Educational Issues
5 things students should prepare for, as ASUU negotiates ending strike -By Awobiyi Seyifunmi
With eight months gone in the academic calendar of schools, it is expected that the window always left for breaks in calendar will be shut or drastically reduced as schools try to make up for the lost time by getting their academic calendar back on track.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Monday hinted it is likely to call off its strike that has kept students at home for seven months.
To this end, anticipation has continued to build up for the imminent suspension of the strike.
Here are, however, five vital things students should prepare for prior to the anticipated suspension of the strike.
1. Accommodation Hassles: There is likely to be an overflow of students on campus when school resumes due to the admission of new students during the strike.
These students alongside the existing ones would inevitably be vying for accommodation in the various hostels in the school.
In this light, there is expected to be accommodation hassles as prior to now, there have been complaints about the inadequacy of hostels to cater for the population of students on campus.
Another accommodation hassle to highlight is the expected thorough clean-up of their dormitories which is most likely to be stuffy and grubby after eight months of non-use.
2. Getting plenty of cash: Undoubtedly, being in school is expensive. You need money to feed, transport yourself to classes, purchase academic materials and what not.
The prices of commodities last eight months are not what they are in the present due to inflation that has rocked the country.
Students, in the knowledge of this, should get adequate cash – and if possible, extra – ready for the expenses they would have to cater for when they resume.
3. Rush of Lectures: It is likely that due to the time the strike has snatched in the academic calendar of schools, the next thing is to try make up for the lost time.
And that, as history has taught us, always sees schools ‘rush’ academic activities such as lectures and exams.
Therefore, students should get their mind prepared for this, and most especially, resume early so as not to miss anything.
4. Little to no breaks: With eight months gone in the academic calendar of schools, it is expected that the window always left for breaks in calendar will be shut or drastically reduced as schools try to make up for the lost time by getting their academic calendar back on track.
5. Preparations for test and examination: Students should not consider it a surprise if some of their respective schools dive into exams immediately or shortly after resumption.
This has happened in the past, and nothing should be ruled out.
