As they enter the campus environment for the first time in Nigeria, many new students and freshmen discover it to be an entirely different place. Some people are carried away by the excitement of this new environment before taking the time to understand it.
Some have destroyed themselves due to their ignorance of some of the operations and practices within this environment. It is therefore critical to expose the main “highways to an early grave” that lead first-year students to their doom upon entering university.
The ‘October Rush’
‘October Rush’ derives its name from the period of new intake and admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions. Previously, prior to the disruption of universities’ normal academic calendars by strike actions, academic sessions would typically begin in October.
During this time, new students are admitted to institutions, and you will come across old students who are willing to lend a helping hand to new students in order to get their attention for a specific interest. Pious church groups, clubs and societies, as well as secret societies, scour the new students for members.
Some older students, particularly male students, pretend to be something they are not in order to win the affections of the new and mostly innocent female students. They go to great lengths to ensure that these female students are within their territory. As a new student, you must exercise extreme caution.
As a freshman, you should be cautious and avoid giving in to anyone or anything. Any inquiries you have must be directed to one of the following school departments: admissions, student affairs, PRO, security, your faculty and department, as well as your hostel supervisors and porters.
Be very cautious when asking others to assist you in doing things that you may have to pay for later. Don’t get me wrong: you should interact with people and ask questions, but do so with caution.
Orientation and welcome parties
This is yet another example of a “highway to an early grave” in school. As has always been the case, many groups organize welcome parties and orientation ceremonies for freshmen immediately after admission and registration, even before matriculation.
They are fantastic when the motivation is positive.
So many of these parties and ceremonies are sometimes organized as a form of initiation by cult groups and fraternities.
One must catch the vibe and get the feeling, but one must be extremely cautious. Take no action unless you know where it will lead you. Any orientation ceremony other than those typically organized by universities for first-year students should be avoided because you are still new to the environment and will need to study it thoroughly to know how to fit in.
First-time Friends
It is natural to have people you consider to be your friends. As you will soon discover, friendship comes naturally even in a university setting; we do not need to scavenge for it. As a result, do not let anyone pursue you in the name of wanting you to be his/her friend. Take your time choosing your friends, even if they are of the same sex.
Friends have the power to make or break your future; ‘show me your friends, and I will show you your future.’ Friends are important, so choose them wisely. Your success at university will be closely related to the friends you make when you first get there.
