Meet Me: My Journey To Hive

Hey, I’m Sherif Ohieku. And no, don’t mind the Hive handle, story for another day :-)

This is actually coming late, I know. Was there ever gonna be an introduction from me? Well, I guess I don't even know. Let's just say I was observing Hive for quite a while and got a little deep into it before I realized there's usually an introduction post first. At that point, I felt it was already late and figured I should just move on. But recently, I tried out a new community, @theinkwell, and was prompted to give a face to this person. I'm more than happy to do that now; hopefully it's not "too late."

I’m a 21-year-old geology student, currently in my final semester at Federal University Lokoja. I was born on August 15, 2003, in Mokwa, Niger State. We moved to Minna in 2009 and stayed there until 2016 before finally settling in Lokoja, Kogi State, which is actually my home state. I’m from Okene Local Government Area, and both my parents are Ebira by tribe. I’m the second of five children, so the classic middle-child chaos might show up here once in a while.

How I Landed in Geology

If I’m being honest, geology wasn’t something I had in mind growing up. Like most people, I didn’t even fully understand what it was. My early school years were the usual, just moving from one phase to the next with no specific direction. I was mostly just trying to stay at the top of the class and do my best. That was the focus.

Being from this part of the world, you’d know the drill; once your grades are good, your parents just quietly assume you’ll end up a doctor or an engineer. Nobody really asks you what you want. The system prints out your life for you and expects you to wear it like a school uniform.

Now, in my case, I wouldn’t say it was all that severe… or at least I thought it wasn’t. I was always good with math (not bragging, just facts), and I figured something math-heavy like engineering would make sense. Plus, my closest friend back in junior secondary school had a dad who was a mechanical engineer. The man worked for our school and also ran his own workshop on the side. That alone made me think: yep, this is what I want to do. I was impressed. I saw someone I wanted to become.

Then we moved to Lokoja, and everything kind of shifted.

My dad wasn’t comfortable with me continuing in a boarding school far from home, so I enrolled in a private day school here in Lokoja. One day, we were in the physics lab for an optics practical; I still remember that moment so clearly. I was in my white lab coat, totally immersed in the experiment, when I noticed my physics teacher watching me closely. I assumed he was just impressed, so I kept doing my thing.

After the session, he called me aside and asked, “What do you want to study at university?” I told him, confidently, “Mechanical engineering.” And then… he just started nodding. Slowly, like he was sorry to hear that. Then he said, “It wouldn’t suit you.” I asked, “What then?” He was about to explain when another teacher called him away. He promised we’d talk more, but somehow, that never happened; he left the school during my second year.

So there I was, thoughtless, passionless, and indecisive. But you still have to give people an answer when they ask what you want to study, right? So I did the classic pivot to “Medicine and Surgery.” Why not? The teacher didn’t tell me what to do, but he made me doubt my initial plan, and he had that kind of influence. He was one of the smartest teachers we had, a solid adviser, and he actually cared about students. When someone like that says your path doesn’t suit you… it sticks.

Funny enough, I didn’t even like biology. At all. And yet, somehow, there I was pushing myself into a whole new “passion” I didn’t understand.

So I registered for JAMB and applied for MBBS at the University of Ilorin. I scored 254. Their cut-off? Somewhere between 280 and 300+. I was crushed. I still remember the exact moment I saw my result, I was so sad. That was the day my (very fake and unrealistic) dream ended.

My dad tried to encourage me. He said, “Don’t worry, I have faith in God, if this is your calling, you’ll get in.” Did I share the faith? Absolutely not. Don’t get me wrong, I’m religious, I actively practice, but I’m also a realist. I like to prepare for the worst while hoping for the best. And in this case, I knew there wasn’t going to be any miracle. UNILORIN is one of the top universities in Nigeria. Even students who score above 300+ still panic and pray for admission. So who was I kidding with 254?

But of course, I couldn’t just tell my dad to un-faith the idea. So I just waited it out.

Long story short: I didn’t get in.

(If you want the full gist of how everything went down, drop a comment. The way I’m going on here, I just might end up writing an autobiography.)

That was in 2019. I stayed out of school for almost two years, thanks to COVID. Then came another JAMB registration cycle. This time, I had no passion, no plan, no direction.

My dad sat me down again. “What do you want to apply for now?”
Without thinking too much, I said: “Mathematics.”

Maths has always been my thing, the one subject I could do for fun. I didn’t need exams as an excuse to practice. I just loved it. I also enjoy reading, but mostly for fun, not the exam kind of reading.

But my dad said gently, “The scope of mathematics is too limited, especially in this country. Unless you want to end up as a teacher.”

Do I love teaching? YES. A thousand times yes. (More on that under ‘My Passion’ later.)

And truthfully, I agreed with him. In Nigeria, it’s hard to survive on “passion.” unless you're that guy; the one motivational books talk about. I’m not him. I love money. I want to be rich and financially free.

So yeah; Daddy and I were on the same wavelength. Did I mention he’s a lecturer at Federal University Lokoja? Yeah… co-passion :-)).

I told him, “That’s the only course I know I love deeply.”
Then he said it: the word I’d never really heard before: “Geology.”

My first reaction? Confusion. What’s that? It sounded like a knockoff version of geography; my least favorite subject in secondary school.

