Registration: The Baptism of University Realities

                 Application, Admission and Registration procedures are the first of the daunting experiences students are sure to face in colleges and universities world over. I wouldn't bother giving a detailed account of events concerning my application and admission into the University of Lagos [UNILAG] cos these are very lengthy stories -- believe me! Notwithstanding, the account of my registration is one I consider worth sharing.
                 After confirming my admission, registration for medical students was fixed at 10:00A.M for four consecutive Tuesdays. Although I regularly showed up at the venue even as early as 6:00A.M to beat traffic and reserve for myself a seat in the front row, I wasn't registered on any of the given dates -- owing to some 'intentionally induced irregularities' by the security and other pseudo-military personnel which greatly displeased me. I sat for long tiring hours, bored and frustrated; however, I took advantage of this period to observe the general university system, the staff and the students so that I'd muster up some experience that'll be useful for me in having a solid headstart and surviving forthcoming events. It was this experience of discovering eye-opening realities of higher education that I termed: "The Baptism of University Realities".
                The very first reality you’d be personally compelled to embrace on getting to college/university is the ‘o.y.o’ reality. Generally Nigerians are very familiar with this term; but for non-Nigerians, ‘oyo’ is a humorous acronym derived from the name of a Nigerian state – Oyo State. In the jocular context, it simply means: ‘On Your Own’. This goes contrary to the primary and secondary school practice of having someone tell you what to do and how to go about it. It was here that I and others started to learn how to keep our eyes and ears open for useful info. The whole process was so stressful, I always returned home with a headache. I needed to go through screening, IT data capture, fingerprinting, library authorization, faculty and departmental registration, online registration, medical examination, etc. Had I prepared my mind beforehand not to expect instructions or assistance as regards how to complete the procedures, it’ll probably have been easier for me to adjust.
The lecturers – some of who were acting as registration coordinators – were diverse species of personalities. I had hoped to meet with the friendly and light-hearted ones but the first set I encountered were the blunt and the apathetic. I could easily deduce from their facial dispositions that all they wanted was to get their jobs done and go home. This was extremely unlike the elementary and high school teachers I was used to.
                  I also observed as other medical students alike were trying to get theirs over and done with. It was nice meeting and chatting with new people from various moral and academic backgrounds. However, one thing that always tended to come up when we started conversing was the issue of academic competition. I didn’t really flow with it whenever I perceived that our conversations were headed in that direction cos I personally believe that the purpose for which education is pursued has little to do with competition. Though I had always decided to quit being a local player and study with challenging brains from across the nation and the world, I had also always resolved not to imbibe the tradition of studying to outdo others. Hence, the recurring talk about competition and individual competitiveness was worthless to me. In fact, it only showed me how distracted and engrossed most students had become in the idea that I wondered if they knew the very purpose for which they were attending. I agree that competition is almost inevitable in an academic environment and that it can be helpful in sharpening your intellect; but too much emphasis on it is just unhealthy.
              I eventually completed everything I had to for registration and regardless of all that I experienced and discovered during this period, I remained optimistic about med-school and was eager to begin lectures. And so, I went . . .