Pick Your Crowd
I’m sure your mum has told you how important it is to have the right friends, and I trust you heard her the first time, enough already. Truth is, it cannot be overemphasized. Yes, she’s your classmate from kindergarten. Yes, he’s incredibly cool and socially adept. True, she’s your roommate. Those are not criteria for friendship. You need friends who want the same things you want from life and are ready to achieve them the right way. In other words, common pasts are good, but common goals are a lot better.
Be very selective about the people you allow into your life because friends have the power to influence you for good or bad. I remember having “friends” who teased me and made me feel bad about my good grades. It was almost as if I’d betrayed them by doing well; as if I preferred to be like “those other people”. I had friends who were always quick to remind me that “nobody is going to write first position on any report card for you in the University.” They were really great people in many ways and I really liked them, but I learnt that it’s okay to separate yourself from people who aren’t going your way.
Embrace Holistic Living
As much as you want to do the best you can do, you also want to be the best you can be, so don’t bury your nose in your school books all the time. Do come up for air. Read novels and other non-academic literature. The school environment provides so many opportunities for a full life, so take advantage. Attend shows and scream while you are there. Make time for your hobbies and your friends. Worship your Creator with all your heart, mind and soul. Go for seminars and conferences that will teach you life skills and equip you for the world out there. Sign up for karate training or any other constructive activity that catches your fancy. And please, do see a play. I saw my first play, Femi Osofisan’s “Sango: Many Colours Make the Thunder King” in my final year, after having missed a number of terrific ones like “Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again”, “The King Must Dance Naked” and “Ovoramwen Nogbaisi” years before. I’m still sorry.
You have only one life and can only be a “JAMBITE” and an undergraduate once. You will not pass by this way again. So work hard and play hard!
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