My university paid me while I studied

On Saturday, September 4, 2021, at 11:40 AM, I was lying on my bed in my dorm room at the University of Ibadan. I had woken up just an hour earlier after spending 7 straight hours coding and building out the new user onboarding flows for one of the products at Capital Sage, a fintech startup based in Ibadan. I worked there for two years.

I had missed yet another Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE) class; my passion for coding had increasingly taken precedence over academics. My phone buzzed with a WhatsApp notification.

First semester results are out! My heart raced. Although I was the top student in my secondary school WAEC exams, my dedication had shifted when I found a deep passion for building software solutions. The thrill of building products became more rewarding to me than classroom theory, so my dedication had now shifted—80% coding, 20% school—and I knew this wasn't enough to ace my courses.

Nervously, I opened the university’s result portal on my laptop. As expected, my grades were average—but thankfully, no failures. Relieved, I closed the browser, but just as I did, I noticed something troubling: a glitch in the portal allowed unauthorized access to every student's results!

Taking Action

Alarmed, I knew I had to act quickly. By 12:30 PM, I had sent an urgent email to the responsible department. To ease my anxiety, I called my friends, Mojeed and Akinkunmi, to discuss the discovery. Soon after, the glitch was resolved.

On Friday, September 10, 2021, at 6:20 PM, I received an email from the department’s Director, inviting me for an in-person meeting about my discovery. The meeting was scheduled for the following week.

The Big Meeting

The meeting lasted several hours. I explained the glitch and detailed how I had discovered it. Unexpectedly, the conversation shifted; I was being evaluated. The Director wanted to understand my coding skills, experience building products, and the user engagement these products had achieved. Thankfully, my previous projects from ulesson.com and selar.co spoke volumes. Impressed, the Director offered me an opportunity to lead the development of a new student portal for the university.

The Lean Team

I immediately reached out to my friends, Mojeed and Akinkunmi—both exceptional software engineers. They eagerly agreed to join the project. I sent our resumés to the Director, signed the agreements, and we officially became part of the university’s tech team.

Building the Portal

Following several strategy sessions and thorough reviews, we designed a scalable architecture and began coding. Soon enough, we successfully developed and launched a robust new student portal.

Lessons Learned

Building a platform that seamlessly handled thousands of student requests and transactions daily presented significant challenges—from creating scalable architecture to optimizing performance. Despite the hurdles, the journey was incredibly rewarding.

I’m grateful I took on this challenge, It was an enriching and unforgettable experience.

An Interesting Note

I can confidently say I didn’t spend a penny throughout university because, while I was making payments for various fees, the university was reimbursing me for my coding services (and I was also on a scholarship). School was enjoyable—well, except for the exams!

Takeaways

Universities are more open to ideas and collaborations than we often assume. Working within the system offers a unique learning experience—it’s exciting but can also become overwhelming. Surrounding yourself with like-minded friends is crucial; it not only keeps you motivated but also opens doors to unexpected opportunities.