So how was your experience the first time you stepped into the university? How did you feel? What were your expectations?
The first thing that came into my mind was freedom. For the first time I had the freedom to do what I wanted. I was happy that there was no one to monitor my moves and tell me what to do.
I was also sad that I had no friends and had to make new ones. I missed my mother. Later, I was happy meeting new people, hanging out and attending lectures.
From my experience, the excitement of joining the university can either damage or build you, depending on how you handle it.
There are different ways you can choose to spend your time here. To some of us, weekends are for parties. If you choose this path, you would probably have known all the clubs around your campus by your second year.
When you meet new people and make new friends, they can either build or break you. Some students struggle to maintain fake, expensive lifestyles. With time, management of their small finances from Helb and their parents becomes a big headache.
Choose friends wisely
You have to think of other ways of getting money and in the process, you may lose your way. You may end up losing focus, stop attending lectures, miss exams and finally become an academic failure. By the time your time in college is over, you cannot account for your four-year stay.
This is the bitter truth that our high school teachers never spoke about as they encouraged us to work hard and succeed. To them, university is paradise. Well, it can as well be a paradise if you make it be one.
Time management is one of the key determinants of success. You ought to know when to attend your lectures, when to do your assignment and when to hang out with friends.
Choose your friends wisely. Have friends who can lead you down the right path. Make friends who can correct you when you are wrong and friends who offer a hand academically.
If you get these and other key issues right, college life could be a paradise.
Ann Akoth, 20, is a university student in Kisumu.
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