34 DAYS OF BEING A GRADUATE


From my first paper for final lap in the university I started my count down to being a graduate even when the non-academic staff went on strike, and I sure was not the only one doing that. Thing thing most of us never realized was that building ourselves should never have started in our final year. Lucky for me or should I say it was imposed on me by an older friend who has always been on my matter since day one we started talking in 2016 I think, I started building up myself in my penultimate ear in school. I never really took it serious because I was still trying to improve my grades just to please my father( that man can be on somebody's case ehn, especially when you are not studying a "professional" course. Abeg who professional course don help for this country and regime sef). So i never really paid half of my attention to it but when i got to my finals I knew I had to take hold of my life and my pops wont be there to live the life for me.that was the point I took my life into my own hands and started paying attention to it and its growth.
I have never really envisioned myself in a white-collar job line though I tell me family I would work here and there but deep down that was not me at all. I started taking on-line courses on Allison from my final year and Yali after my exams, so by the time I was writing my final year exams I had already about 2 widely recognized certificates 2 others not really wide recognized and 1 more in progress. I love to write so that is one basic talent of mine that I have been focused on since my days in school. With one 2 certificates on different aspects of writing, editing and communication and one more still in progress I put myself out full time in the labour market from my day 3 of being a graduate also co-organized and co-hosted 2 youth programs. It has not been easy. Damn, I'm like do I really have to go through all these hurdles also in this field? I almost gave up. Did I just say I almost? I gave up for like 1 week! While in school I would say I didnt have time mean while I did nothing in particular but be on every social media page, these 34 days have been the most "I dont have time" period of my life.
You will pass through this period or must have passed through this period and just like myself, begin missing all that time we were kept busy with one school work or the other that is if you dont have a plan for yourself. For the one week I gave up on myself I was exactly this person, I gave excuses for not doing anything. I’m sure you were expecting to here that I was keeping myself busy every single minute of the day. When people asked me about my writings I would give the excuse every writer gives- writer's block. My fellow writers understand this. Thats the excuse we give when we want to give a "good" excuse for not writing especially for weeks or months. 
We all have different reasons for going into this excuse mood, mine was because I pitched some write-ups to a blog and 2 out of 4 were rejected and the other 2 were said to be pending. This was after I finally got the courage to send them out. I was down trodden and started giving this excuse. but for the kind of person I am, I love my independence and not looking up to someone somewhere to cater for my needs, I knew I had to beat myself up and really turn my talent into a source of living. So I took a vacation to another part of the city of Ibadan and spent some days at my brother's place. My brother was shocked to see me with my bag at his house less than 24hrs after I told him I was coming to spend time at his place. Those 5 days were my breakthrough. I completed tasks I abandoned, projects I was working on, I sent out pitches still awaiting responses, completed and submitted my long essay after 1 year of working in it, and finally added weight.
Many a times youths wish they can just be done with school and start the real adult living. Lol. I was one of those, and trust me, in the beginning it's going to feel good but without a plan it is going to be the beginning of the diminishing of your worth especially for the labour market. I'm still on a journey of being a graduate. This first 34 days have taught me quite a lot. Professional or non-professional graduate, always have your plans, it would help you produce more and increase your worth when worked on well. Planning alone does not get the job done, disciple does. Thanks to Sparklewritershub, CEO The Etiquette Guide and CEO Content Make It who taught me work disciple. Planning and discipline gets the work done.


Comments

Unknown said…
What an intriguing write up

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