University education is rewarding and it is a good investment in your future. The current educational system in Nigeria is based on the 6-3-3-4 pattern, which is being promoted by the Federal Ministry of Education. As secondary school students, that system includes the university life line in your education journey. After 6 years at secondary school (three years at Junior Secondary and three years at Senior Secondary) you are now about to embark on a new and probably the most vital phase in your educational life. Making a transition from secondary school into university can be a daunting task. But hold on, you are not alone in the process. You have only just reached that stage in life. Several people have done it before you and several others will come and do it after you. Getting through this transition stage correctly is very important. Remember, you are about to upgrade yourself from a mere school certificate holder to a university degree holder. It is worth giving your best for it. So, what does it involve to get it right?
We have some guidelines for you to follow to achieve your academic dreams.
What do I really want to be?
You would probably have something in mind by now. Over the years at secondary school you must have been dreaming of a particular profession you would want to be in. If for any reason you are still not sure at this stage about what you want to be, it is not too late to choose your career pathway. The subjects you are or were good at during your time at secondary school can act as a pointer.
Is university really for me?
What you must never tell yourself academically is, ‘I can’t do it.’ You can go as far as you want to go academically. No one can say for sure that the university is not for you or that you are not a university material. University is a place that you fight to get into and it is also a place you will have to fight to survive in academically. So, do not get defeated before the start of the fight. With hard work, dedication and commitment you can do it. The university is for everyone until proven otherwise academically.
What does it take?
There are some basic educational requirements needed to get into university. You need to have your Ordinary Level or Advanced Level results first and secondary school is the right place to have these results.
If I do not have what it takes, any alternatives?
If you are not able to get a university place right after your secondary school, do not waste time at home or re-writing an exam you have successfully passed before. Also do not get carried away or be distracted by some attractive temporary jobs. There are meaningful alternatives for you. For a start, you may consider the pre-degree route, a place at polytechnic or college of education. Universities also accept certificates from those institutions. You may start at a polytechnic or college of education and end up at university level. As far as education is concerned, you can be precise with where you started but you cannot say exactly where you will end it. Life itself is about learning and so is studying. All over the world, some great universities today started as polytechnics or colleges but eventually got converted to universities. In the academic world, polytechnics, colleges and universities are interwoven in conduct and an academic journey that starts with one form of tertiary institution can end up with another.
