If I’m going to talk about difficulties, I guess I’d have to talk about my time as a student in the tertiary institution. Right from my ND days, it has been nothing but a succession of difficult moments and with each semester that went by, things only seemed to get worse. And now that I’m in my final year, things are still not in any way easier, they’re tougher than ever.
Almost every week I come on here to complain about how my school is doing this, or how they’re not doing that. It seems like a rant and simple ramble, but everything comes from a deep-seated pain. Pain that is so unnecessary and only inflicted on us simply because the management wants to.
From my ND days, I had it tough for me. I had to survive on the monthly stipend I was getting from my parents and it was never enough. When you consider how I had to buy textbooks as much as I needed to eat, it was never easy for me. But that’s not all. I stayed in a Boy's hostel that prohibited cooking, and as a result, for the entire year I stayed in that hostel, I never cooked. I had to rely on provisions and my hostel mates who cooked.
This was a difficult moment in my life, but I simply embraced it. A lot of the things that were happening to me were fairly new and I was in totally uncharted territory, so it took some getting used to on my part. But in the end, I still managed to have a great time. I lived with five other boys in one room for a year and not once did we ever fight or steal each other’s things. It ended up being quite the experience for us.
When I got into ND 2, I refused to return to the hostel, so I went off campus with my coursemate who would go on to be one of my best friends. We rented a lodge together and that gave us a lot of freedom. We could play music as we liked, we could cook whatever we wanted and for as long as we liked. There were no stringent rules to keep us in check.
But then, the bills came around. We had to buy gas, we had to pay rent, we had to buy so much stuff. We had to pay for water, sanitation, fines… the list went on and on. And added to all these, I still had to buy textbooks and manuals, and I also still had to save up for my ND project. It was crazy, I tell you!
But then, a lot also happened during my ND 2 and I got my first taste of really making money and taking care of myself. This was in 2020, and as many of us know, it was the year that the Covid-19 virus crippled the world for months at a time. During that time, I was employed by Nigerian Bottling Company, but school resumed and I had to be let go because I was technically still a student and they needed people who were done with ND at the very least. However, they left the door open and told me and my friends that when we were done with ND, they would be glad to have us back.
When I returned to school to finish the semester, that’s when I found out about and joined Hive. It was a crazy period and the first few months saw only sporadic efforts from me. But I tried to stay as consistent as I could. But none of it seemed to be working. Thanks to the pandemic and the prolonged strike, I was forced to pay another rent and that set me back a lot of ways.
But in the end, I made it through and graduated from ND. However, I decided that instead of going for one year of IT, I opted to go for two! And I also turned down the opportunity to return to the Nigerian Bottling Company. My friends thought I was crazy, but that was the only thing I could do. I wanted to hone my writing craft and I knew that a 9-5 would not give me the amount of time I needed.
So, I returned home, and I started working and saving. I put in more work and learned so much. I started writing for clients and making money. I started saving up for my return to school. My plan was to save up a huge amount so I’d return to school and live a soft life. I did save a lot. I saved enough that I was able to fly to Owerri strictly on my own money and without any help.
Sadly, just finding a lodge and furnishing it wiped the savings. Everything was so damn expensive. By the time I was ready to resume school, I had to start working again to be able to meet up with the incessant financial demands the school made. This time, I’m not relying on my parents, I’m funding it all myself, and it’s not easy at all. I already told you guys how they increased the cost of our textbooks and postponed the exams just to force people to pay school fees last year. Then, for the second semester, they also forced us to pay some other fees.
Now, I’m in my finals and I’m sure that this school fee is going to bring up some issues. I’m still working towards paying it, but I’m certain that these guys are willing to postpone the exams to force students to pay up. And people who can’t afford to will surely get a carryover course. That’s how bad it is.
I’ve not even mentioned the practical and how they’re basically cutting off our necks at this point. Or the final year project I would have to do very soon which is going to cost a lot of money. So you see? Ever since I stepped foot in this school, it has been a series of tough spots. But each time, I embrace them and face them head-on
because I know that no matter what, I’ll see it through to the end. And that’s what I’ve been doing ever since. I’d do it again in the months to come.
The road ahead may be scary, but I’m in no way scared. I’m ready and I’m sure that when all is said and done, everything will end in my favor. If my ND1 self were to look at me now, I’m sure he would nod his head and smile in pride because back then, I had no idea that by this time I’d be an accomplished ghostwriter, blogger, and a published author. But then, that’s the beauty of life, right? No one knows tomorrow.
I look forward to better days ahead. No matter how tough they get, I’ll surely push through. That’s a given!
