Rianat Ademola

As a guess, you must have been awestruck as you stopped on your track at the entrance of the University, mesmerized by the tall trees, structure of buildings, and also the historical effigies must have kept you smiling. That is always an exhilarating experience a freshman on campus goes through. And on that note, you are welcome to the prestigious citadel of learning, home of intellectuals and great minds, the University of Ibadan. Your being victorious in the battle of becoming an UIte is worthy of commendation, on a serious note. Any Nigerian aspiring to become a campus citizen will agree that gaining an admission to University of Ibadan is no child’s play, it is not beans, you already know what I am talking about.

Much as the surroundings, the new company you mingle with, the comfort of being far away from guardian’s tutelage, the strange yet enticing new environment that makes you filled with emotions; be aware that it takes a lot to be a student. And interestingly, you will even begin to accrue angular definition to that “comfort”, trust me, it will be mixed. As a student of the Department of English, ironically, as they say, “you must know English, speak big grammar, like hullabaloo” but that is not the case. You will not only learn English and literature. You will learn how to weave yourself a garment of creativity. Being an English student can be a passion, a culture, and a choice. 

To those who are lured by the grammar of Chomsky and Haloday or the artistic style of Achebe, and sophisticated diction Soyinka, or even the seemingly diefied English writers, Shakespeare and co, and other literary veterans. You must have felt the charm and known its value. And to those who probably got served ‘what I want versus what I got’ by the University, [yes, that one too is readily in stock, I won’t mention LAW] it is not the end of the world. It will definitely not be shocking if you ended up being enticed with the grammar of Chomsky or the artistic style of Achebe beautifully rich in proverbial language or Soyinka’s idiosyncrasies of flawless bogus grammar or Adichie’s imperfect writing style in her non-linear narrative. Spread your wings, and let the power of words hypnotize you, that’s a subtle advice being whispered. Words are powerful when rendered, spoken, or written, deliberately, with motives and perfectly. You may not know how to be unique in your own way until Chimamanda Adichie inspires you to do so, or absurdly, Samuel Beckett. Indeed, the Department of English must teach you all these uniqueness.

You should be cognisant of the fact that you are now in a new environment. The result of what keeps you up at night, the countless TDBs, [oh that stands for Till Day Break] bowed your heads to different books at the same time, has made you a semi-bonafide student of the department, your names are still written with pencil. Do not be decived or carried away, it is not an “at last” [It is not yet ‘Uhuru’], instead it is just and introduction to the beginning. You must have been grinning from ear to ear from the euphoria, but quench the excitement a little bit, although it might have dawned on some. See beyond the enticing Faculty of Art’s effigy, the quadrangle that sits at the heart of the faculty, the liberty you know you are now entitled to, and refine your purpose. You must be aware that Uites are bookworms, either by choice, condition, or requirement. So, do not be shocked if you find someone who enjoys reading. This is where those people like that are nurtured. Do not listen to that whispering voice in your ears agreeing that ‘not everything is about book’, it is too early for that now.

The reality of being a university student is that it embeds lots of opportunities. One of the advantages of being a student is that you are exposed to hard and soft life skills, depends on how well you position yourself. You might enjoy the taste of the freedom which school life offers you, do not let it overwhelm you. Studying is not limited to education, it also helps for a day-to-day survival. Remember this famous quote in Francis Bacon’s aphoristic essay Of Studies, “Studies serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability.” For every individual, the definition of being a student differs. It is different from person to person. Have a vision, network with people. The people you leverage widen your horizons, build skills, contribute to success, sharpen creativity, and shape your perspective of the world. The life experience you will get is invaluable.

 Being a student of the Department of English can be likened to a 3 pronged “shege”, first, as a Uite, second, as an English student, and third, as a literature student. Although it is a reality, that should not make you fret. Robin Sharma has believes that “The things that drives you crazy are giant opportunities. The people who press your button are actually your great teachers. The issues that make you angry are actually your biggest gift. Love them.” Even if you fumed at being labelled a ‘boss’ despite your obvious academic hardship, love them, it is a leitmotif here. It can be funny if you find yourself genuflecting after you scored 70 which is an A after you read the whole materials thrice. That is what the English Department does to you. You love lots of your irritation.

Classes might be boring at times but still, your priority is your studies. You have the liberty to ‘stab’ classes, meaning, skip classes maybe due to your social life, or simply the “I can’t come and kill myself” vibe. Yeah, the reality is that nobody questions you but don’t be surprised if a lecturer makes you question yourself [that one too is available in stock, if you can say it Yoruba, that’s classic]. You might not take ‘Do not joke with your studies’ literally, but the fear of ‘tsunami’ and ‘erosion’ is another aspect or reality. Tsunami is a situation when a student is being euphemistically adviced to withdraw by the university, as such student did not meet up with the threshold grades to cross to 200 level, hence, your names are still written in pencil. While erosion is when a student  is simply flushed to another faculty as a result not meeting the threshold grade for that difficult course.

Also, just as a reminder, your grades will be based on good performances in tests, assignments, and group projects, a free advice, never take group works for granted, that’s the last thing you want to experiment with in the Department of English, and finally, your examinations, a no-brainer, right? During exams, be weary of the idea of compiling redundant words to reach the last page, and possibly requesting an extra sheet, as much as quantity is expected in some courses, the priority of the quality of your quantity or volume, is not even open for a discussion, it is either quality or nothing. Now, have been forearmed, although, the virtuals has gone ahead, if any slippages have occurred, you can repent and amend your ways now, it is not too late yet, the University of Ibadan believes greatness is won with honest toil. Once again, you are welcome to the University of Ibadan, the first and the best…