Engineering with a Distinction. 🎊
Haha, it sure has a nice ring to it. I am so proud of this achievement but beyond that, I am immensely grateful to God for granting me all I needed for this journey and seeing me through, against all odds.
I started my MSc. about three weeks after the official resumption date. As a result, I strove to catch up with school work while experiencing the difficulties of adjusting to a new environment. Within weeks, there were loads of deadlines and tests to do. I remember being so confused trying to get as much help as I could from my colleagues.
Just when I had settled into school, enjoying my second semester and the beautiful Aberdeen city, the pandemic happened (and just had to cancel all my summer plans). The flexibility of having my lectures from my bed was a plus, but I missed the serenity of studying in the library and the company of my course mates. It was during this time, I experienced anxieties, a bit of which I shared in this post. The other 'complication' was that my lecturers managed to set my exam questions from beyond this earthly realm, under the guise of open book.
Writing my thesis was also a bittersweet experience. My research was on identifying and designing a suitable air conditioning system for electric vehicles that would be independent of battery energy consumption consequently reducing mileage loss. The topic sounded interesting, and it was but it stretched me beyond my comfort zone. Your girl had to wear the hats of mechanical, chemical and software engineers. The restriction to online resources also meant I had to be smart and adaptable. Still, there was a lot of work to be done on my design that I had a little over a week to write my thesis report. In fact, up until the day before submission, I still had to debug my design on Aspen Plus. I was surprised when my supervisor informed me that he was impressed with my work. It still feels like a dream that I got an A in my thesis.
Oh! It has been quite an interesting journey.
As I write this, reminiscing about how much of a journey this year has been, I cannot help but be grateful to God. It brings me close to tears when I remember how I had given up hope on advancing my education due to cost restrains and out of the blues (literally), I got a mail requesting my acceptance for a full scholarship sponsorship. I had been rejected a number of times even by the same sponsoring body yet God showed up. It is hard to believe during these times that there is no God. I have seen enough in my life to show that He does exist and He cares.
This is me also saying a big thank you to everyone who have been a part of this journey, my parents, family, friends, colleagues, acquaintances... the list is endless. I am truly grateful to you all.
The journey continues...
Pictures by the amazing Timi Oshin