A QUEEN'S EARLY DAYS ON CAMPUS

By A'ishat ÀKÀNÓ 

Source: Pinterest

    I looked at my legs as I extended them forward, different thought popped into my mind. I wondered why I had to put on such ridiculous slippers. Speaking of slippers, are they not meant to be worn indoors? ‘Urrgh’, I groaned, also hissing every second. I just wished I could dress beautifully not even in an extravagant manner. I hope I can dress just like my mates. I have always had a sense of fashion, judging and correcting people’s dresses around me. Regardless of whether or not I wouldn’t call them and tell them. Lucky for me, I don't have to walk miles. My hostel isn’t far at all from my department; I could get there in ten minutes. But on a day I decide to take laziness as my middle name, it would take me twenty to twenty-five minutes.

      Since I got into the university I've not really interacted with my coursemates. It took a while before we resumed, but some already knew each other on our WhatsApp group. Even though there were interactions between my mates online, due to my low level of interaction, I couldn’t fit in. I have usually been quiet. You never know what is on my mind. I get asked all the time if I was okay. A lot of people call it shyness but I call it ‘modesty’. But yeah, this teenager has got a lot she fights with – physically, emotionally and socially. I have always battled with self-esteem since my days in secondary school. I have always felt inferior to some of my mates. That feeling just set in, and then my morale would just vanish.

 However, I know that even if I were born with all the confidence in the world, I would still choose to be quiet. I believe I am a troglodyte because I have always loved to stay by myself and do things on my own. Just me, myself, and I. Expressing myself has always been kind of tricky, so anytime or anywhere I have something to say, I would express my feelings to myself, engaging my pen and my diary.

Now in the prestigious University of Ibadan, with the few days I have spent here, this young lady has been introduced to a lot of things. In the brief time I have spent with my mates and the little interaction I have had with the seniors, I have realized that I have to be outspoken, assertive, and sociable. I have now seen myself in a situation I could never have imagined, doing things I never thought I could do. The strange thing is that I find myself loving and attached to this new system. For me to survive, I have to love where I find myself, what I do, and the people. And here I am anticipating what the future holds cause I know this innocent young lady is about to discover her new self.