A FRESHER’S MISTAKE

Do you remember how you kept refreshing your JAMB profile on your browser, waiting for the status to change from “admission in progress” to “accept admission”? How you cried and jumped up for joy when you were finally given admission?

Look at you now, a student of the prestigious University of Lagos, the university of first choice, and the nation’s pride telling everyone who cares to listen that you’re now a fresher.

I can only imagine the excitement bursting through your veins as you can’t wait to get into the university system properly. Attending lectures, staying in the hostel, making new friends, going to numerous campus events, finally living an independent life, attending campus fellowships, and so on—you might even have a bucket list with you, but hey! Given that this is the beginning of something new, it is simple to become distracted by numerous issues.

While you’re eager to live your best life here, some undergraduates who have been here before wish they did some things differently as freshmen.

In the multitude of counselors, there is safety. As a fresher, there are some mistakes you should never make, and here are some of them.

1. You think you have plenty of time.

As a fresher, you might want to think there’s plenty of time; after all, it’s about 3–4 months in a semester and sometimes 5 months depending on the school’s calendar. Well, I’m here to tell you that time does fly, especially when you have a lot of activities going on. While attending lectures, going for freshmen’s orientation, attending freshmen’s seminars and programs, and going from one event to another—both the university and fellowship—right before your eyes, it’s already a week until the exam, and time has gone (_Sope otilor_).

So here’s what you should do:

2. Skipping lectures

As a fresher, don’t skip lectures.

Please refrain from joining the group of students who will blunder by skipping lectures; otherwise, you will be sucked into it. A common lie you’ll hear is na mumu dey go class; it’s a lie from the pit of hell. Some of your exam questions will be based on what the lecturers said in class, and a lot of vital information is also given in lectures. Wait, why are you a student and you’re not attending lectures? Are you aware that what you hear sticks faster than what you read?

Please, as a fresher, resist the urge to skip lectures.

3. Not asking questions.

Why will you not ask questions? Please don’t be a lone ranger. For anything you don’t understand, ask questions because I can assure you that a lot of things will be mysterious and confusing to you, like finding your way to class (you can get lost inside Unilag, I kid you not), attendance, lecture timetable (prepare your boots to run because when timetable changes, venue changes too), course registration, editing of courses, paying faculty dues, printing and submission of dockets, exam dates, and venues.

All these, when not looked into, can carry over, so when you don’t know, you ask.

In fact, your anthem should be “What should I do?”, “What is new?”, “Any recent changes?” and “What is next?”

Also, make sure you’re in your level/faculty group chat. If possible, pin those group chats so you don’t miss out on vital information.

4. Read a week or a few weeks before exams.

This is very dangerous! In case you’ve forgotten, this is not a secondary school, and the courses you are going to be offered every semester always hit differently. I know you’re smart and intelligent, but if you see those ENG, SOC, and PSY courses, they will test your brain (don’t worry, you’re still smart).

The best thing to do is to start early. There is no better time to start building GP than in your first year. Oh, you also want to be the BGS? Start now.

Start preparing now. Start reading your books now. Get a reading partner that you can be accountable to and be a part of a reading community. Reading in the library is not a scam. You also want to have a good CA for your courses, so start preparing for tests and assignments, both told and untold, because some lecturers don’t really like to send anybody.

5. Putting God aside

This is the last, but definitely not the least. In fact, let it be the first on your list, as this will be the biggest mistake you can ever make. As a fresher, you’ll get to know that one of your commonly used statements will be “God abeg,” because life in school is not really easy at all. It will stretch you beyond your capacity and capabilities, and you just need God to see you through all of this.

You need His guidance (_school fit to carry you where you do know_), protection, understanding, wisdom, knowledge, and provision (_sapa_ is real but not in Jireh’s economy). You need all of God throughout your university stay.

You can’t do life without God.

As a fresher, don’t make the mistake of either touring fellowships for first-timers’ packages (why?) or waiting halfway through the semester before joining a fellowship. Attend a Bible-believing church or fellowship where you can grow spiritually and in all facets of life.

And let me tell you, you need brothers in your life. This community of believers will save your life.

With all that being said, I welcome you once again to the University of Lagos. It’s going to be a great stay for you.

Shalom!