Your Ultimate Guide For Getting Around Campus

The campus is almost like another world on its own. It is undoubtedly a new, much freer, and even for most people independent world. This discovery and phase of life can be really overwhelming for undergraduates, especially fresh undergraduates. Luckily for you, we have been able to put together a list of tips to help guide you to live appropriately in the world of university campuses:

8) Don’t Walk Alone

No matter how brilliant you think you are, don’t attempt to walk alone. Some of your coursemates whom you think are dumb might understand some topics more than you do because you can’t know it all. Though socializing too can affect your study sometimes, it’s still cool to enjoy a bit. Aside from coursemates, even people who are not on the same level would try to roll with you. However, you have to be mindful of these people become are just out to “catch them young” and most fresher-stay lite relationships end in heartbreaks.

7) Be law-abiding

Even if the student union president assures you that he’ll always have your back, the worst thing you can do is disobey school authority. No matter how hard it seems and even if your closest friends are doing otherwise, always strive to obey school authority. In addition, never try to go against your lecturer’s orders even if they seem to be fond of you. In the previous session, one of my lecturers who taught a course titled public speaking scheduled his speech presentation to hold at a time we never expected because he kept postponing it due to some important reasons. I didn’t take the first day seriously but unfortunately for me, that was the very day my name was called and I almost missed a whole 20 marks. 

6) Stay Determined

Don’t be deceived. Being an undergraduate comes with lots of distractions. If you don’t see a guy chasing you, you’d see a flier for activities almost every day of the second semester. While going on dates is good and attending parties help to lighten up, don’t forget your primary objective in school which is to study. Your first task as an undergraduate is to understand what works for you. My first semester as a fresher was pretty amazing because, during the day, people almost saw me everywhere reading books. Yet, I attended a party the night before an examination and still got an A! Even if I’m not a fan of TDBs (Till Day Break – a style of reading throughout the night) I have to admit that it actually works for some people. 

5) Be Safety-Conscious

One of the fun things about living on campus is that you can move around any time of the day, except your hall of residence sets a time limit. However, always ensure you have trusted people surrounding you during this hour. You don’t necessarily have to offend people before they hurt you because even the nicest people fall victim to evil circumstances. Take Kunle Adepeju as a case study. Even though this promising young man was just trying to help an injured student during a protest he didn’t participate in, he was hit by a stray bullet. Always be mindful of places you visit especially during odd hours. Whenever there’s a curfew, stay wherever you are till it’s over. 

4) Spend Money Wisely

It always pains me when I hear students complaining about SAPA here and there. Not to brag, I never experienced such in my first year. This isn’t because I have all the money in the world but I know how to plan myself. Even if you’re damn rich and don’t know how to plan, you’ll always be broke. If you don’t want to experience a lack of food and income, always plan yourself at the beginning of every month. First, make a timetable that’ll include the list of foods you can afford and determine the amount of money to spend in that area. Thereafter, create a budget for transportation and other essential things. Even if unexpected expenses come in, try as much as possible to maintain your budget.

3) Observe The System And Blend In Well

Gaining admission into the prestigious University of Ibadan is not beans. As you might have heard, it is believed that even in your first year, UI still has your name written in pencil and if you don’t perform well, it can be erased. If you want to keep enjoying the prestige that comes with attending the best university in Nigeria, then you must be willing to make the sacrifice. If you want to survive in this school, it’s not just about reading alone. There are certain patterns that some lecturers have been following for years and the best way to know them is by speaking with your senior colleagues. 

2) Dress Well

One of the things most jambite anticipate about being in a higher institution is being able to dress anyhow they like. My dear, it doesn’t always work that way. In the faculty of Education especially, the dean doesn’t tolerate indecent dressing so if you want to make it to your convocation day, be prepared to dress decently. Whoever thinks you’re not well-dressed until you rip your jeans into pieces or dye your hair will certainly not follow you when you get rusticated so you better think twice.

1) Try Working If You Can

Let’s be realistic. It’s not all the time students have lectures to attend or exams to prepare for. So even as an undergraduate, you can try working as it helps to gather experience before the real deal. However, if you are the type that finds it difficult to multitask, the best thing to do is to stick to studying alone. Whether it’s an online or physical job, don’t ever try to bite more than you can chew so your grades don’t suffer for it.

With a proper understanding of these tips and an unshaken determination to utilize them, you can rest assured that you’ll enjoy your days as an undergraduate. Even if you go astray at some point because nobody is perfect, the most important thing is getting back on your feet. Some other essential tips include building your network and being mindful of the kind of parties you attend. 

 

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