The DILEMMA

The weak light blinked in Chioma's small room at Unilag, as she stared at her laptop screen. It was 2:47 AM, and she had just thirteen minutes before her crypto rewards would drop. The same thirteen minutes she needed to finish her Computer Engineering homework due at 8 AM.

Her phone buzzed again – another text from her classmates asking about the homework. She ignored it, her eyes moving between her crypto wallet and her unfinished coding assignment.

"Just one more trade," she whispered to herself, fingers frozen above the keyboard. The fan spun slowly above her, useless against the Lagos heat that made her face shine with sweat.

The crypto rewards had been really good lately – enough to maybe pay her school fees next term. But everything had to be done at the right time. Her heart sank as her screen showed a warning: "Network is busy."

Creative writer, budding content creator, in relationship with @Pronouns

As she wrote the last part of her code, her phone showed another alert: the crypto she wanted to trade had just gone up 40%. Chioma gave a small smile and kept typing. Crypto chances would come again, but this degree – she only had one shot at it.

Outside her window, the first light of morning began to color the Lagos sky, bringing hope with it.

It's a tussle!

I know many undergraduates are in this shoe, share your own experience in the comment section.

"Not now, please," she said softly, trying other ways to connect. Her homework file sat in the corner of her screen, reminding her of what she should be doing.

She remembered what her mother told her last week: "Chioma, you can't chase two rats at the same time and catch either one."

The clock showed 2:55 AM. Chioma's hands shook as she made her choice. Taking a deep breath, she closed her crypto wallet and went back to her homework. Some money wasn't worth failing school for.