The die is cast and the ball has been set rolling for a new academic calendar in the University of Ibadan. It is arguably the busiest time for any student as there is the mad rush to quickly settle into the semester and face one’s studies squarely.
While all of these are happening on the side ,mental calculations are being made as to how to improve on performances from the past session.
As if on cue , ” The Book of Life” which seemed to have been on a long sabbatical , returned without warning and in its traditional barefaced fashion , brutally revealed to Uites the reality of their current academic standing. Students who were hitherto, sitting on the fence regarding when to begin serious studying are now being reawakened to the need to put their houses in order before their “houses” are swallowed whole by the dreaded ” Tsunami” or its variant , “Erosion”.
This is the time opinions are being formed, in categorizing those who are termed, “serious” or “unserious”, atleast based on the results that have been made conspicuous by UI ‘s most dreaded document. It is true that we need to heed the clarion call of going back to the drawing board to get better results but it should never open the gates to undue pressure as it could reduce to ruins one’s efforts. Without doubt, everyone must have put in efforts , but what counts more is the evidence of it. Below are time-tested tips to bring out the best from the semester/ session.
Burn your Bridges Behind
“You are a good soldier, choosing your battles, pick yourself up and dust yourself off, and back in the saddle. You are on the front line everyone’s watching,you know its serious we’re getting closer ,this isn’t over..”
The aforementioned are lyrics to “Waka Waka” , theme song of the South Africa 2010 FIFA World Cup, the first on an African soil, sung by celebrated Colombian songstress, Shakira Isabel Mebarak popularly known as “Shakira” .Beyond the melody and nostalgic memories the song brings, its message is clear. There is no better time to bounce back from that devastating drama created by the “Book of Life”, your morale may be low but your sobriety should be your strongest weapon as it is the first step towards setting the scene for your big hit.
To those who are in the good graces of the “Book of Life “, this is your “prime time”, you are the cynosure of all eyes ,you are most likely to attract more attention now, but you don’t want to celebrate your conquest so much that you lose sight of your desired destination. Is it not often said, that the most dangerous time for a person is after an achievement? You don’t believe me? Ask the current Super Eagles’ squad in the ongoing AFCON tourney. The “Super Chickens” have since returned home to roost after a flash in the pan performance at the competition.
This, in essence means that being at the receiving end of both stages can both serve as help or an hindrance to recreating a new success.
Conduct your checks on those courses
You don’t want to make the same mistake of being blank about the course you choose to do for each of the semester. Do your research, consult seniors on what to expect. Who are the lecturers? What do the lecturers want? What book(s) do you need to buy?
Get yourself goal-oriented friends
The agelong aphorism , “show me your friends and I’ll tell you who you are” still holds sway. Make up your mind to surround yourself with people who will not only motivate you but also support you in being a better version of yourself. Isolating yourself can also have horrible repercussions as no one is an island of knowledge. Build well-meaning relationships. Imagine missing an all important exam because you weren’t aware of an abrupt change of time or venue not because you couldn’t have known but because you didn’t position yourself to be in the know from colleagues and friends.
Work Wisely
I have never been a fan of the “work hard” statement. The image the statement creates already makes life seem like a strenuous struggle. Moreover I have seen people work so hard, and never really break free from the curse of sweating for everything with nothing spectacular to show for it or have you not seen students who read so hard, trying to treat all the topics for an extensive course and fail to study properly that topic that turned out to matter the most? Instead, I enjoy the ease of working with a purposeful plan, hitting the nail on the head and yielding maximum results. Achieving the latter requires being armed with knowledge, careful observation and a well thought-out plan rather than a blind enthusiasm.
In all, know yourself , understand yourself, discover yourself, develop yourself and deploy yourself in the finest form. You’ve not come this far in the premier university to give up or cower before any challenge, expunge all excuses for failure and determine to finish the semester and session strong. Welcome back!!!
Seven the Scribbler
