By Bello Olusegun Samson
My first day on campus seemed like the best day of my life, I already lost the memory of my 6years post-secondary school experience. I was very grateful for my rare privilege, though I would have preferred a university admission then, I felt relieved that I could still mend my track to fix the injury inflicted by the wasted years.
I smiled at almost everything (I am sure I’m not the only one in this scenario), especially when I saw parents coming around to assist their young lads. I won’t deny the fact that I felt like every other person even though I was already approaching my mid-twenties at that time.
The world here is different from the one I came in from, there is virtually every key commodity or service I desire but my family, friends and familiar faces are not within visible reach except with the use of a communication device for few minutes. Quickly I was toasted by many groups and fellowship and I had many of them wanting to win my loyalty. I had encounters with two different colors brotherhood groups but my desire to be a pastor at an early age had not vanished. I was somehow forced by my cousin to join Covenant Partners Outreach (Though I attended their service twice at the south campus) but I stood my ground as a proud member of Cherubim and Seraphim Fellowship (Born a Baptist member anyways).
The first thing I had to do was to adapt to my present environment- familiarize myself with the environmental variations, modify my lifestyle and try to build a good social community. Before now, I believed a university is a place where you have sufficient time to study and also engage in socialization and leisure, but my stay here has proven me wrong.
I got to discover that every minute is important and for an academically minded individual, you have to spend not less than 18 hours of your day preoccupied with academic work.
Challenges have taken the most of my thoughts and I believe the only way to scale through is facing every obstacle with every form of intellect in me. Challenges ranging from lack of necessary funds and peer pressure to being in dilemma in terms of decision making seem to be a perfect excuse for not performing well in my studies.
Cheers from friends, ‘bookworm’, ‘jackometer’ et cetera have deterred my academic zeal instead of upgrading it.My first semester results gave me a sit-tight warning and I started wondering if my 6years at home had affected my A grade performances I used to have at Baptist Model, Eruwa or it is the DPP syndrome; but I had to quickly snub all the hype and guesses. I restrategized my schema to the institution’s motto, “ise loogun ise” i.e. “Hard work is the antidote to poverty”Why can’t I give my all, struggle, and suffer if possible to make sure my coming years of toil will result in a fulfilled future?
This bold step will not be retarded by finance, my mates, or even the ongoing setbacks I’m experiencing. The only way out is by adding something extra to my ordinary work to achieve extraordinary results; work harder, study even if it is with a candle; not even a ‘010’ feeding formula can stop me from attaining that which I now desire.
In addition to your academics as you go, visualize your future right from your days in school and equip yourself for the future, attend seminars, learn anything learnable, attend workshops because the system of the country is demanding your extra. Surviving in this country is beyond just your certificate so employ yourself and build your business empire within the school premises and let your certificate be your preparation for the unseen opportunities.
If OPPORTUNITY meets PREPARATION, it becomes LUCK. Considering this, I got a greater conviction that one cannot do all these on his/her own, God has to be by ones side. “Read as if it all depends on studying and pray as if it all depends on prayer”. The Holy Bible says, ‘It is not of he that wills nor he that runs but of God that shows mercy.
I am sure that with this gallant step of submission to God and hard work, my future rests assured, my dreams are achievable and my success is guaranteed; without which I would live a confused, insecure, and unprincipled life.My changed attitude towards learning and worship will result in an outstanding performance in my academics and my outstanding performance will result in the rapid development of my family, my institution, and the society at large.
