The news of the University of Ibadan’s resumption for the 2020/2021 session has a lot in common with the advent of the rainy season — not that we are saying the rainy days are here, or, maybe we are. As the change in weather condition has been teasing us — raising our hopes of soon-to-fall refreshing rain — so has resumption at Nigeria’s first and best been dilly-dallying: news of resumption today, a change in plans tomorrow, a virtual meet-up, and another virtual meet up, and here we are, in the supposed third week of resumption. The dilly-dally is a microscopic reflection of how ill-prepared the Nigerian education system is for e-learning, but we will not tread that path today.
In the latest of the periodic updates, the University of Ibadan’s resumption of academic activities will most likely commence on Monday, 8 March 2021 — almost fully sure because there is a backlog of technical work that the Information Technology and Media Systems Unit is still battling. Ceteris paribus, school will resume today. Nevertheless, the surest way to confirm our full resumption is through the most-anticipated document (news in some quarters has it that it’s evolved into a link. Shush! You didn’t hear anything from us) — the one document that cements the fate of the University of Ibadan’s students. According to the Deputy Dean of Student Affairs, students will most likely gain access to the results of the 2018/19 academic session today, and with this access comes other things…
The results will affirm the continual student-status, or otherwise, of 100-level students. Beyond that, they will also give insights into the academic standings of all students. The release of results always comes with mixed feelings — in some quarters, there’s joy and happiness, in some others, there’s abject disappointment. Some result-related news are harbingers of sadness, while some people are just plain indifferent to the change-prone results.
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Today, about fifteen thousand students will find themselves in varying degrees of emotional positive or negative situations. We understand — the sleepless nights, the struggles a in largely-unconducive learning environment, the frustrations from the ogas at the top and the powers that be. We understand how morale-chipping it could be to work studiously only to have little to show for it. No, it’s not that you’re not academically bright. It is just that there’s a string of factors that trips the average Nigerian student.
There’s a saying that what you can do little to nothing about, you leave it behind, then strive to be better (or maybe there’s no saying like that. Maybe we just invented it). You can do little to nothing about the results from the last session, so, the best bet is to leave it behind. It’s difficult, we know, but it’s equally possible. It doesn’t stop at leaving the results of the past session behind. It continues with having a mindset to get better. Many say it’s nearly impossible for your CGPA to get stronger as you progress on the academic ladder — remember, it’s nearly impossible, not impossible. Provided we gain access to results today, we can then conclude that the session has commenced, as processes such as school fees payment and portal opening will be fast-tracked.
Zero thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s a virtual semester, and the rainy days are, without doubt, upon us. The University and the majority of its students alike are relatively new to this mode of teaching and learning. We are still in the earliest stages of our migration to the virtual school-space. With this will come some glitches, some unavoidable difficulties. Get strong for two — you will need it. Prepare for the best, and also prepare for the worst — no one knows what the virtual future holds. If you’re not holistically prepared for the expected rigours of this semester, you should consider deferring the semester or session — your wellness matters.
The University of Ibadan’s resumption date has been announced. Sadly, we do not have a limousine with which to carry you about in the expected rainy days. We have no bus, no jet, no train, no house and no fireplace to keep you warm. The little we have — umbrellas of wisdom — we have shared with you. We hope that you will stay strong; that you will stay resilient. Brace up for today, and plan ahead for tomorrow.
