Not long after we commenced the 2020 academic year/session in O.A.U. did ASUU begin its 9month momentum strike. Following it was the Corona Virus pandemic which shook and also sent a mass hysteria to the world.
While freshmen were to resume the academic session on the 15th and 16th of February, Stalites were to resume on the 23rd of the same month. Although some Stalites resumed during the resumption date (23rd), many a Stalite failed to resume based on two reasons;
- ASUU and the Federal Government’s indecision at the time.
- Wanting to resume around late March or April when lectures would have started properly, alongside many other personal reasons.
All these factors put together were reasons for which some didn’t resume, not knowing that they would eventually not resume at all due to the Covid’19 Pandemic which is still ravaging the world, and ASUU’s Industrial action.
The fresh undergraduates and Stalites that had resumed were instructed by the school authorities to return home, especially before the interstate lockdown. While many of them went back home, some didn’t.
In this post, we’d be addressing Why many OAU students stayed back in school, their reasons behind it.
1. Off-Campus Accommodation:
The on/off-campus accommodation was a major determinant. Students who stay on campus had to go home because the school management instructed them to leave, giving a specific date to close all hostels on campus.
2. Business Motives:
It must be stressed that not all students who live off-campus stayed back, but at least 55% did because of the leverage they have against students staying on campus. They could leave at their own will or guardian’s will.
Another reason some of the students stayed back was the business motive factor. Many business owners especially influencers and retailers decided to stay back off-campus to have more time to work efficiently and effectively on their various businesses and as well build themselves up to whatever task they found themselves doing.
3. Far Away From Home:
Just like Spiderman, many students just wanted to be far away from their homes. Even many that had returned home earlier, decided to come back in a bid to just be around the school premises. Students that stayed back for this reason had some factors that shaped it. Factors like changing environment due to the perhaps long unwanted break, the need to stay away from their guardian’s excesses, and an escape from chores or better electricity, amongst others.
4. For Friends / Partner:
Students didn’t feel the need to go home or stay at home because they felt their friends or partner were in Ile Ife, so why not just stay and hang around with them. Besides, it wouldn’t be much of boredom since they’d all be relating and ‘catching cruise’ together.
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5. For ICAN & Digital Skills:
Some students as well stayed back to catch up with their ICAN lectures and exams.
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria has some of its lecture-based centers on OAU campus.
So, some students stayed back to attend classes and as well have the environment ambience to read. We have Students that stayed back also to enroll in the currently ongoing digital skill acquisition scheme in Ile-Ife. Students stayed back to hone their digital skills be it on Email Marketing, exposure to Fiverr and its setups, amongst many others.
All these are reasons for which many OAU students stayed back, rather than go home during the Corona long break.
If you stayed back, and you are reading this post, we’ll like to know why you stayed back. On the other hand, if you thought of staying back, but eventually did not, we’ll like to know what your reason was?
Let us know in the comments section below…
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