By Tolani Ajakaye
The past few weeks have been overwhelming. I don’t really know where to begin, but I guess I have to start somewhere.
March 2, 2026 marked the beginning of something special. My mum and I left Lagos for Ibadan as I prepared to resume at the University of Ibadan as a Political Science freshman. I was scared, excited, and a bit skeptical. Still, it felt right.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t allocated a room that day, so we had to stay in a hotel. Later that evening, we went out to eat and got a few things I would need for school.The next day, I was finally allocated a room and met my roommate, Precious. She had just moved in too and was already cleaning when I arrived. Not long after, another roommate joined us. The three of us ended up cleaning the room together, and trust me, it was really dirty.
That evening, Precious and I decided to explore the campus. We got lost, but found “Captain Cook,” which has now become our go-to spot whenever we’re too lazy to cook.
On March 4, I went to the bank to sort out paperwork for a new account since I was turning of age the next day. Afterwards, I got drinks for my roommates and me. Thursday started very early. I had to go for my X-ray, so I got to Lab Master by 5 a.m. and didn’t leave until around 9 a.m. That first week was stressful. There was just so much to settle.
The following week, we had orientation. It was honestly quite boring, and I even caught myself dozing off during one of the speeches. Things only got interesting when refreshments were shared. Not long after, many people left, including me, because I needed to collect my X-ray results. At some point, I mistakenly assumed the orientation venue wasn’t near Lab Master, which led to unnecessary stress and trek. Looking back, I probably should have just taken public transport.
There was another orientation the next day, but I didn’t attend. Later on, Precious and I went to collect our matriculation gowns. Mine was easy to get, but hers wasn’t. She was asked to provide additional documents, so she had to step out to print her oath form and affidavit.
On the bright side, I discovered a gym, registered, and… well, I haven’t been back since.
Matriculation came the next day. I don’t fully understand why people get so excited about it, but my mum definitely was. We took pictures and went out to eat. Funny enough, I didn’t post any of the pictures, and she kept asking why. Then lectures began the very next day. It was stressful, annoying, and somehow still fun. Even now, I don’t know most of my lecturers’ names.
The following week didn’t make things easier. On Monday, I dressed up nicely for a lecture, only to find out it had been cancelled. I spent almost an hour looking for the venue before getting there and hearing the news. It was frustrating.I decided to wait for the next class, but about thirty minutes in, someone announced that it had also been cancelled. Eventually, we all just followed our course rep around like sheep.
Despite everything, school has been good so far. I’m especially grateful for my roommates. I’ve heard stories from others, and not everyone has been as lucky.
However, it hasn’t all been light. I recently heard about a young lady who passed away just a week after her matriculation. It’s difficult not to think about what her parents must be going through after everything it took to get her here. It’s truly tragic.
There are still a lot of things I’m unhappy about, but those are stories for another day.
