LIFE AS A STUDENT OF COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES, NNEWI.

This is a guest post. The first of many to come.

We can all agree that in life, some experiences come at us so quickly that before we realize it, we are already deeply engrossed in them.

Being a student of the College of Health Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University—often called Okofia,  is one of those experiences. Nothing prepares a freshman on the campus for what lies ahead. Okofia campus took the “seeing is believing” saying quite personally. It’s just like there is an undertone beneath every 200-level orientation speech and if you listen closely you just might hear it. “Welcome to Oakland. You go too see shege“.

As a first-year student in Awka where the main campus is located, I’d always hear rumors about Okofia. Though they were not the nicest, I can bet that like me, all freshmen wanted to cross over quickly to the glorious Okofia campus.
Out of curiosity, I spoke with a friend about the things I had heard and as you can guess, she did not waste time to burst my bubbles. “Enjoy yourself very well in Awka before you come over here. Go to parties, attend church services, go to recreational centers, and visit your friends, especially non-medical students. You know what? Just maximize your last moments and create many memories in Awka because over here, there’s hardly any fun thing”. I asked her why she said so and she chuckled, replying that “Okofia” translates to “big bush,”  who expects fun in the bush?

I thought she was joking until I resumed school here. One of the first things I noticed was that my phone stopped receiving network signals. I was like, “Is this playing? What type of playing is this”?

Truly, it felt like everyone was always busy—running from school, through church, and to their reading tables. I was like “RIP social life”. Once, I stumbled upon a friend and I noticed how eager she was to leave. When I asked her what was wrong, she told me, “In this Okofia, there is no time. Right now, I am already late for one lecture and the lecturer always takes attendance immediately after he enters the class. The annoying thing is that this class is for two hours”. “Don’t worry, we will see some other time”.
It might interest you to know that I am still waiting for the other time.

I took the admonition lightly at first until several people started making inquiries about my course of study—and when I told them it was Physiotherapy, they shook their heads, repeating the mantra that the medical rehabilitation department is the toughest in Okofia and that it takes only the strong-hearted to scale through the department without having any issues.

One time I dozed off while reading, and a neighbor tapped me, “Bia nwoke, it’s like you don’t know the department you are in. Don’t you know students of physiotherapy read thirty hours a day?” “If you observe physiotherapy students, you will notice a bond, something that feels like a cult. Do you know why? Until you’re inducted into the profession, you’re not exactly a senior colleague because the fear of eligibility and deficiency lists is the beginning of wisdom. You did not hear it from me, though”.

The exam period in Okofia is a reality show. It is then that classes would be fixed from morning to evening non-stop to cover the course outline. Also, anywhere you turn, there is an ongoing tutorial class. If you try to sleep at night without reading at least five hours a day, you will be termed the most unserious student in school. I don’t know if I am the only one who finds it funny how hoarded handouts, textbooks, and past questions fly around when the exam is very close. Like brother, or sister, is it the night before the exam that you suddenly discovered this academic material? Stop lying. We know it is your guilty conscience that made you release this handout now. At least, you are still better than the students who came to the university to do first position.

Also, there are not many forms of recreation in Okofia. It is so bad that almost all Oaklanders (nickname for CHS students) watch or participate in sports, especially football. For example, if you do not watch your department’s football match, you may likely feel left out of all discussions for up to two days. If you think of doing something different like going to see a movie or going to a fancy restaurant, the thought would not last long because the cost of transportation alone would stop you mid-calculation. So, to save cost, you may have to stick to a shawarma date.

This brings me to the topic of the high cost of transportation between Okofia and the outside world. It’s so baffling that to go to common places like the market, you have to go to Nnewi town. There is no quality transportation scheme in Okofia and this gives bike men the opportunity to hike prices. Sometimes, my heart goes to all the students Sapa is dealing with but are expected to be present at the Teaching Hospital in Nnewi town every other day. I know it is not easy for them especially because in some of them, the effect of using their feeding money on transportation shows on their body.

There’s another problem Okofia students face. It is the washing of whites. I like to think that I am not the only one who hates the idea of wearing uniforms in a university—worse still, a white uniform. It gets more annoying when a class has been canceled after you’ve already worn your uniform to school. A waste of uniform! My heart goes to the ladies who have only two or three gowns and would have to wash after classes daily because they can’t repeat the uniform the following day. Well, some guys repeat the same white shirt and black/navy blue trousers multiple times weekly till their shirts change to “I-was-white-before”. Also, in many departments, guys aren’t allowed to keep afros or beards (especially before exams) and it’s funny to see a macho man turn into a princess.

People often believe that medical students do not have social lives. When I hear such, I look at the person, like
“Shey you dey whine me ni? Is it because somebody wanted to read a course to save lives that the person shouldn’t have fun?” I was at a party some time ago and a guy asked the girl he was dancing with what department she was in. When she told him she was in Okofia, he accused her of lying. The thing is, as a student of Okofia, people expect that your social life is dead and that you read 24/7. You’ll have to get used to the stereotype, even by fellow students. They however fail to realize that there are many actors, models, DJs, writers, and other creatives that are students.

As a student of Okofia, you’ll experience the good and the bad side of living in a small community. The good side is proper networking especially for small business owners as almost everybody is a baker or clothes vendor. Okofia is known for supporting her own.
On the other hand, you will experience the bad side when you do something bad. You’ll be surprised how fast your stories will spread. You’d hear something like “Don’t you know that girl in Med Lab that lives at that lodge at the back of school?”. It is then you’ll realize that everybody knows everybody.

I would feel bad if I concluded without mentioning how spiritual activities are on the increase in Okofia. Some people don’t know if they were admitted to school or to church. As a fresher, you may initially be surprised that every other day, a group of persons are praying on the school field. Don’t worry, with time, you may yourself become the prayer coordinator.
    
Sometimes, I wonder why some people woke up one morning and decided to put a school in the middle of nowhere.

After all said and done, life in Okofia generally revolves around the fear of failure and doing whatever it takes to beat the cut-off mark. It’s like Okofia took “One Week, One Trouble” literally.
If you hear Okpa di oku while you’re still in bed in the morning, just know that you are already late for lectures and it is that lecturer who always marks attendance.

About the Author

Arinze Udoye (Dr. Waters) is a final year Medical Rehabilitation student at C.O.H.S, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nnewi.

He is also a talented creative writer, comedian, actor, model and a mobile phone photographer.

He loves food cooked with love. You can reach him on 08127493432📲.