Higher education is something everyone truly looks forward to. As a young girl who had just graduated from secondary school, I wasn’t left out. I was very eager to go to university like my older siblings did.
I think I loved the thrill of being called a university student and I also wanted to experience what it would feel like to learn more complex things, and to become exposed to a different environment. So I studied hard to pass my exams into the university. Thankfully, I was admitted into my school of choice and my dream regarding that was fulfilled.
My first few weeks in the university were difficult as I tried to find my way around, register my courses, finish my clearance and attend classes, but over time it got easier. I made new friends in my department and became acquainted with many girls in the hostel.
At the end of the first year, I checked my results and they were great. This made me think that my ride in university was going to get easier until I graduated. What I didn’t know was that just because things go smoothly at a certain time does not mean they will always be smooth, especially in a Nigerian university.
My second year came, and the covid happened. We went straight into lockdown and I had to stay home for an entire year before we resumed again. When we resumed, there was so much pressure from the federal government for us to get back on track with our previous schedule. I had classes from 8 AM every day until 5 PM, with only a short break between 12 and 1 PM. I usually arrived at the hostel by 6 PM, and after tidying up a few things, I would be back in class by 7 PM to study throughout the night.
This cycle continued for the entire year and I barely had time for myself. I was constantly tired and frustrated during this period. But I did not fully realize how heavy the workload was until our exams were fast approaching just two months after resumption.
There were so many materials to read, so many practicals to study, and so many presentations to prepare for. Some days I sat on my bed crying or explaining my frustrations to my bestfriend over the phone. I felt worse when I realized that nobody really cared how you managed everything, they just wanted you to ace your exams and come out in flying colors. That second year in the university really took a toll on my mental health and the subsequent years weren't easy, but I'm glad I survived them alongside my friends.
Now, if you ask me, I would say the best educational system is one that gives students time for themselves, for recreational activities, and also for their studies. That balance is the only way a society can produce well-rounded graduates who are not lacking in any area of their lives, and I mean, graduates who will continue to have hope for the future and eventually practice what they studied because their experience with the course or university was not destabilizing.
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