Ordeals of a Nigerian first year Student

I vividly remembered my experience as a first timer in the university. Right before I gained admission into Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Nigeria. I'm always envisioned a university to be a place that makes one to be free, since you are going to be far away from home. Funnily enough, I'm always been a reserved person who likes to stay at home all day without going anywhere. When I realized that my days at home is gradually ending then as I was preparing for school, I was so happy because I can finally do anything I like without anybody restraining me, so I thought. Because I could remembered back home you can't just sleep or do anything you like, you have to follow the rules laid down by my parents

My first time at the University was when I went there to write my post utme exam (it's a qualifying exam schools always use to pick their candidates for admission). I realized that it's not very easy to gain admission. Why? I saw many aspirants like mine who are deeply serious with reading so that they may passed and be admitted. Initially I always believed I do read and a reader but as soon as I entered the school a day prior to my exam, I realized that there are still some people better in the habit of reading than me. Actually I'm not bad either, lol.

Gaining admission into a federal university in Nigeria is not easy, especially if you are still studying competitive courses like medicine, law, etc, you have to work hard in order to be admitted. I opted in for accounting then. Right then during my first year in school, I was opened to a lot of beliefs and conceptions. Of course, my personality as a hardcore introverts still stayed with me. I could remembered I didn't attend the freshers' party then because I was too shy and introverted. I will rather stay at my hostel eating and resting all day. While some people are really eager to attend the party, I wasn't too excited about it. When I think all about it, I must say I have a beautiful first year in school but also a rough one.

Introverts don't have a lot of friends you know. I know that I am not the one to have much friends, so I only carefully selected some friends who may help me to become more better and who i can also help. I could remembered that in classes then you have to comport yourself while the lecturer is in class, you can't be going out as you like since you are not in secondary school or high school. In the university, you are expected to have come with a big knowledge from the high school. This is evident in some habits of Nigerian lecturers skipping a topic because they felt you should have been taught right from secondary school or high school.

University unlike high school is a place that affords you your freedom. Nobody will beat you for not coming to class even though every behaviors either good or bad you exhibited have their own good or bad implications. You can't possibly not go to classes and expect good results, none can you skip classes and expect something good. Nobody will beg you to do what's right. You have to make up your mind to do it.

I have many memories of my first year in school. I couldn't forget about the seniors' taunts that time. But with time we overcame it too as we begin our second year and are no more called fresher again. University Education is sweet because of many experiences you gather from it. It's like an adventure full of sweet memories and pains too..But as they saw, no pain no gain. You have to experience some unpleasantness before you reach a greater pleasant place.