Student Life - Induction

Several groups organised induction talks/lunch for new students on different days, including the International student body and my department. Walking to the induction venues provided an opportunity to see some parts of the campus, which looked really lovely with the lakes, ducks, and trees but scary at the same time. The shortcuts to some places were narrow footpaths with bushes on the left and right sides. One path even had the bushes and trees on either side form into a canopy-like covering. I'm not sure why it reminded me of the 'Garden of Eden' in the Bible. I wondered whether the school or city council didn't take the 'green' campus or city thing too far. How will these paths be at night? Even though Google said that the city was one of the safest in the country, I made a mental note to avoid those paths at night. 

The International students induction started with some presentations about the campus, its facilities and how to navigate the city. Similar to the warnings I found on the school's website about scams, one of the presenters took it a step further by sharing details of some actual scams that occurred in the previous year. The presenter shared that a student received a call from scammers, who told the student that he was under investigation in his home country, and instructed him not to leave his accommodation until the investigation was over, otherwise, he would be deported. They also instructed him not to tell anyone, including his parents, and often had video calls with him to ensure he was in his accommodation. Eventually, the scammers convinced the student to transfer his school fees to them. I think it was after a few weeks when the school realised he hadn't been attending lectures that they looked for him and discovered what had happened. In sum, the presenter warned us to be careful and reach out as soon as possible if something seemed off. Deep down within me, I wanted to ask the presenter questions about the scammed student or talk to the student myself, if possible. I couldn't understand why the student would believe a story about him being under investigation. What could he have possibly done to think he could be under investigation? Is it a common thing in his country for people to suddenly become under investigation? How come he was so afraid of these people, who were not physically around, just phone calls, and he didn't think to take the risk to ask his parents if they heard anything about an investigation? 

After the presentations, some current international students were invited to share their experiences with us, before we were ushered into another area for lunch: sandwiches, with opportunity to mingle with others. A lot of the international students I met were master's students on scholarships, mostly commonwealth and chevening. Talking to them made me feel sad that I wasn't on any scholarship, and it dawned on me how much risk I had taken by accepting to study outside my home country. I tried to encourage myself by thinking that I'd get funding when I reapply for them going into the second year.

The Department's induction I was invited for was designed for new PhD students only. There were five of us joining the department as new PhD students for that session. We were informed that the first year of the PhD was dedicated to taking four modules specifically designed for PhD students, which will be split across two semesters. In addition, we were to chose one master's level module for each semester. The module leaders for the PhD courses presented an outline of topics that will be covered. Progression to the 2nd year was dependent on successfully passing the coursework in the first year and submitting a revised research proposal. They discussed other administrative issues before we proceeded to take a group photograph outside, then returned inside for lunch: sandwiches. Lunch provided opportunity for us new PhD students to get to know each other. Some of them expressed fears about the coursework, and whether they'd cope with how rigorous it was presented to be. As for me, I wasn't too bothered about it, maybe because I had taken a lot of exams in my life. Besides, as an older person, life experiences has taught me how to compartmentalise and manage tasks, so I was quite confident that I would succeed. Whether I'd get high scores is a different issue, but surely I'd pass. What was going through my mind at that point was why they always provided sandwiches for lunch. Don't they think food like rice or chips deserve to be eaten for lunch?

Student Life - Year 1 Arrival

If you are wondering whether you can ever experience all possible emotions there is in this world, studying for a PhD in a foreign land with limited funding, and at an old age (over 35) might get you there. Let's start!

Year 1 - Arrival

I decided to settle for school accommodation since I was moving to a new town and wasn't sure how things worked there. Several warnings on the school's website about rental scams also influenced my decision. Luckily, the school organised free buses to transport students from the airport to the school accommodation on certain dates and times within the first two weeks of resumption. I made sure that my flight would land in the specified airport and arrive in time to join the free bus because previous experiences have shown that it's very stressful entering a train with multiple pieces of luggage. 

The flat was on the ground floor with six ensuite rooms and a shared kitchen. The whole block where the flat was located was for postgraduate students i.e. a combination of masters and PhD students. Initially when I received the email allocating me to the flat, I wasn't elated that it was on the ground floor until I arrived and realised how lucky I was. The accommodation block had no lift, and even though there were student ambassadors around to welcome new students and show them their rooms, the role did not include helping students with their luggage. This means students on the other two floors would have to manage with their heavy luggage on their own. I felt like God's favourite child for exempting me from such trouble. 

I was impressed with the tidiness of the room, which was quite spacious compared to the pictures I found online; enough storage shelves and a new mattress cover was on the bed. Similarly, the kitchen was clean and had several cupboards. There was a dining table with six chairs; two double-seater sofas; two under-the-counter fridges and two separate freezers; one kettle; one toaster; one microwave; two ovens; two hobs: one had four burners and the other two burners; three bins (general waste, recycling and food compost) and a bag for glass items. I tried to mentally calculate if the kitchen amenities would be enough when all six of us were in the flat. From my calculations, it should be comfortable for four people and manageable with five people, but with six, hmm...we'll see. 

