NYSC: My Experience And Lessons Learnt

Photo Credit: Author's

"Your future depends on many things...but mostly, it depends on you." - Zig Ziglar

My one year service period to Nigeria(NYSC) ended yesterday! 💃🏾💃🏾
Has it really been one year?! Wow! The journey that began on the 28th of October, 2015 is finally over. As I write this, I have all kinds of emotions running through my entire body so I can't really say if it's excitement, fear, or just pure joy I feel right now. Please permit me. I know that I should be more 'professional' about this but I can't help being emotional right now. I can go home!!!

My NYSC journey began like everyone else's I guess. I was happy to be finally serving my country, but curious about what lay ahead. Unlike some, I was posted to the state of my choice, Akwa Ibom State. One of the most beautiful and peaceful states in Nigeria. And unlike some, I did not have fun in the orientation camp at Nsit Atai, Akwa Ibom State. I hate confinement and I couldn't wait to leave that place.

But after the 3-week orientation period ended, it became easier for me to adjust and cope with my new 'home'. I was posted to serve at the Alternative Dispute Resolution department of the Akwa Ibom State's Ministry of Justice where I met the most amazing people. Now, my entire experience in Akwa Ibom State was as fun as I let it get(which is not so much I admit), but the lessons I learnt through the year are worth sharing and I hope you gain from them. So, here we go.

• A lot can be achieved in one year. Despite my work at the Ministry and the classes I took for a course I was interested in, I found time to write on the blog, while juggling 2 executive positions at my Community Development Service(CDS) group and my church's Corp members' group. I never knew I could be a good leader nor that I could multitask but I did well if I do say so myself.
• Everything changes, even people. I learnt this the hard way. I let my belief in the good in people and 'first impression' fool me into making friends with some people. Those 'friendships' turned toxic and I got burnt. Although I will keep believing in the good in people, I have learnt to take my time when bringing people close as friends.
• Life is meant to be lived. That includes enjoying, exploring and making the best use of the time and life you have got. Knowing that I had just one year to be in Akwa Ibom made me eager to see and enjoy the state as much as I could. I enjoyed the food, the peaceful atmosphere and the people. I would be going home soon, why not enjoy the time I have?
• No matter how little a budget is, it is better than nothing. I was fortunate to serve Nigeria during a period of economic crisis. I was forced to be creative with my budget while creating other sources of income for myself. It wasn't as colourful as it sounds now, but the experience revealed the inner entrepreneur in me. I learnt to appreciate what I had and make it work for me, and that tough times are useful in bringing out the best in a person.
• Never give up on your faith. Never do that. Human that I am, I stopped believing in myself, in my abilities, and it nearly cost me something important. Whatever(and/or whoever) you believe in, don't stop believing just because things seem tougher than you expected. Keep your head up and your faith strong, you will get through a lot of things.
• Best of all, time management is very important. I used to be good at procrastinating and making plans without factoring time into those plans. Through this service year, especially during the first 3 weeks in camp, I learnt the importance of daily time management.

My service year helped me learn new things about myself and life and I won't trade it for anything. I hope you connected with, and learnt from, at least one of the lessons I learnt? Thanks for reading.
Have a great day.
With love,


- The Lady

“And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.”

2 Thessalonians 3:5