This post’s primary focus will be ways to avoid distraction as a fresher in Nigerian universities. 70% of most final-year students in Nigerian universities end up regretting their act once they’re close to graduating date.
This regret is mainly due to not been focus and giving in to distractions. You end up hearing things like, oh I made a lot of mistakes during my year 1 days. I was giving in to distractions and other unnecessary activities. Life on campus is totally different from secondary school life, the style, the teaching pattern, the friends association, and social activities.
I remember the excitement I felt during my first year at the university. seeing hostels with different sets of people, a chapel, a mosque, and a field with students playing football and basketball. Social gatherings, crowded lecture venues, cultural days for freshers, fresher Sundays in church, fresher Fridays in the mosque. Department contributing money just so they can celebrate fresher party, having to get accommodation when classes have started and a lot more.
You need to start learning how to survive in Nigerian universities for many reasons. Throughout your years in the universities, you will have to be totally focused on academic, social, and personal growth.
Reasons why you’ve to avoid distraction as a fresher in Nigerian Universities.
- Enable you to have excellent results.
- Fully dependent on yourself.
- Able to create the right network of friends.
- To enable you to build well on your talent or trade
- To enable you to balance your social life which is also part of learning.
This article’s post will help you in learning how to survive in Nigerian universities. Pause for a while, and take a decision within yourself that you will be intentional about this post. Following every step of the post you are about to read.
10 Best Ways to Avoid Distraction as a Fresher in Nigeria Universities.
Resume early and get your documents ready.
Resuming early can not be overemphasized, There is a saying “Make hay while the sun shines”.If you resume early, you will be able to start your clearance on time. And this will enable you to fully focus on attending classes also. Resuming early enables you to get accommodation, which eases your stress from finding where to rest after a long day and other activities.
There is always an appointment date for each student for their clearance, make all efforts to start your clearance on that day. This will enable you to follow up with class activities, resuming 2 weeks after resumption will cause a lot of distractions while your coursemate is attending classes, you will be going after your clearance officer. You end up reading at night just so as to meet up.
it’s funny how you start printing out your necessary document like waec result, your jamb result slip, your admission letter, your age declaration, all the affidavit, and other crucial documents on your clearance day, most times it ends up going south way and then clearance officer might end up disappointing you because you weren’t ready on time.
Prepare a workable timetable.
As a fresher in Nigerian universities prepare your timetable immediately after you start classes. Plan yourself well as the adage says “He who fails to plan, plan to fail”. Make sure you plan well so that your studies will not be affected. Your main aim as a fresher in school is to succeed in your studies.
There is time for everything and you should know when to study, go to church, mosque, visit friends, sleep at most 6 hours, and do other activities. Effectively following your study timetable and plans help you to totally avoid distractions. Your timetable should include your life routine, not academic work alone.
Finding an environment you can study effectively.
Finding an environment you can study is one of the important things you must do as a fresher immediately after your classes start. Your comfort zone can be a distraction to you unknowingly, staying to read on your bed can easily make you sleep off, and reading with a group of friends can also be a distraction in as much as there’s an advantage to it if you don’t have common interest or goal. Finding a place to read may involve a good noise absent please, that’s conducive for you, if you decide to read in your room, make sure there’s a lot of light rays in the room, so your sight won’t be affected.
Your reading compartment or environment should have less distraction and should be comfortable enough for you to spend more time there, with good light, natural light, etc.
Know the cycle of friends you keep.
You have to be mindful of the friends you keep. If your friends are the ones that do not attend classes, always available for all shows and parties, the probability of not going to classes will be high. This already is a form of distraction, you will end up creating time with your friends for parties than going for bookwork.
Makes friends with people that have the same goal as you. friends that encourage group reading, friends that help you with vital information, friends that guide you in school activities. Friends influence is more powerful, your friends are a reflection of who you are.
Limit your phone usage.
As useful and important as our smartphones are, they steal your time and by the time you realize it, your day is already gone. Students are more distracted than ever, they tend to check their smart devices during class for non-classroom activities. As a fresher, you should occasionally use the silent mode during class and study time, and intentionally leave your phone at your hostel more often. Most times you might want to do something important on your phone when you’re in class, instead of distracting yourself with the phone, take a note and write it down, afterward you can get to it.
Increasing your reading time.
Your reading time should increase gradually as the semester progress. For the first month of resumption as a fresher, you will notice that the reading rooms and the rate at which people engage in studying is usually low. Some will go as saying they want to adjust to the school system thinking there’s still time, as a fresher that shouldn’t be your case. your reading pace should increase. If at first, you’re reading for 5 hours, then increase it to 7 hours. The moment you notice your reading time is decreasing know that something is definitely distracting you, find out and correct your steps.
Eliminate any wrong information you heard about universities.
Emotional distraction is very terrible. During my applications for universities as a Jambite, I often hear things like; how lecturer fails students that overwrite, how cultist walk around and look for students, how some department is difficult, and other unwanted information. You should shut your ears to the wrong information because it’ll definitely distract you and equip you with fear of reading your books.
Fear signals in universities are a sign of distraction. So in order to avoid distraction as a fresher, Have a determined spirit, defined your goal, be self-confident, know your value, and be contented with what you have.
Have a goal as a fresher in university.
You should have a goal for each semester even before you start attending classes, This will make you to be focused. If your goal is to have all “A” in all your courses, that means you’ve to be determined enough to get that goal. You will be punctual to class, do all your assignments, participate in group work and most importantly take time to study. Having this goal means you avoid any form of distraction whatsoever. Therefore it is essential to have a goal.
Have rest intervals between studying.
As much as you want to do well in school, graduate at the top of your class, and find time to rest, You should know how long you can read. Reading straight 5 hours without resting causes a strain on your brain, and you end up wasting most of the time you’ve read. If you’re having 10 min every 2 hours, your assimilation level will increase, and you’ll find it more comfortable and relaxing without stressing your mental health.
By having interval rest, you can not be easily distracted, but going 5 hours straight can lead to distraction. Simply because some non-academic thoughts can easily come to your mind. Therefore, try to take a rest not necessarily sleep, it could be a nap. With this, you’ll be able to avoid distractions while studying.
Find someone to always report to.
Consider finding a reliable and trustworthy individual to serve as your mentor or guide, such as an older person. Or a senior colleague, preferably someone in their final year. It can also be beneficial to seek guidance from a spiritual leader, such as a priest in a church or an imam in a mosque.
Having someone to whom you can report regularly creates a sense of accountability. Knowing that you have someone to always answer to. You will naturally strive to be at your best and make responsible choices. This will make you avoid distraction as a fresher.
SEE ALSO: Must I attend night classes to pass exams in Nigerian universities?
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