10 Important Things For The Final Year Student

[4min Read]

It's here! It's here! It's finally here!!

No... I don't mean this amazing mind-blowing and probably orgasmic article. (Yes I can use the word 'orgasmic' because you should be mature enough to handle it now. Yay! Adulthood.)

What I mean is your Final Year. After all this while. Maybe it's the 4th year. Or the 5th year. Or the 10th. To God be the glory in all your cases.

I'm sure you're wondering what we could possibly be telling full grown adults of your age and status. ('Weh done' sirs). But please be humble with us and go through our list of 10 things every final year student should do.

1. Clean yourself up.


This is the time where impressions matter. Both first impressions for meeting new people outside your academic environment, and last impressions for the people there. You never know what, and who, will come in handy. And you don't want anyone remembering you as a lazy slob with no attention to proper presentation. Brush your teeth. Trim your beard. Dress sharply. Speak good english.

Don't tell the world that what you learnt how to do after all these years is smell, look unkempt and care for nothing about how you look to others.



2. Touch your juniors.

Hands off please.

No. Not inappropriately. We don't promote sexual assault. We mean in terms of inspiration and motivation. Touch their lives. What are the things you would have appreciated your own seniors (if you had any) to have done or said to you? Start from there. Trust me too, the simple things matter.



3. Start saving money!

Especially if you're in Nigeria. NYSC is no joke. They'll give you peanuts. That's practically all you can buy with the monthly allowance you get. Start saving money now - not just for that time period, but to cultivate the habit as you'll need it greatly for the future when you begin working. Living hand to mouth is a bad idea. Learn to start making necessary sacrifices now.



4. Start Planning and Research.

Everythiiiiiiiing.

Plan for as much as you can - not that it will all go according to plan, but that you have something concrete to guide your steps. The future has a lot to offer. And they say "The future belongs to those, who plan for it today". I'm sure you have various interests. Both within and outside the field you studied. Start looking at the options available to you, to see how you can key into various opportunities. Including checking out locations to apply to. Working on your CV. Get your marriage plans worked out - if you have any. Marriage isn't the only important thing in the world. Get your life in order, and all your priorities sorted out first.



5. Start Early.

Guess I should have started when they told me to.

See all those plans you have? Don't just keep them floating in the air. Start working on them now. Plans mean nothing when they aren't implemented. And the earlier the better. The trick is that, it always seems more stressful than it is. Shaa make one move. Then another. Step by step, keep going. You can even get there with time and energy to spare.



6. Create an impressive personal brand.

As a Nigerian, you can't lie that you don't know this guy.

Facebook. LinkedIn. Twitter. Instagram. The internet is a place to build yourself for global attention and connection. Make sure you're widely known for something productive and well-intentioned, so that anyone who researches you will find good things - to push them to give you both opportunity and preference. Both offline and online. In this day and age, not having recognition or an influential presence is heavily disadvantageous.



7. Network. A lot.

Meeeeeeet meeeee!!!

With everyone. Fellow classmates. Lecturers. Professionals in your field. Increase and improve your social circle. Not only can these connections help you in the future, but it also helps prevent you from having delusions of grandeur - as you'll see how big the world is outside your singular reach. You'll learn things from numerous people, make helpful friends and so much more.


8. Acquire as many skills as possible.

Get those hands busy, and make the dough.

Especially digital ones. We're in the age of technology - and it quickly tends to leave obstinate people behind. Learn how to use and manage a computer properly, all the Microsoft Office applications and really any productive software you can get your hands on. Learn other real-life skills as well. Sewing. Baking. Cooking. Organization. Arts and crafts. Take your pick. Many of these will help you in the future in one way or another.



9. Face the Truth.

*Common sense and life experience preparing to slap an unsuspecting human.*

You're getting older. Even if you entered at 14 and are now graduating by 18 years. You need to hold a measure of responsibility - if not for anything else, then yourself. Marriage is a real thing - for those interested in it. Make sure you're not giving off vibes that will chase off possible suitors. Self-sufficiency will slap you in the face after you graduate, if it hasn't already, so start using your money wisely. You don't need shawarma everyday. There is a lot of other stuff, but we'll let the readers add to this number 9.



10. Calm Down. Enjoy the moment.

But it's going so fast!! NYSC! Marriage! Kids! Making my own soup!

Look. This moment right here? This is the youngest you'll ever be. Be moderate with enjoyment, but don't be restrictive with it. Be excitable. Try new things. Meet new people. Revel in this moment, stop wishing you could graduate faster - you did the same thing for high/secondary school and you know you have wished you could go back in time to enjoy it a little more. Treasure your friends, appreciate the people who taught you good things - yes, even those people that you don't like. Don't be bitter about everything. You might not always find a silver lining in every cloud, but you should understand that even the rain makes the gardens grow.


Look. I would be lying if I said that all the 10 things above are the only things you need to know. But you and I both know that you hate reading essays, so I'll stop here. What's important is for you to realize that you aren't the only important thing in the universe, that sometimes things will seem bigger than  you, and that life doesn't always go according to plan. But that doesn't mean you should go hide under a rock and mourn a miserable existence.

You are a star. And you might think I'm just saying that as a cliche since there are hundreds of thousands of people that will read this article, but realize this - there are billions of stars in the universe. And nobody thinks any star is less special or extraordinary for it.

For some people, you will be the sun. Blazing hot, present, warm and stimulating. For others, you will light up the night - distant, but still an important source of brightness in the world. Still capable of making a difference, from a million miles away.

So go get your game on.
Get Lit. Shine brighter.

Thank you for coming.
Love, Stars and Futures to come. 

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