I said, “I don’t like the sound of that. I like calculative courses like maths and physics. I don’t think I can survive four years of reading about Earth.”

He laughed. “You think it’s geography? They’re similar, but not the same. It’s actually very interesting. Plus, there’s a lot of calculation involved, very much. In fact, it’s the most challenging course in FUL.”

There he goes again; always with the challenges.

He added, “Since the university started, there’s only ever been one first-class graduate.”

Again!!

Then he said, “It’s the field of oil money.”

Money? Now you’re talking. My dopamine kicked in immediately. I went straight to research mode. The internet did its thing: overselling the oil and gas lifestyle. I couldn’t get the dollar signs out of my head.

Of course, I conveniently ignored the part where those jobs are super competitive and hard to land.

(P.S. By “oil money,” he meant petroleum and natural gas.)

Anyway, that was all I needed. I was satisfied and ready to be rich.

I applied to study Geology at FUL, and effortlessly got admitted.

How It’s Been So Far

First off, all glory to God Almighty, it’s been going really well. If things continue the way they’re going, and I stay focused in this final semester, I’ll become the next first-class graduate in the history of my department. No kidding.

(went for a geo-conference with my mates)

Geology, the same course I once waved off without a second thought has been nothing short of a blessing. It’s funny how life works, right? A course I never even knew existed has now become something I study intentionally, enjoy thoroughly, and best of all, excel at.

And no, I didn’t lose my mathematical soul along the way.

There’s this course called Geophysics; a subdiscipline of Geology, and arguably the most dreaded one. It’s rigorous, it’s technical, and it’s exactly what keeps me refreshed and connected to the world of numbers. So yeah, the math lover in me is still alive and well.

Then there’s the fieldwork, probably one of the most exciting parts of the journey. You get to step out of the classroom and into nature, observing rock formations, structures, and landscapes that tell the story of the Earth’s deep inner workings. It’s wild, seeing how much of Earth’s processes we, as humans, are completely unaware of. Nature really does have its secrets.

(If you're curious about Geology as a course: what it's like, what we study, or what makes it interesting, feel free to drop your questions in the comments.)

Me as a Person

So, who am I really?

Honestly, nothing fancy. If introverted were a person, that’d be me. Quiet, observant, and mostly reserved.

I didn’t mention this earlier, but English has always been a subject I enjoy, maybe not on the same level as Mathematics, but it’s close. Since English is our second language here in Nigeria (though the official lingua franca), I’ve always taken pride in learning it well and constantly working to improve my proficiency.

Maybe it ties back to my personality, I’ve always struggled with composition, and I think it’s because of my naturally reserved nature. I tend to let things be rather than actively express them. I’ll have the idea. I’ll even have the words. But sit down and write? Hmm, not so easy.

That’s why Hive has kind of become my learning board; a space where I slowly build confidence and improve my writing over time.

So yeah, I’m an introvert through and through. I talk to people, yes, but I’ve got only a few close friends. I rarely go out. I despise social gatherings, they drain me completely.

Hobbies?

If eating counts (and I believe it should!), then yes, top of the list. :-))
I also love reading, writing (gradually!), and watching movies. That’s the rhythm of my day-to-day life.

My Passion (Career-Wise)

After living through different phases of my life, one thing became clear: my passion is teaching, without a single doubt.

How did I discover this? The universe helped.

Remember how I had to stay out of school after my first JAMB? During that time, I asked myself what I could do, something I wanted to do and actually could do well. Teaching was the answer. So I started tutoring, mostly home lessons.

It didn’t take long. Just a few months in, and I was already receiving heartfelt feedback from parents:

“Uncle, thank you so much. My child is doing so well in math since resuming after your lessons.”
“Hello! I was referred to you. My child is in Grade Three and still can’t read. I heard you could help…”

These kinds of messages were regular, and mind you, the pay was way below average. But I continued. Why? Because I genuinely enjoyed it. I felt fulfilled, useful, and inspired.

Do I plan to teach? I pray so.

But let me be honest: I’m not that romanticized figure from motivational books who follows passion blindly. My drive for financial security is strong. I want a good life; a stable, wealthy, fulfilling one. That’s why I’m also working actively to build an online business, something that doesn’t demand too much of my time but can generate stable income.

The goal is to have that setup running before I fully commit to teaching or lecturing, that way, when I step into the academic world, it’s out of passion, not necessity.

How I Discovered Hive and What I’m About

I found Hive during one of my relentless searches for legit online opportunities. I don’t have any godfather or mentor in the digital space, so everything I know has been from personal digging and learning the hard way.

Interestingly, I first stumbled upon Steemit, and from there, I got to know about Hive. But to be honest, it took me months before I finally opened an account. At first glance, the platform felt complex, especially since I’m not very crypto-savvy. The whole interface, things like HP, HBD, curation rewards, and all that? It was a maze.

I couldn’t post or do anything at first. I had to take my time and figure it all out bit by bit. It’s not like I have everything mastered now, but at least I’ve got a grasp of the basics and I’m finally ready to get started.

As I mentioned earlier, you’ll mostly be getting creative writing and lifestyle blogging from me. I’m hoping to grow, learn, and connect with amazing people here.

(on this very day, June 4th, 2025)
Thanks for reading to the end
See you around!

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