Dear Unilorite,
You may be curious as to what I intend by “my shoe”, let me clarify this once and for all before I proceed.
If you’re a Unilorite preparing for the Rain Semester Examinations and you’re having a fatigue towards the loads of works before you; or you’re just getting sick of everything with no cogent reason, you’re in my shoe.
If you’re still receiving lectures in your faculty despite the fact that examination is in few days away, or you’re unable to read as you should, but just finding your focus on the less important things, and this has been making you thinking that village people are at work on your life, we share a shoe.
If you’re still expecting your first semester results, hoping that it will boost your morale, or you’ve finally seen it but your morale remain un-boosted and so, you’re doubting the growth of your GP this semester, this shoe, we share it.
If some strange thoughts have been wandering your mind because you’re already fed up and that has been making you asking yourself the question – ” abi ki nsalo ni?” That is, whether you should run away, you’re not the only one in that shoe.
If there’s a particular side of you that’s calming you down, promising you that all will be well, that you should keep on pushing at your own pace, that you should not allow Unilorin to kill you, that you should not give up, that you should not run away, then, we are together in this shoe.
I think all Bonafide Unilorites are in my shoe…
Dear, let me quickly tell you this:
This is my sixth semester in the university campus, with the experiences I have gathered (if you’re not a fresher, I believe you’ll understand better), I can tell you with boldness that this is normal, I understand what Students feel and how they feel it when it’s this period of semester.
A lot of things would be coming up which will pose to us, challenges that will seem unsurmountable. All will pass, and at the end believe me, you will have reason to smile, provided you don’t give up. If you give up, you’ve fucked up!
Just make sure that it’s a step that you take at a time. Don’t let those materials choke you. Don’t let those lecturers scares you. Don’t let him/her threatened you, that your course mate who’s acting as if (s)he has read everything, including what you should read. It’s a lie!
I will advise you to do this – it’s what I do, which I believe you might have been doing before. Calm down, take it steady and mini-slow, listen to discussions from trusted sources, not those who will dismantle the little you’ve built (read). Shun internet…
**a friend of mine have off his Android phone since two days ago and he won’t on it until after exams. I can’t do this. It is too big a risk for me, yes unreasonable risk: foolhardiness. I may lose things I hold dear.
Just avoid social media as much as you can so that you will be able to concentrate. All it requires is self denial and that, discipline can bring.
Analyse all you have to read, cut them into small divisions so that they will appear small and simple. Then pray, read, watch comedies (if you’re that type), catch small cruise, avoid much stress, read again. Call Momma and tell her to say prayers for you. Believe you can do it. Visualize how you’re going to spend your time after exams.
For example, for me, I am going to watch movies (a lot), rent bicycle and ride it to faculty of Pharmacy, read a lot of books for fun (I sell books if you need), visit friends and invite them over too, go to Unilorin Dam and use the Canoe, buy a ticket and watch a play at PFA, especially “OTAELO”(yeah, it’s like Cinema there too), have a meeting with a lady I met on LinkedIn few weeks ago (on professional ground ni o), sleep like they’ve casted sleeping spell me, travel… And so on.
Examination will come and go. I implore you to give it your best. One of the things that motivate me whenever I feel tired, bored and like giving up is Iya Seun: that woman who’s waiting for my success, who’s putting in all her efforts for me to be great. What’s that thing that get you motivated ? Think about it. Move closer to them, if they’re humans.
I have a friend whose motivation is usually derived from the fact that he believes his success will motivate others, who are looking up to him. I also have a friend who usually say that, no matter how tough the semester may be, we should give it all it takes because, we would have a lot of time to rest later. And a rest after exam won’t be a worthy one for who fail to do the necessary before exams.
Do the right thing. A lecturer inform me that University has now become more strict in their examination malpractice code. Rumours has it that two students from my department were sent home for this last year. So, “thou shall not cheat”. let’s be facing this stress like this, don’t let them add “face Tanke” to it. May we not struggle in vain. Remain calm and cool… See you later.
Yours Truthfully,
OJO, Oluwaseun (JustEase).
This article is written by Ojo Oluwaseun, 300 Level student of the department of Combined Law, Faculty of Law and is published under the Guest-Writer harmonisation policy of the UCJ-UNILORIN. Ojo can be reached via ojooluwaseunridwan@gmail.com
