I got admitted into the university immediately after my secondary school, all I wanted at that time was to get admitted into the university, well, what would have been my joy if not this? I got admitted to study French Language and the whole ambition of getting into the university was accomplished.

At the university, my ambition was to pass well at least, I should graduate with a Second Class Upper [2.1] degree honours. So, all I knew was to attend lectures, go to the library, attend Christian fellowship meetings and then go to rest in my hostel. My routine changed in my sophomore year, I began to attend seminars, I joined AIESEC and then I got to meet people. Perhaps my stream of socialisation changed from the Triangular pattern. Although, my third year was a little bit different because I went for my Language Immersion Program and my final year was short as I was occupied with my project work and many courses to do.

Yes, I did it; I graduated with Honours. I had my NYSC and after my NYSC it dawned on me I missed a lot out of schooling.

I never for once asked myself what I would do with my degree when I started. Well, a few number of us believe in the idiomatic construction “to first cross a bridge before proceeding to another”. And then after NYSC, I began to struggle with what I wanted to do. I got jobs precisely teaching jobs but I knew a part of me wanted something different, and so what was this “difference” I crave? And then, I discovered I loved writing.

This discovery was not late but I felt it was not timely, probably if I had had a thorough introspection as an undergraduate I would have discovered this flair. Of which, I knew as an undergraduate that my creative writing was not good as an Arts Student. And as a French Language student, I struggled with most of my writing courses. For months after NYSC, I struggled with a lot of “if I had”. If I had joined the Union of Campus Journalist in school then, if I had attended meetings that connected me with writers, if I had made friends with student writers then….. and then my stream of “if I had” was endless.

Get it right! Before you think of leaving a position, think ahead of what can become of that future you are about to approach. It is disappointing that a lot of us wait till we graduate out of school before we begin to plan what we will do with our degrees. And our educational system has so much made us become certificate baked that we get to lose sight of deep introspection.

At every stage of our lives as individuals, we should not be caught up in the euphoria of the “NOW” but we should also when in the present think of what the future could make out of us. And everything the future will make out of us has to do with the preparedness of now. So, always think through every step, draw a plan, have a target, hit the target and if you are unable to hit the target think of a way out.

Get it right!

Notes:

NYSC: National Youth Service Corps