Nigerian Tertiary Institution: Preparing the Youths for the Future?

Tertiary institution is a place for advanced learning after graduating from the secondary school; they signify the next academic progress in life. Tertiary institutions offer higher degrees to individuals. Schools in this category include Universities, Polythenics and Colleges of Education. The battle to gain admission into tertiary institutions starts with writing qualifying examinations like WAEC (West African Examination Council) and UTME (Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination), For this discourse, I will focus on universities, and as an alumna of  a public university, I will take my bearing from there.

Survival of the fittest comes into play here; this is so because the best courses (in terms of what people assume sells more after school) have the highest cut off marks. One lesson is learnt here, the local championship of secondary school days has to be dropped. Senior boys and girls, who have perhaps represented their schools in times past, had to buckle up so that they can be offered admission to get their desired courses of choice. This is where most people get shot in the leg, hence, discouraged. Most times, candidates do not get their preferred courses and instead of being given their second choices, they are thrown to departments where they have little or no orientation about. A major lesson is learnt here, we do not always get what we want or deserve in life. The ability to learn from and manage disappointments, gears us to look for better opportunities in life.

As freshers, especially one in the sciences, early morning lectures begin. The joint courses such as Chemistry, Physics, Zoology and Botany lectures introduced us to the realities of life. It makes a student know that for one to succeed in life, the comfort zone has to be ditched. Having to wake up as early as 4 am in order to secure a seat in the front for an 8 0’clock lecture is stress. Chubby, fresh and bright looking freshers start to wear a different look barely four weeks after resumption. The reasons are not far-fetched, competition is fierce.

Also, when one finally decides to defy all odds and to attend classes, some lecturers make their courses look like it is out of this world and the courses are hardly understood. One then begins to wonder if they are teaching rocket science. A student gets to class in the morning and the first thing the lecturer says is ‘tear a sheet of paper, write your name and matriculation number’. The heart begins to beat, especially when the student hardly attends classes or engage in constant studying. Most times, lecturers use these impromptu tests for attendance (and probably, to upgrade scores when there is mass failure). A student must have been studying ahead of time before impromptu tests. This way, instead of cramming courses for examinations; he understands the scope of each course therefore finding impromptu tests a walk over. Although, measures such as vivers for medical students have been put in place by the Health Sciences, they teach the student to be up and doing in life. Also, one learns that life examinations do not give timetables; I should therefore be prepared at every point in time to remain at the top of situations, in order not to be a victim of circumstances.

Furthermore, it seems like a norm for (public) Nigerian higher institutions to undergo scarcity of light and water during examination periods. And since students do not want to fail; they regard this as all hell being against their progress in life. Holding on to the determination after school makes success in life a guarantee.

Overcoming these lets one know that there are different kinds of people we will come across as we sojourn through life. The earlier we devise defense mechanisms as well as ways to relate with people, who share different opinions from us, the better we are at developing our interpersonal skills.

ASUU strikes.

These periods are very frustrating because most times, they are indefinite. One is told to just pack and leave the school till further notice. I had my first taste of the strike as an 100-level student shortly after resumption; it was just like I was being told that ‘we are not ready for you, go back to your parents’ bosoms. Relating with my friends, I observed that something was common to us; we had all the time in the world to eat, sleep and watch movies.

If I were to change something in those days, I would have invested the time into learning something new, probably software skills, and the likes. I could have as well used the period to sharpen my baking skills. However, those periods have taught me that time is the unit of life, therefore, each second counts. Planning for how each day should go helps maximize time.  I think this also applies to every student now and in the future, when we plan adequately, we will have limited time to engage in things that add little or nothing to our progress in life. 

Morals

Taking a cue from dressing, some Nigerian institutions have fashion police, dressing outlines amongst others, any student caught not adhering to such fashion rules will be sanctioned. Although, such trainings might come out as being hard and difficult to follow, however, when they are imbibed, a student becomes the better for it. This makes a student learn that adhering to the details of instructions is a measure of how responsible that student is and will be. Also, it teaches a subtle lesson that rules don’t have to be nice before we adhere to them. Every institution has guiding rules, following them will make one soar in life.

All the above points do not mean that Nigerian institutions are perfect; however, they have been in the business of toughening the skins of Nigerian youths thereby preparing us for an awesome life ahead.

Written By:

Bolanle Akinsanola