First Year University Experience

Like the title says this is an article about my first year in college or should I say university. Whatever you call it, I'm here to recount my experience, issues and lessons.

I think I resumed on the 13th of June this year. We had started classes earlier in the year around March but those were online classes. We did that because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The first semester was drawing to an end and it would soon be time for exams. So we had to resume physically and we were giving four extra weeks for lectures and to acclimatize in the new environment.

Settling down wasn't easy and the fact that we started lectures on the first day didn't make matters any better. I remembered I didn't go to school on the first day even though there were rumors that we were going to start lectures immediately. I didn't believe it and even if it was true I didn't miss anything by just skipping a class or so I thought. The lecturer surprised all of us by giving the whole class a surprise test. We were all shocked.

His reason was that he has been teaching us online through out the semester and he just wanted to know if we were listening in his class. Most of us did not attend the class talk-less of paying attention. So we were surprised when he told us to tear a sheet of paper. As you will all guess most of us didn't do well and he ended up not using the test to grade us. What a waste of time.

I ended up going to school the next day, my first day in University. My father was really angry with me for missing the lecture of yesterday but I couldn't care less. We just had a single lecture that day because the other lecture we were supposed to have got cancelled because the lecturer wanted us to settle down.

After that I went to my Hall of residence to go and start processing my accommodation. I was going to do a lot of registration. They were asking me to bring things and even do things that weren't relevant. I am going to give you a very important piece of advise, always carry as many passport photographs with you as possible. You are going to need it.

I wasn't going to possibly finish that kind of registration that day and it took me 3 days to finish and then a week just to be able to move in. After that I had to go to my department for departmental registration. They really frustrated my life there.

The secretary was asking me to provide documents that I didn't know even existed. I was like what is all this rubbish. I had to go looking for them and this really took a lot out of my time and resources. Another word of advise, always make sure that the documents you need are ready and available to avoid any form of embarrassment.

Also make sure you negotiate with sellers because they will definitely increase their prices just to cheat naive students.

When I was finally done with both the departmental and Hall registration, I then had to go and register for the courses I was offering. My class rep wasn't there to assist me so I had to do it all by myself. I went to each of the departments one by one and had to make the HOD sign in front of the course. Most of the time they didn't sign it that same thus delaying me. I had to go back there the next day hoping that it had been signed. If I was luck it was.

This whole process left me physically, mentally and emotionally drained and I was tired of it all. In the midst of all this I had classes, practicals and test. I just had to find a way to juggle everything together and it just wasn't working. University life isn't just how they portray it in the movies. It isn't all fun and games and I learnt that first hand. If only someone had told me about all of this and then prepared me.

The four weeks were almost over and exams were fast approaching. I wasn't prepared at all and I had just recently moved into the hostel, just starting to adjust. I had to do something quick and fast to save the situation and stop me from failing my first semester exams.

I just got a new sponsors in the person of @Jehoshaphat and I will like to specially thank him for this rare opportunity. I would not let you down.

I think I will turn this into a series as I have a lot to write about. I've really seen a lot (pepper).

Till next time and Merry Christmas in advance. I'm starting to feel the season in the air or is it the dust?