College life is a remarkable experience for an individual would ever be profound of. When I joined the University, I wanted to be a different student. Being part of the college was yet a prestigious journey, full of exciting yet excruciating experiences. For every person, college life has a different meaning. I won’t fully unfold what college has been to me, but I can at least share a bit of it.
2020 is the year I joined a scary yet gallant estimable academic island at UCU, the heartbeat of the Centre of excellence in the heart of Africa, commonly known as Honors college. Proud and scary as it was, students there called themselves scholars. It embedded my understanding whenever one of the “ancestors” said “la cream de la cream”. I didn’t know what they meant, yet I had become part of it. All I knew was, that this is a place(college) for intelligent students, and so I had identified myself as one, and part of the flock.
I can confidently assert that the experience is a full package in a blended environment. The coming of covid 19 ushered in a new normal that the college embraced more than any other department. In the first semester, the experience was enormous. In the E-Learning Centre, it was the first time I doubted the strength of my seat. I sweated and shivered like a goat after a heavy down poor when I presented my first paper. Gaining composure was not easy at all. My voice was full of confidence and strength, but the silence in the room was too loud and that scared the hell out of me. Bravo to this experience. The Honours College deliberately elaborated on how iron sharpens iron.
As one of its goals, leadership is a pillar at college. I was blessed to serve in different capacities. I am a specialist in the Human rights and humanitarian sector, where ICT is a luxury. I couldn’t imagine running and maintaining the college’s platforms and other ICT-related work. I give credit to mentorship from fellow students who held my hand and enabled me to do the work perfectly.
As a result of covid 19, online classes became the new normal and that retarded our physical enjoyment of the rest of the programs at college.
Regardless of the lockdown’s effects on the different activities of the college, it is important to note that the mentorship program was never affected. As the custom is, every scholar is assigned a mentor. I have gained much more than I could have if I remained a common student. I was exposed to different world views, perceptions and approaches to life. The Thursday leadership workshops and Wednesday morning glory sessions redefined and nourished the person in me, making me a full package.
In a special way, the learning process at college was so holistic and much more practical. The different community projects from scholars, aim at solving different problems in the communities. I learnt that what matters is not getting the highest CGPA, or graduating at the top of the class, but who you are. Your character and how best you present yourself make you a choice to always be opted for. In this, I had my soft skills developed and sharpened such that before I open my mouth or put to practice whatever I have, I am already pleasant both to man and God.
I therefore proudly and confidently say I am the sharpened iron from this gallant college, fully refined and embedded with Christ-centeredness, integrity, diligence, stewardship and servanthood.
My advice for scholars is that they should always embrace and engage in all activities and programs the college has for them. I also encourage those who are in yet in college to join it. You will never regret it.
Long live Honors college.
Written by Nsenga Steven