ASUU Strikes – What to do with your Free Time

Dr. Godwin Pius
What to do with your Free Time during the ASUU Strikes

True Nigerian students know to plan for unscheduled holidays during school season. In Nigeria, it is normal to finish a three-year course in four or five years. Usually not due to any fault of the student but because of strikes. It’s a rampant situation, but when pushed to the wall by an immovable object, man usually finds a way to survive. In this vain, what can you do with your free time during ASUU strikes.

READ ALSO: 5 Reasons Government Should Focus More On Teachers Not just lecturers

What to do with your Free Time during ASUU Strikes

Gone are the days when one went to school because they need to get a job after school. For those of you who are not streetwise, there are very few available jobs, at a stretch, there are no jobs. The number of graduates churned out of universities, coupled with the servile training of western education, ensures the lack of jobs in our communities.

When faced with this situation, students are advised to find themselves something else, a way to ensure their usefulness after school. There are various ways to do this, some of which are listed below. Note, this is not an exhaustive list as the number of ways to improve oneself are a myriad and one.

Get Creative

Find out what you’re really good at, preferably something you have as a natural talent. It can be anything really and the truth is we all have one. Yes, even you who is a book worm. It could be more than one thing, sometimes things that look unrelated. Fact is, no matter how unrelated they seem, they are related. You just have to figure out a way to put them together. With the internet, that is easy.

Next, figure out how to get practical with it. Figure out how this talent of yours would help the society around you, and how to make it financially viable. Try not to consider the limitations of your environment while on this journey.

READ ALSO: The Problems with Nigerian Education System

Skill Acquisition

The Nigerian government lately, in response to pressure from the over swollen labor market, has instigated skill acquisition programs. You can go for any of them which interests you. Bottom line, you learn something new which can benefit you in the future.

If you don’t want to go the government route, there are a lot of wonderful startup companies these days. It would not be a bad idea to apply for an internship while you are free. Pick one that tallies with an interest of yours and go for it.

Study

Now I know you might not want to study during this period, but I’m not talking about putting your head in a book. After finding out what you’re good at and figuring out how to use it, you have to gain knowledge on it. Knowing what to do and actually doing it are two different things.

This journey might lead to finding an apprenticeship, or online study. It might lead to shadowing someone who is already in the game. Regardless of the requirement, do it. You will not regret it.

READ ALSO: Chronicles of the Third Term in Nigerian Public Schools

Travel

Look at it this way; the world is a book, and those who do not travel only read one page. You might not have the money to go very far but try to leave your community and your people, tribe, etc. Go live within another tribe, in a different state, if possible, leave the country. Truth is, you’ll find out a lot about yourself when forced to see the world from a less comforting position.

What to do with Your Free Time During ASUU Strikes

The fastest way to learn is by traveling. You will learn to respect other cultures, see the beauty of live. You will need an open mind, and a genuine interest in immersing yourself in all interests.

Get to Work

For those of you who already know their purpose, there is no need to wait until you are out of school before starting off. There are millionaires in China who are your age mates. The owners of most rising and already world class tech companies are young people. If they can do it, why can’t you?

The Lecturers went on strike, not you the student. So why are you striking on a couch in your living room? Get off your behind and do something!

Thankyou for your time. Please share this post; let every student read it.

Author

  • Godwin Ekpo is an experienced Educationist and Learning Experience Designer with a proven track record of developing and implementing effective learning solutions for all kinds of organizations.

    View all posts

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