I wrote this for my class yearbook. Enjoy!
“Yayyy! My name is on the list!” After a gap year, I had gotten into school, not just any school though – the University of Lagos. The school that just didn’t accept being placed as second choice had accepted me.
And then the hustle began. Looking back to when I wrote my Post UTME and being told that the Faculty of Science wasn’t far from gate, I think the hustle started from there. (Side eye: the sun was hot that day.)
Do you remember those days when cab from gate to campus was N30 and there was always light in the hostel? I do too. That was Year 1. Year 1 is also a time I remember when I was ‘gba-ed’*. This is a story for another day. Lesson learnt? Do not borrow money to just anyone especially money you cannot let go.
A fresh experience with God also started.
My squatting days, rather years began in year 2. Well, no experience is wasted. Your UNILAG experience is not complete without experiencing squatting, either you are being squatted or you have a squatter* in your room or you are squatting someone.
Hangers* et al, yours is another story.
I resumed for year 3. I remain in awe at how time was in a first class seat flying away. And year 4 arrived before I knew it.
My final year! Graduating from the University is still surreal.
My Unilag Experience will not be complete without:
- Iya Moria Amala
- Law School toast (Thank you Chika for making the introduction)
- Spaghetto Delight (My course mate is smart)
- Olaiya’s amala (are they still open sef?)
- Korede’s spaghetti (well…we had to see what all the fuss was about.)
- Salado’s salad and chips (“Make we dey go?”)
- Chicken and chips
- Mavise, Shop 10 and some of those unnamed Red Bricks crew that came in handy on Sunday evenings
- Bread and egg (for those nights…)
- Suyaaaaaa
- Jaja popcorn ( you know, those guys in front of the Kegites hut)
No way! This list is not just going to be about food, now to the important part in no particular order:
- ULAC’17!!!!! ( I had the most amazing course mates and I am forever thankful I met the different personalities that consist us)
- The Chapel. Now I don’t just mean the building alone but the also amazing people I had the opportunity of meeting. How beautiful it is for brethren to dwell in unity. SOLFites* y’all just have to show up in name as part of my UNILAG Experience.
- Roommates, roommates, roommates, roommates. (For tolerating me)
- The random people I used to stop and say ‘hi’ to. Yes, you are a part of my UNILAG Experience too.
All in all, I would not trade My UNILAG Experience for anything. Would you?
So you don’t get lost:
*Gba-ed – duped. I was duped. I was gba-ed.
*Squatter – Staying with someone that legally got hostel space ( It’s illegal, don’t blame us. I blame the system for not providing enough spaces).
*Hanger et al – Lol. Hanger. Et al includes floater and some terms I don’t know. Simple difference between a squatter and a hanger et al is that as a squatter you are attached to a legal bonafide while as a hanger et al you are ‘in the air’ (attached to the room maybe)
*SOLFites – family from the Springs of Life Fellowship.
*Unilag – just in case you don’t know – University of Lagos!
Shout out to the University of Lagos Accounting Class of 2017! 💃🏾💃🏾✌🏾
P. S: Make sure you celebrate the small wins around you. No matter how small they may seem compared to the ‘big problem’.