The student ambassadors for our block informed me and two other students that arrived at the same time as me (but in different flats), that some students from the previous term had left some kitchen utensils in the general common room, so it might be advisable for us to check them out and pick anything we liked for free before purchasing new ones. After dropping my luggage in my room, I decided to check out the kitchen stuff in the general common room across our accommodation block. I met one of the guys I arrived with going there so we started checking the stuff together. Luckily, a lot of the things there were in very good condition; some items looked barely used. I was able to select everything I needed including pots, plates, chopping board, and even a mini blender. In addition, the ambassadors asked us to pick some biscuits and noodles the college provided so we didn't have to bother about what to eat that day. I was so happy that I got to save some money from buying the kitchen items, and that I could rest for the day without going to buy groceries immediately since I had been given something to eat. 

I returned to the flat and kept the kitchen stuff in one of the cupboards and went to the room to unpack my bags since I wasn't feeling too tired. I was glad that I packed a bedsheet in my box because I had anticipated that I might not have the time to purchase one when I arrived. After I finished unpacking, I ate, took a nice hot shower, spoke to my family and lay down to prepare to sleep. I felt so grateful for how the day had been and how organised the school seemed based on what I had experienced so far.

Suddenly, I heard a sound. All this time, I had not heard anything that indicated someone else was in the flat. After listening for a few minutes, I realised that there was someone in the next room snoring. Given how much I could hear, i wondered whether the walls were too thin or the person really snores badly. I mean, if someone were lying beside him or her, will they be able to sleep? Is this how sharing this apartment would be, and what more should I expect this academic year? Anyway, a song formed in my mind, which made me laugh. 

Chorus: The cherubim cannot sleep, the seraphim cannot sleep 

               He has woken the angels

Verse:   With his snore that rumbles louder than thunder

               No living thing beside him can dare sleep

Chorus: The cherubim cannot sleep, the seraphim cannot sleep 

               He has woken the angels

Kosisochukwu: The beauty of creatives

I'm so proud of how the creative industry is growing in Nigeria and the recognition creatives are getting. These days I listen to albums from Nigerian music artists, and i get impressed by some of the songs that I go to check the credits to see who the song writers and producers are. In fact, I discover some foreign artists I've never heard about, through collaborations with Nigerian artists. 

It's amazing how you can feel and appreciate the emotions or state of mind of the singer, especially when it cuts across the whole album. For example, when I listened to songs like "Ogaranya", "All my life", and "Chasing peace of mind" in Adekunle Gold's album "Tequila ever after", I could tell that he was happy and grateful about how things have worked out for him, and I shared in his joy. Similarly, the songs in Davido's album "Oriadé" sounded playful; like someone who has a relaxed state of mind. There have been arguments that a lot of Nigerian secular music is just 'noise' with no deep, value-adding or intelligent lyrics. Maybe, it is true but I've observed that in some stages in life, you just need music that will entertain you or even allow you be delusional temporarily, just to forget about your current challenges. For example, listening to Young Jonn singing about "I see the money coming" may give a broke person hope, or Davido singing about "I know who I be, there's no other me, legendary, legendary na who I be" can boost someone's morale. Even if people enjoy only the beats of a song, I think that is enough value created since the singer has managed to capture some interest. Besides, there are several alternatives including from gospel music, which has evolved in Nigeria, providing interesting, comparable beats and production as secular music. I look forward to TY Bello's albums because the sound, beats, collaborations and anything else one can describe her music production, keeps getting better.

Similar progress can be observed in the Nigerian film industry. I've enjoyed watching some recent Nigerian movies because the cinematography has really improved, and most of them have been intentional about showcasing fashion in Nigeria through their costumes. Jade Osiberu's "Isoken" was so good that I rewatched it several times, and would probably do again. It's also good that Nigerian filmmakers are taking advantage of YouTube. While there is still room for improvement, especially as some of the YouTube movies are unnecessarily prolonged, it has allowed some new talents to shine including actors I didn't really know before, like Sonia Uche. I also like how they cast some older Nigerian movie actors, who prove that they've still got it. For example, I enjoyed watching "Sibe" by Bimbo Ademoye, and Baba Olode was one of my favourite characters. From the music industry, I also liked how Davido's song "With You" infused music by Bright Chimezie, an older music star. 

I think there is plenty of room for collaborations, even for stage performances or music concerts. For example, If you listen to the lyrics of Daddy Showkey's "Somebody Call My Name" ("The Name"), you realise it's actually a very simple song that became 'galalalized'. I can imagine Johnny Drille and Adekunle Gold using their softer tones to introduce the song during a concert before Daddy Showkey comes in with the Ghetto galala style. I think it'll be a hit!

Kosisochukwu: The beauty of family

It's truly a blessing to be placed in a family because of the many benefits of having someone or people to lean on, especially during challenging times. It's making more sense to me why a certain member of the family strives to keep the family together when they could have given up. For example, having the opportunity to visit and spend time with a family member that had a baby can be so fulfilling and joyous. You see traces of you in the child and feel unconditional love towards it in a way that's unexplainable. Even when the child is drooling all over your earbuds, you don't feel disgusted (as you would have thought) because the child is just so precious in your eyes. You also feel happy that you were able to help out with childcare and home duties, which relieves the parents for the time you spent with them. Imagine missing out on that bond because you are not in a good relationship with a family member. I know navigating family relationships can be tricky but I pray God gives us the strength and patience to keep and protect them. May God also heal and restore those who have suffered much in families.