•Prof Joseph Ayodele
Fresh students of Trinity University, Yaba in Lagos State, have been told that they could overcome their challenges with the right attitude and mindset to excel in their chosen path in life.
The Vice Chancellor of Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, Prof Joseph Ayodele, told 715 matriculating students of Trinity University.
Ayodele, who was Guest Lecturer at the Eighth Matriculation, spoke on: ‘’Coping with the challenges of university education in Nigeria: The role of psycho-social adjustment,’’ reports The Nation.
He said the challenges were not new, but that every generation has its version; just as they vary from public varsities to the private ones.
He said: “Your challenges are real, but so is your capacity. With the right emotional, social, and psychological support, healthy coping strategies, and a resilient mindset, students can not only survive the system but rise above it.’’
The professor of Educational Management noted that the students face challenges outside academic; financial hardship, employment, pressure, mental health concerns, among others.
To tackle the problems, he suggested that students adopt an ‘’effective psychological adjustment’’.
‘’Psychological adjustment enables students to manage stress, build healthy relationships, and adapt effectively to their academic and social environments,’’ he added.
He further urged the new students: ‘’Your destiny is in your hands. Go ahead and succeed no matter the situation.’’
Citing himself, Ayodele said he went through hard times in his secondary school and university days but with a tenacity of purpose and focus, he was able to weather the storms and arrived safely at the shore of success.
The EKSU VC, however, warned the students to be careful with who they related with and how they perceived their problems, saying that while peer influence could negatively affect them, no problem they would encounter is insurmountable.
Also, he gave them tips on effective psychological adjustment: develop emotional awareness, build supportive relationships, adopt effective study and time-management skills, seek help without shame and maintain a sense of purpose.
Earlier, Pro Chancellor/Chairman, Governing Council, Trinity University, Pastor S. O. Olatunji, said their vision is to build a world-class varsity that is committed to ‘’all-round excellence’’.
To the students, he said: ‘’Coming to Trinity University is coming into the world of opportunities, which include academic, extra-curricular, spiritual, mentorship, and holistic development. Explore them, grow,and prepare to contribute to your environment and to the global community,’’ assuring them of the institution’s support.
Still, he reminded that no institution could offer them everything they would need. ‘’Therefore, you must continue learning beyond the university.That is life-long learning,’’ he added.
In his address, Trinity University, Vice Chancellor, Prof C. O. O. Kolawole, quoting William Shakespeare’s’ Julius Caesar, ‘’There is a tide in the affairs of men, which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune’’ told the students that their matriculation meant the beginning of their degree programmes and ‘’an enterprising adventure into the world of inquiry, research, maturity and eventual graduation’’.
He said the students should congratulate themselves as they were among the lucky 420,415 who gained admission from a total 1.95million who applied for, sat the University Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and passed last year. He advised the students to imbibe the institution’s rules, adding that ‘’ignorance is no excuse in law’’. He warned that no vice would be tolerated and whoever broke would get the big stick.
He explained that the Shakespeare’s line quoted above was to draw them to ‘’to the phenomenon of time and what it means to us and you in particular…’’ Noting that their activities revolved around time, he tasked them on time management as time waits for no one.
