Indeed, a person’s perception about something often determines how far they can go in achieving it. Back in my diploma days, whenever I saw my seniors going back and forth with their project work, I always felt it was an extremely hectic and stressful process. My perception then was simply that the whole process was far too difficult and overwhelming.

However, when it finally became my turn to go through the same process, I realized that yes, it is demanding, but it is also very achievable. Seeing more students successfully complete their projects gave me ease. One thing I also discovered is that coming up with a research topic is not as easy as it looks, especially when you have nothing specific in mind. For me, the journey was both interesting and hectic at the same time. It gave me the opportunity to truly understand how research works, not just in theory, but in practice.

One of my biggest challenges came in Chapter Two, the Literature Review. I had to go through numerous studies, sometimes working from morning till night, searching for relevant literature and the right theoretical framework to support my research. My study focused on how students perceive cryptocurrency based on how X (formerly Twitter) frames it, highlighting the hype while often leaving out the potential risks involved.

The topic itself came from my personal experience back in my 300 level. I noticed how easily young people, including myself, could be influenced by what we saw on social media to invest in cryptocurrencies, especially in a country like Nigeria where unemployment pushes many to seek alternative sources of income. I saw tweets that made cryptocurrency sound like a guaranteed way to make quick money. That inspired me to research how such framing affects students’ perceptions and decisions.

I’ve also observed that once someone earns money through crypto, there’s a high tendency to continue investing, and when they lose, they still go back, hoping to recover. This cycle feels a lot like gambling, even if it’s not exactly the same. So, while my initial plan for the project didn’t go exactly as I envisioned, partly due to resource limitations and time constraints, it was still a rewarding journey. It taught me resilience, discipline, and how to turn curiosity into academic contribution.