I’d just received my results for 200L, and I’d performed excellently, moving my CGPA from a manageable 3.65 to an amazing 4.14. I was so certain that by the end of 300L I’d have moved up to a first-class, and that means I won’t lose the scholarship opportunity my uncle had told me about, he’d said all I needed was to graduate with a first-class and this rare opportunity is secured. My future is about to be perfect.
One academic session later, I was shocked when my results were released and I was swimming in Cs and Ds. It was a very tragic experience for me. My sleepless nights, my sacrifices, forfeiting sleep to secure my future, all of it amounted to this? Cs and Ds? I wasn’t going to take it quietly, I wanted my scores reviewed so I spoke to my predecessor. I wanted to know how to go about the process, but he said no, I should leave it alone, I shouldn’t push it, so that I don’t get in the bad book of lecturers.
I spoke to one person, then another, hoping someone would tell me how to seek redress, but the answers remained the same. I kept hitting a roadblock. “That would be taken as you insulting your lecturer’s intelligence and competence, you might end up with an even lower mark, don’t do that to yourself.” another told me.
They sympathised with me, and believed I deserved better, but there was no guarantee of me getting a better score. So I’m expected to look on, while the future I’m toiling hard for slips through my hand because I can’t seek redress.
That is the story of one Nigerian student, but this experience reflects concerns other students have also described. What has been done to address them?
A number of times when things like this happen, where students question their grades, there’s really nothing that gets done, students just keep to themselves, suffering in silence, having problems reading for future courses because now they feel like studying is to no good use, they struggle to trust their own performances, because in cases of misfortune, self blame is easier than admitting that you don’t know what went wrong.
If appropriate structures existed to listen to students’ concerns and answer their questions, they could find out whether they had answered a question incorrectly, whether a recording error had occurred, or whether an oversight had been made. At least they get answers, they know where the problem is from and what needs to be addressed. But there’s none of that, instead the students are afraid to come out and complain that a marking or recording error might have occurred.
And even when the fear of the future they’re losing overshadows the fear of facing their lecturers, they realise they don’t even know how to go about seeking this redress, should they go directly to the lecturer, or see their level adviser first, and in all of these confusions they turn to the most available people for guidance, only to be met with advice not to pursue these cases. They’re already scared to do it, getting advice to leave it alone from people that have been there before them makes them even more withdrawn and silent.
In fairness to lecturers too, we see that they contend with demanding workloads and other professional responsibilities. These realities matter, but they do not eliminate the need for accurate marking, clear assessment criteria and fair procedures for resolving disputes.
We’re not clamouring to be awarded undeserved marks, we’re saying judgement should be defensible and suspected errors should be taken seriously. A student asking for an explanation is not challenging a lecturer’s intelligence, experience or authority, sometimes they just want to understand the evaluation process, be certain of their grades and even identify whether there are areas where they need to improve.
Universities should safely accommodate these conversations, without the students living in fear of speaking up. Students also have the responsibility of raising concerns respectfully and using appropriate channels. The problem is, how available and reliable are these channels?
Frankly, some universities have procedures for remarking, but how much of these written policies is actually implemented? Or even properly communicated to the people who need it. Students may not know that a formal review procedure exists, and with the dismissal culture amongst seniors and fellow students, affected students might never feel confident enough to speak up.
There is also the fear of retaliation. What if seeking redress damages a student’s academic relationship with their lecturer or even results in a lower mark? Universities must do more than establish review procedures on paper; they must ensure students know how to access them and feel safe using them.
Lecturers should be willing to clarify their assessments, while students must raise concerns respectfully and follow established procedures.
Ultimately, students are not demanding marks they have not earned. They are asking for a fair opportunity to understand and, where necessary, challenge the marks they receive. A student’s concern may not always be upheld, but it deserves to be heard.
A university’s responsibility does not end when it publishes examination results. It must also ensure that students have a fair and accessible way to question them.
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Hikmat Anuoluwapo Atoyebi is a final-year Education and English Language student at the University of Ilorin, Nigeria, and a storyteller passionate about the power of words to illuminate human experiences. Through her writing, she explores personal stories, student experiences, and issues affecting young people. She hopes to use her voice to amplify overlooked perspectives, encourage meaningful conversations, and inspire positive change, one story at a time.
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