ANOTHER CAMPUS STORY

My name is Morenike. Sitting here frustrated, I stare at my whole life and the grevious mistakes I've made. It all started in my 100 level days shortly after I gained admission into the prestigious Babcock University. Just like every other person, I was so excited to be an "undergraduate", I was full of so much energy and expectations. Like most freshers, I was a novice who knew very little about life and had no strong values or belief system in place, no solid moral foundation; so it didn't take long before I was blown away by the wind and enticement of university life.

In my first year, I had three roommates, Tola, Esther and Dolapo, they were all in their final year so I natural looked up to them both for advice and guidance because I thought they knew best but I was so wrong.

About two weeks after resumption, i met two girls who invited me to church on Sunday. As much as this girls sounded so convincing, it just didn't make sense to me. I mean, We were already being made to go to church on Wednesdays, Fridays and even twice on Saturdays and now they were asking me to come to church on Sundays again.  That will be too much. Besides, Sunday was supposed to be the day to chill and warm up for the new week. I share it with my roommates and they further discouraged me.
They gradually changed everything about me. They always  made jest of my clothes, calling them "Alisa" meaning "rags" in English. They practically made me spend most of my allowance on clothes, weavons and other fashion items. I spent so much on these stuffs that I didn't have enough money left to buys my textbooks. 

It didn't all end there. They practically chose my friends for me. One Monday morning, I was going to cafe with Esther, who was one my roommates and we met Jide one of Esther's guy friends. They talked for a long time and I just stood staring. When I finally decided to walk away, Esther held me back and did an introduction. Incidentally, Jide was a finally student in my department and offered to help me out if I had any academic related issues. I felt nervous because I wasn't used to interacting with the male folk. I attended an all girl's boarding school and I had no biological brother so I just wasn't used to it.

Later that night I got a call from Jide. I was surprised because I didn't remember giving him my number. I later got to know that Esther gave it to him. I was quite upset but I couldn't confront her because she was my "senior"

One thing led to another and before I realized it, I was spending most of my time with Jide. I was nervous being around him at first but he had this sugar coated tongue that made me so comfortable and literally swept me of my feet. At first, our relationship seemed so harmless and I honestly enjoyed being around him but in less than two months into our relationship, he began to ask for sex. I was confused, my mum had told me to keep myself for marriage but I didn't want to lose Jide. I loved him. So as usual I sort advise from my roommates and I'm sure you all know what their advice was. A weeks later, I signed my long distance past and left school with Jide and before the dawn of the next day, my virginity was gone. I cried and cried like a child that lost something Precious. At that point, I just needed some space so I asked for Jide for a little time to clear my head.

To my greatest surprise, I began to hear rumours that Jide was with someone else. When I confronted him about it and he blontly said we  were over. I cried my heart out that day. I never knew a heartbreak was that painful. My roommates tried to console me to no avail. It affected my entire first semester academic performance and at the end I had mostly Cs and four carryovers. 

By the next semester, I decided I wasn't going to date anyone, I was going to stay on my own and focus on my studies but that decision didn't last for long. My roommates soon introduced me to their monthly "turn up" routine. So I began signing long distance pass and started leaving school with them every month without my parents knowledge. And that was when my real problems began. We usually went to this popular club in Lagos named Quilox.

 At first I was nervous because I wasn't used to that kind of lifestyle but when I realized that so many of my fellow students were into this, I felt more comfortable. On few occasions I had careless one night stands but thankfully, I never got pregnant, so I continued. I went on with this lifestyle for two semesters and all seem seemed to be well until my 200level second semester were I met my Waterloo.

That Friday night, I got drugged with Indian Hemp at the club and had another careless one night stand. Unfortunately for me, when I got back to school. I had an argument with one of my roommates that led to a fight. We were rounded up by the security and eventually taken for psycho-social. There the Indian Hemp substance I had been drugged with was detected and before I knew it, I was before the school disciplinary panel and I eventually given a year suspension.

My world came crashing. How was going to face my parents? They were in debt because they had borrowed money to pay my school fees and now I'm bringing home a suspension letter.

To cut the long story short, my dad had a heart attack when he heard the news which eventually lead to his death and then my problems aggravated. Even after my suspension was over, I still couldn't return to school because my mum was unable to raise money for my fees. Eventually I to leave school due to frustration.

Today I'm a dropout, I ought to have graduated two years ago but here I'm indecisive of what to do with my life. Oh, and I forgot to mention, I'm sure you remember those my roommates Tola, Esther and Dolapo who led me down this ugly road. They graduated even though they each had an extra year, but at least they graduated unlike me. Today they are gainfully employed but here I am miserable and frustrated. I wish I could take back the hands of time, back to my hundred level days so I could correct all my mistakes but the reality is time wasted can never be  recovered. 

So my dear 100level students, you've  heard my story and I hope it serves a lesson to you all.

Indeed, there is a way that seemeth right into a man but the end thereof is destruction.

-Proverbs 16:25