Take full advantage of your university days before you graduate.

“Mr., do you regret anything from your university years?” they asked.

“Why are you asking?” I queried, trying to avoid responding to the question and bring them back to our grade 11 physics topic for the day (energy in Simple Harmonic Motion).

“Mr., we want to learn from you,” they insisted.

Because they know that I’ll always inject light conversations such as this into my class to make it fun and much more impactful, they insisted I respond to their questions.

I told them, “Yes, I do have a regret.”

“What’s it?” they asked further.

“Not starting a company during my university time.”

Yes, I’ll say I spent my university days quite productively, and until I went back for my master’s degree, I never had a carryover.

However, I actually wish I added this to my buckets of experience in the university. You know why?

It’s easier to take risks while in the university. You are deemed to be mature enough to make decisions, but you will also be protected from the harshness of the real world because, after all, you are still a student. You still get some stipends from your parents and some protection by the university.

As a result, even if you fail in your side hustle, you will still sleep in the hostel, eat from your stipends, and live life like nothing happened. This is why I advise you to take full advantage of the university days.

There is one lie that we usually tell ourselves — the university is meant for only one thing — study and study alone. Get first class and get a job waiting for you at the university gate and life remains blossomed ever after. It’s not true.

As a student of Federal University of Technology, Minna, I used to be an MSSN guy, running between programs and meetings. In one of these activities, one of my friends noticed another guy who was standing close to the photocopy stand in Bosso campus trying to print posters for SUG campaign.

He was in a hurry, and you could see the commitment to politics all over him. My friend commented, and I quote, “if he can be this committed to SUG, then I can also be committed to MSSN.” In the end we are all committed to something.

We all know those guys that jump from one girlfriend to the other with commitment to love, finance, and time. That endeavor also takes a lot of their time.

Have you ever seen a university girl whose boyfriend broke her heart lying on her hostel bed? She’ll hardly eat, talk more of studying for three days. After a few days, she’ll get over it, and another boy will come for her again. She’ll play him for like two and a half months before accepting his proposal, and then they start jumping from one shawarma joint to suya spot to ice-cream corner. Then he’ll break her heart again and the cycle continues.

What time commitment is more than this?

Some of those who would not take this route got married and managed their family while on campus.

How about the cultural guys? Ebira Students Association, Ilorin Emirate Student Union, Association of Oyo Students, Jigawa Students Association, to name just a few. These guys will be so committed to the service of their culture that they will have their own oba or emir on campus.

So the list continues.

Why am I telling you all these?

To show you that the university is not meant for only studying and getting first class. We are all committed to other things that our parents didn’t send us to do.

So, it is up to you to decide what to do with your extra time on campus, but I advise you to take full advantage of it. Learn a skill, start a business, take calculated risk and take part-time jobs where possible. These experiences will allow you to be well-prepared for the real world, and you can be lucky to develop something meaningful while on campus that will change your life forever.

A number of guys developed tech skills while in the university, while some others established a startup company solving real time problems a later grew to become a big company.

But I must warn you. Your priority is to study, and that is not changing. Don’t allow your side hustles to distract you.

I remember working with a fantastic brother of mine who is a law student. However, he’s also a content creator. I worked with him to create a blog content, which he did. He, however, told me that he will not be able to take up any gig in the next few weeks as his exam is getting closer. I was marvelled with his ability to prioritize his studies and still give himself the permission to develop extra skills.

So, if he can do it, so can you.

In conclusion the university is a simulation of the real world. Take full advantage of it to learn new skills, take calculated risks, network with people that will add value to your life now and change it forever while prioritizing your studies at the same time. Note that the world outside the university gate is wicked and uncaring, don’t wait until you get to it before you prepare for it.

I’m rooting for you. Take the leap. Prioritize. Repeat the process. Succeed.

Abdulrafiu Arikewuyo (Teacher and Founder of Edtrack)