Skip to main content

Go to School

I just got off the phone with a long time friend. Before now, the last time we spoke was about two years ago. I happened to stumble on his contact on whatsapp so I chatted him up.

I asked him how he was preparing to graduate. He said he stopped attending school nearly two years ago. He left in his 3rd year at the University. His reasons for stopping are what made me make this post.

He got tired of attending classes, writing assignments. He got tired of the school environment so he left to sit down and figure out his life. At first, I sympathised with him. Then I lost my cool. I told him he was very foolish. This young man was doing well as far as I knew then.

How can a fully grown man drop out of the university for flimsy reasons; the university that people beg to grant them admission into? The university that people write JAMB four - five times just to enter. The university that made a young man commit suicide last month because all his friends were in but he wasn't.

 You enter and suddenly realise you do not want to be there anymore so you throw away two - three years of your life and start sitting at home, doing nothing. Absolutely nothing. Next thing, you're on the streets crying that the government never loved you.

I think it is only people that were offered admission the first time they sat for jamb, that have the nerves to disappear from school suddenly for flimsy reasons. Take my friend for instance.

This young man has been at home for two years but until now, he doesn't have a clue what to do with his life.

 I have advised him to try to regain his admission so he can graduate. He agrees with me.

 His mates are preparing to defend their final year projects. He is wasting away. He eats his mum's food, gets into fights with his siblings and sulks the rest of the day. His parents are disappointed.

 See, it is a different case entirely if as a student, financial difficulty sent you away from school, health, family, security issues made you leave, you happen upon a good business venture that you need to give your full time or that will take you far away from the city of your institution, or if as a student, you're also an artiste and you get signed to a huge label (take MAVINS for instance) and honestly, I think in that situation the individual should defer or ask to be transferred to another school within the location of the label.

 I also think it is wrong to throw away your current admission because you were promised admission into an abroad school or a 'better' course. You can do so when you have secured the second and in fact been fully accepted into the 'better' school or course.

 If you leave for any insane reason such as that of my friend, you are an ode. A massive ode. I make bold to say this to you. You go about shouting 'who school epp?' 'who school epp?'

 Let me ask you, 'who your ode nature epp?' What have you achieved since you dropped out? In the 1900s, SSCE was a big certificate to have. It could give you a high ranking employment with the federal government.

Today, almost everyone has a degree so SSCE is as good as useless. Young people are struggling to further their education to Masters
Ph.d level, you stay there with your SSCE, drop out status and an empty life and you can still shout 'who school epp'. I think you need a reevaluation of your life. You need to consider going back to get that degree while you still can.

Granted, a certificate doesn't guarantee employment and success. But what does does your drop out status guarantee? Regrets. Insults from family and friends. Inferiority complex when a younger person nearby states that he/she is a graduate.

One of my lecturers back in school always says, 'The LC.M of life is survival'. This is true but how can you be assured of survival when you have no back up. A graduate hopes that someday his degree will get him a job or better still, he could further his education and become a lecturer. You do not have Buhari's contact neither do you have 30billion in the akant.

Excuse me. Did you say your talent is your hope? Remember you are not the only person with a talent. There are many talented graduates.

 Dear student that has a friend reminding you that a degree is a waste in the present day Nigeria, ignore that friend. He is the modern day devil. Get that degree. Your life doesn't stop after that.

You want to be a business owner after school, you can. You can be a politician, actor, musician, whatever while and after having your degree. No one can collect your certificate from you once you have it. The world is rapidly evolving. Do not let youthful foolishness be the reason you regret later in your life.

Social media keeps making young people believe school is a waste.

Ignore that message, dear friend.
School is not a waste.
Please go to school.

#JayTeeSays

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

GLOBACOM SHUTS UNEC DOWN WITH TIMAYA, MI AND RUNTOWN, DJNEPTUNE AND DJLAMBO

Last night is a night that will not be forgotten in  hurry at the  University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus as Globacom ended its week long mouth watering Campus Data Bundle campaign tagged 'Glo campus storm' with an enveloping event which brought down A list artistes such as Timaya, MI and Runtown to the white house of the prestigious institution. Yours truly was there and brings you reports! The event was slated to start by 4pm although it later started much later that night due to problems with the generator which was to be used to power the auditorium and other equipments for the event. Many students left for emergency night class in the few opened classes like Abuja auditorium and Coscharis building. Luck however was on the side of the patient students who were already murmuring that the show was a scam, when PHCN restored power supply around 11pm. Immediately the power was restored, all the students including those who left for till day break studying returned and the a...

CRUSH ISSUES

I was standing by a corner of the road awaiting any oncoming tricycle (keke) to halt. "Mummy will kill me today. How did I forget to look at my wristwatch?", I wondered aloud as I searched my head for any sugar coated excuse to give her for staying out so late. "Hello". Excuse me", a strong and smooth voice behind me said. I ignored the voice. Hello, please excuse me".The voice repeated and seemed to draw closer. I turned around. My eyes couldn't believe who I saw so I quickly looked away. "I'm sorry to bother you but I couldn't help but notice you alot in there". The voice called again. It was Kiss Danel. Yes, Kiss Daniel. The celebrity. The Woju crooner. My all time celebrity crush.He was the one seeking my attention. Wonders shall never end.  Kiss was the guest artiste at the event I had just attended at African cultural centre, Kano.Throughout the event, I noticed he kept looking at me or maybe in my direction but I wade...

The Error of 'Don't you Know you are a Girl? '

Part 1 Dear Society, When you want to correct a female going wrong, especially a child,  do not remind her that she is a girl. Do not tell her to stop because she is a girl. Tell her to stop and change because her actions are wrong. When she wears a skirt and sits with her legs wide open,  tell her to close them because it is wrong to sit with your undies exposed. When she talks arrogantly,  correct her because it is wrong to speak that way. Don't tell her to be polite because girls should be. Sensible humans are polite. Politeness is not gender specific. When she dresses indecently,  correct the wrongness of the dressing. Don't make it about her gender. Decency doesn't apply to one gender. When she is unable to cook at 18, remind her that it is only reasonable for an adult to be capable of making food for his/her survival. No gender needs the skill more. When she rides her car in a rough manner,  remind her that wrong driving has sent many to their...