Campus Story; Final Year Brethren Week, Day1.

Campus life is the preparation stage for life in general. As an individual, we begin to live and face the realities of life as soon we accept admission into any tertiary institution. Then, life is no more about what our parents or guardians wanted rather, it has become what we want for our life and our future. To some people, their realities on campus is "stress and struggle" while to some, it is "fun and stress-free" and to others, it is both stressful and fun. These realities and experiences subtly provide students with the knowledge to level upon when they eventually leave the campus and find themselves in the bigger world. As one of my lecturers always says, the campus is a training ground. Yes, it is a training ground. Real life begins after school.

FYB week is a celebration of the journey of friendship, growth, and personal development. It is the time to reflect on all the challenges, and struggles and how they have overcome them from the first year to the finals. Students come together to celebrate their triumphs and achievements and also have fun together during this period. Special traditions and events attached to each day of the week in order to make it memorable.

Over the years, I have seen people dress gorgeously according to the tradition of each day of the FYB week on campus and I have rejoiced with them, congratulated them, and taken pictures with them. On this particular day last year when I was in the penultimate class, I saw one of the final-year students, congratulated him, and requested that I take a picture with him, he responded "Wait for your time". I was taken aback by his response but that's the reality, I have to wait for time and since then, I have waited patiently for the day to come when I will also be a final-year student. Now is the time. No more waiting because my time has come.

It is another Final Year Brethren(FYB) week in my school and interestingly enough, I am part of the graduating students. The journey to acquiring my first-degree certificate is gearing towards the end. So far, it has been fun, challenging, interesting, and of course pocket-draining.

Yesterday was day 1 of the FYB week and it was tagged "Corporate Day" I woke up very early and got ready for the day. I wore a pink shirt, and black pants, put on a black pair of shoes, and carried a black bag to go with it. After dressing up, I stood in front of my mirror to asses myself and after which I recited my daily affirmations and set out for school. I was eager to make a good impression. As I walk to school, I see other students dressed in their best wears, also ready to make a strong start to the week. When I arrived at school, I was welcomed by the new designs and beautiful transformation of the entrance to my department, the Department of English and Education. The campus was decorated with banners, signs, and flowers, creating a sense of excitement and anticipation.

On campus, students were seen in groups taking pictures, dancing, making merry, and having chit-chat. The atmosphere was filled with laughter and celebration. I was still feeding my sight with the gracefulness of the environment when I heard my name from afar. I turned to look, it was my coursemate calling me to come take pictures with them. I walked to join them and that set the mood for the day.

The only indoor event of the day was a lecture which commenced at 10 am and lasted for two hours. The lecture was delivered by the head of the department Dr Aladesanmi and titled "Building a good and Lasting Connections" Most of the things he talked about center on friendship; importance of friendship, qualities of a good friend and how to cultivate strong friendships . He also talks about how his network of friends has contributed immensely to his success in life. In his words, your attitude to friendship determines your altitude in life. So make at least one good friend today so that you can have someone to have your back in future. He concluded by congratulating everyone after which he said some prayers and we all say Amen.

At the end of the lecture, we took our group pictures and shot videos. It was quite a fun-filled experience as everyone looked their nicest. Indeed, what we wear sometimes portrays us differently. So guys, endeavor to always dress well and decent.

After the pictures and the video section, we had the last activity of the day, the one popularly known in Nigeria as "Item 7". We had some small chops and drinks. It was a feast of love and that marked the end of the activities for Day 1.