Ten fun tips on how to balance your life as a student

Be focused

Hello, Mr Jack, can you just set your eyes on a single trade?

This is one problem many students have: wanting a piece of every pie.

Only you want to be pressman, politician, fashionista, blogger, photojournalist, debater...ahan! Na only you waka come?

Always keep the primary purpose of being in school in focus. Yes, it is okay to do other things, but remember that if you succeed at other things but fail at academics, then you have failed in everything.

The fear of CGPA is the beginning of wisdom.

Do something outside academics.

Ehn, so what if I said you should concentrate on academics?

Igbana nko (so???) It doesn’t mean it is the only thing that you should do in school nah.

I have noticed that people who do meaningful things outside academics are more fulfilled and have greater self-esteem than those that are only into academics. I have been in this situation I tell you.

I wish you could know how much joy I feel writing this and knowing that you are reading it. It is a priceless feeling that I wouldn’t give up for having shawarma.

Pliks, don’t just read this and go to class forgetting what you just read. And stop thinking, do it. Now!

Join the press, act, sing, write, swim, just do something puhleeeeze!

And while you are at it, still remember that I told you to read earlier o. Ehen!

Do it now.

Procrastinators!!! This one is for you oh. Coz i can see you saying, “I do this too o”.

Before you turn and procrastinate reading this, just stay there like that let me help your situation.

Question number one: if I had delayed writing these tips for you, how will you know everything you have read here and are already planning to practise? Answer me nah, how?

Oya pause small and start counting the number of things you are always thinking you are supposed to do but have not done.

That assignment and term paper that yeye lecturer gave you nko?

The piano lesson you said you would learn since 100 level nko? Smh for you.

Go and do it now after reading this piece to the end joor.

Manage your time.

This is the golden rule of any successful student.

I have never seen any student who followed this rule and did not succeed. None.

If you cannot learn to manage your time, then the rest of these titbits are as useless as zero after decimal point.

If you find it really difficult, then ask people who seem perfect in effortlessly doing so many things at a time.

If you enjoy reading, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to read a book or two on time management. There are loads of them online.

Learn to cut off time eaters that come like a thief in the night.

You know nah- that two-hour class doesn’t hold and you spend the whole time gisting.

Or that boy that comes to do Queens 101 and doesn’t leave till midnight.

Beware!

So henceforth, thou shall manage your time effectively.

Please rest.

Stop reading this piece and breathe small nah.

Yes, we are getting there. But you cannot do it all at once so relax. This is something you should always learn to do.

Remember that if you read yourself to death now, life will continue o. And you will not still make that first class you want to kill yourself over.

Even your book- GES 101- tells you to sleep and rest well. So what is that my frend (in Jenifa’s voice).

Abeg sometimes, just let the world take care of itself.

And to all you student leaders, you pipu should take it easy biko. Ahan! Always boning face around school as if you were enlisted to fight World War III (Olorun maje o)!

To all those who hold one position or the other and are sweating it out to make everything fall in place. We love you. But don’t forget to rest ehn. I’m on my virtual knees. Thanks. Mwuuuuuuaaaaah!

Have a plan.

All the story I’ve been saying can be summarised in one word - planning.

You know what they saying about the one that fails to plan automatically planning to fail. It is not wash o. It is as true as that your CGPA in book of life.

Map out your time, have short and long term goals on what you want to do and how you intend to achieve them, have a personal reading timetable.

You know, I spent my first year in school playing...maybe reading. The second one, fantasizing about things I could actually do. Then, in the third one, I finally woke up from my slumber and did something.

Your story doesn’t have to be that pathetic. Start early, plan now.

If you already in your penultimate or final year, better late than never. So that you will not leave school tomorrow and say, ‘how I wish...’

Avoid distractions:

This is one thing that many of us find hard to do especially when it has to do with our phones. I know people who could spend time on their phones for a week without having their bath. Yes. It’s that bad.

The sad thing is that they don’t spend it doing anything productive. It’s a cycle - chatting, playing games, reading gossips.

And for most girls, reading novels on their phones. But to spend an hour reading? Nah. There has to be chatting (especially Whatsapp) breaks in between.

Of course, there are other distractions like Idia 301, Zik 201, Awo 403. If you spend up to four hours on your phone everyday and you don’t spend a proportionate time reading, my friend, slap yourself now. Do it again. Oya, ten more times. Egbon, always do one thing at a time. A paragraph is enough for the wise.

Attend a fellowship, not ten.

Pastors and Alfas, Shalom alaykum. This is the voice of Adekunle Muminat. I want you to know that being a fellowship prostitute is not of the Lord.

My brothers and sister, I beseech you to stick with one fellowship, for the Lord does not desire that you engage in spiritual promiscuity.

Be your a Deeper, a Mountain, A NSSM (reverse the words yourself abeg), a Redeemu or any other fellowship of the Lord, please remain faithful.

For the Lord has perfected His Favour upon your and has chosen that path as your promised land. Amen? Hallelujah!

Have fun: Boyses and girlses!

Enjoy yaselves. Remember that You Only Live Once.

Who says you can’t learn and have fun at the same time? (don’t be dull).

Jackos! Read like Albert Eistein and I’ll play like Lionel Messi, you see that 7 point, we must to have it together! Break the class-hostel-library cycle. If you are in school and you don’t know anywhere and anyone outside your immediate environment, I gats tell you this - you are a slacking pelzin.

Explore!

What in Hades are you waiting for?

Let us even reason together sef, think of the most successful people in the world, abeg how many of them book epp? They are where they are because they stuck to what they enjoyed doing.

Besides, the only thing you lose by having fun are your worries and wrinkles, so enjoy the academic ride while it lasts.

Pray.

“Father in heaven AKA Baba loke, pliks forgive me any sins I have made and will make.” AMIN.

Brothers and sisters in the Lord, why are you neglecting your God? Hmmmm! Look at you, chaild calling medicine vegetable. You think that it is you that got yourself into school? Abi it is you that is causing your body to move. Abi it is with your head you are passing?

When you sope ti e, you will feel good. So before you go, lemme pray for you.

God will give you the strength to implement everything you have read in this piece.

Amin, amen, ami ase Olodumare. See ya.