Opinion: BOL; THE UNEXPECTED FACTOR

By Blessing Favour

The UISU Freshers’ week has been a rite of passage, an event to be looked out for by many generations of students; lined up with many activities including the crowning of the Mr. and Miss UI Fresher.

However, the recently concluded UI'SU Freshers’ week didn't seem to interest many freshers. Despite the university’s massive intake, the turnout was a ghost comparison to the former.

While the first day had a fair attendance, day two which was designed to be intellectually and academically stimulating had an opposite attendance. It appears the modern freshman could not be bothered about a traditional “welcome”.

However, the reason for this disconnect is not lack of interest in fun but fear of what is to come. The cause of absence of many is singular: fear of failure. Academic failure in the University of Ibadan is a public affair, with the display of CGPA at the end of the session in Book of Life. This document which publicly archives every student CGPA has moved from being an academic material to a dreadful shadow. The pursuit for grades has made socialization a desire to be craved and never reached for.

University experience is becoming a race for grades rather than well-rounded growth.

The UI'SU executive board seems to have planned an entertaining event for secondary school leavers without taking the fears and concerns of the students who had just resumed into consideration. Though the intent was to ease the freshers mind and welcome them into a new environment, the execution failed to account for the “survival mode” many students resumed with.

To better this, future events must strive to balance the fear of academic failure and the fun of social activities by starting the event earlier in the session where academic workload is lesser.