How Prepared are you for Life After School?

Yusuf Kawthar Bukola writes,

“What’s your plan after school?” Almost every finalist has heard this question. Unfortunately, only a few give concrete answers to the question. Do we ever think of what life has in stock for us beyond the university?

Many wonder how it will be, what the future holds for them and how they will survive it. Others are like, “Let me just conclude this degree and get out of these unending academic troubles before deciding my next step”.

And there are ladies whose minds have heard a lot of, “I am going to my husband’s house straight. Thank God we have done introduction. He is going to cater for my needs. If by chance, I eventually find a job then I will take it”.

Many think finishing university is the main issue. They believe bagging a degree is the end of stress, thinking higher institutions are full of stress, pain and unforgettable memories.

The stress you suffered before collecting your confirmation and becoming a bonafide student had you wondering if the degree is worth your life. And perhaps, after your first semester exams, you start seeing Cs and Fs, and you wonder, ‘What’s happening? I know what I wrote. I do not deserve this.’ Then you start saying I can’t wait to leave this so-called university. You can’t wait to graduate.

Have you considered that you can’t leave school and still be taking money from your parents? Do not forget that you would have to start caring for yourself. No more hand downs from your siblings. But are you helping yourself while in the university? Have you made any plans for yourself? Do you do anything apart from studying that can help you beyond the four walls of the university?

After school comes a period when your decisions in school return to help or haunt you. Everyone looks up to you. As a graduate, you should be able to feed your folks at home, but can you? During your stay in the school, what did you achieve? What did you gain after spending four to six years studying a course? While the undergraduate years of many were disappointing and frustrating, they were years of reformation for others. Did you acquire any skills whilst pursuing your degree, the objective of going to college? If your answer is a ‘No’, you should do or learn something in your NYSC year.

No thanks to the education system in Nigeria, where we have a poor orientation of career choices, many study courses because of the name or because it’s their parents’ choice. Some students did not have the faintest idea of the course they wanted to offer at the university until they arrived at a JAMB registration centre and chose a course that looked nice on the screen.

Do not ask for what your country has for you. Think of what you can do for your country. After graduation, it’s upon you to use what you learned. With creativity and innovation, you can sail through the turbulence beyond school. Those who had no concrete plans while in school ought to maximise the NYSC year and chart their course.

Today, only your talents, skills and discipline can take you places. Gone are the days when cars and apartments accompany most jobs. We are in an era when an exceptional certificate can not guarantee you a job. God created humans uniquely that you have potential lying inside you, waiting for you to unleash them through discipline and determination.

Finally, remember you were born to win and to explore nature. A medical student can become a successful stylist because life goes beyond certificates.

Take a bold step today!

Wise up and stand out of the crowd!!

May God bless our struggles!!!