Simple ways that university students can develop themselves during the ASUU Strike

The Academic Staff Union (Asuu), on the 14th of November, 2023 joined the NLC (Nigerian Labour Congress) and TUN (Trade Union) to embark on an indefinite strike. And because of this, students who attend government universities in Nigeria will have to be home till the union resolves with the government.  If the ongoing strike action affects you, there is no need to sulk and get mad at the government or any of the unions when you can make the most of the opportunity. See this moment as one that you can milk while it lasts. 

Ignore the strike and work on yourself 

No one knows how long the strike will last but while you are home, you may want to try the following: 

Read more books

This time, it doesn’t even have to be school books except you may have to write an exam when the strike is over. But, buy books – literature, self-help books, fashion magazines, or any other book that can educate you on certain things that you had no idea about. Books have a way of teaching you new stuff, especially if you are a writer. To make it fun, you can challenge yourself to read something every day. 

Learn a new skill

You probably already know a lot of things but you don’t know all things. You may not know how to bake a cake or use PowerPoint; it is usually the little things. The statement “learn a new skill” doesn’t mean that you must start learning how to code immediately. It could be crocheting, a new meal, how to fix your nails or you may even want to learn how to navigate your way around YouTube. Spending time learning a new skill is not bad but make sure that it is a skill you are interested in. 

Take a part-time job 

Yes. A part-time job because no one knows when the strike will be over. So, you want to take a job that you can leave whenever you feel the need to. However, you must make certain agreements with your employer before you decide whether to take the job or not. The good side to this is that you are earning during this time and you can also build a relationship with your colleagues at work – one that can be beneficial later on. 

Try your hands on projects 

You can decide to start a book club or a tech club with people who would most likely share the same view with you. You can visit primary school with anyone in your team to talk to the kids about sustainability, content creation, storytelling, or any other thing you feel like you are good at doing. Now, you are not only taking up projects but also improving your leadership skills can be a bonus for you when you finally get a job after graduation. Projects put you on the active spot and present you as a relevant person. 

Explore the skills you already have

If you have good video-making and editing skills but you have not been able to start your YouTube channel because there is a lot to do with schoolwork, you can take this time to do your thing. Also, if you really have a thing for content creation, you have all the like now that Asuu is on strike. The more you explore any skill you have, the better you get at it. 

Don’t say that you will start tomorrow, start today. Make the most of this time for yourself. 

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