Like they always say; “You won’t grow without pain and struggles in life” and that “In order to grow you have to get out from your comfort zone and navigate your way through life”. Well I’m a living proof of that because My first day at Hassan Usman Katsina Polytechnic was an adventure I experienced like never before in my whole existence. And although I’m here again for my HND the experience is quite different.
The first time I got my admission for National Diploma was mid to late 2017 when I least expect it then It came at me like a lighting speed and then I was later admitted to my favorite department of Mass Communication when I almost give up because I got two admissions in the college before my name finally came out in a supplementry list. To say I was over the moon was underrated up until the first day I set my foot in the college to start my registration I got lost because the college was and still is huge and full of bushes and I almost fractured my ankle but I tried to navigate my way through nevertheless by asking some people which some were nice some weren’t. I remembered going to the registration hall and a cue long line of people waiting to be registered was before me, too many of them weren’t friendly because of the situation they found themselves in not to mention it was a Sunny day. Upon my arrival I joined the long cue. People kept coming and they were all over me I was small and limping my injured ankle and they nearly crushed me and and none of them care or they weren’t aware I couldn’t remember but at that time I realized that I was solely alone and that this was a new world where I was on my own It wasn’t like secondary school where we were all pampered and see to all our needs although even in secondary school there were ups and downs but none of it was like this new world. Well, to make the story short after the long cue and that hot sun cooked us and served us in a silver platter I was able to do my registration only to realized that that was only the beginning because I had to go to four offices for signing from Out Department HOD, DAP, Student Affairs to Library which are both far from one another before I would be able to get a hostel room.I nearly cried and scream my guts out and almost gave up. Anyway I gave myself a pep talk because nobody was there to do so and I saw many people like me going on about their business too that motivated me also and by time I was finished I was determined and I bowed to never give up no matter what. That’s when I managed to do all the four signing later that day and then left to finish the accommodation process the following day which was another story of another day. By the time I finished for the day I nearly fainted because of hunger and thirst I was borderline hesteria my bones felt like jelopino but I still managed to visit my first class of the day because even with the tiredness deep down I was still excited to be able to continue my studies there. When I was walking I spotted a pure water seller and bought two and I drank like a mad woman abandoned in a Sahara dissert for days without water. After, I started to feel a bit normal so I went on and with the help of some guys I managed to locate my class but not before they laughed and made fun of me by calling me JJC which I later found out means “The naive new comer”. In my class that day I met new faces my heart kept on hammering in my chest and everyone stared at me when I made my presence known by saying my “Assalamu Alaikum” in a way of greetings before everyone turned and continue on what they were doing like I never existed. Well, that was fine by me because I loathe attention and I don’t do friends well more especially close ones. I prefer to be alone well I still I’m. That’s when I found a seat by the front row and sat after our first lecturer arrived who then thaught us “History and Politics of Nigeria” I remembered sitting still because I was afraid of making a slight mistake in the presence of the lecturer. I didn’t understand what was been thaught at that time because I was super exhausted so I kept on looking at the lecturer and then zoned out for the rest of the class thankfully he didn’t asked questions. After him I decided to be done for the day I asked directions and left the school and went home to rest.
My name is Hauwa’u Abubakar and that was my first day experience as a new comer in the Polytechnic.