The 2022 Asuu Strike has been a thorn in our side for some time now. It seems that this long-drawn-out strike may escalate to the point of irrelevance. The 2018 Union Strike, which was earlier mentioned by the Union as an ultimatum, had not yielded any results yet.
Workers from public universities across Nigeria have been awaiting Asuu’s return to normalcy after 14 months of the strike. Workers who are not involved with ASUU are finding it hard due to the limitations imposed by the ongoing strike in Nigeria’s university system.
Things are only getting worse in the public universities of Nigeria. University lecturers have been reducing student intake for all courses without any reason. The students are now left with no choice but to drop a course or two to take up another course that is currently under full enrolment.
There have been reports from lecturers of privatized universities stating that, due to the ASUU strike, they are not being allowed to raise fees for students without approval from their management.
6 Things to Try While Awaiting ASUU Resumption
While we remain in limbo and waiting for the ASUU Team to come back, here are some things that you can do:
1. Talk to your parents about the kind of lifestyle that you will have if you continue with your studies at university
Parents are very much in the loop about what is going on. If you feel that taking up any course might be a waste of time and money, talk to them about it. Make sure that they fully understand what issues lie with our current system and how they might affect us in the future should they not be addressed: corruption, unavailability of good jobs to graduates, etc. Talking to your parents will ensure their confidence in you as an individual and a human being.
2. Organize a study group
This is not as difficult as it sounds. Since the ASUU strike has been ongoing, it is not as daunting as it sounds to gather people who are willing to study together and meet daily to make up for the lack of courses. Some of our friends from the University of Port Harcourt, the Federal University of Agriculture, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, and the University of Lagos have attempted this feat successfully in the past few months. You just need enough people!
3. Start your own business or open a section in an existing one you know about
This one makes sense. Since the ASUU strike is affecting businesses, why not take this opportunity to start your own business or open a section in an existing one you know about? People need everything from cars to food and products. Taking this course will help you remain relevant and provide for yourself while the organization that you belong to resolves the issues at hand.
4. Get a part-time job now
There are things that you can do aside from taking up a full-time job to keep yourself busy. You can start by getting a part-time job in case things don’t work out for you later on.
5. Consider studying overseas online
This is a very viable option if you are willing to go that far. If you haven’t considered studying abroad, now might be the right time to start looking into it. There are many opportunities available for most fields of study in many countries across the world. Since our government is not concerned about how Nigerian students are faring in tertiary education, the best thing we can do is to make moves on our own accord and find ways forward without them!
6. Consider part-time work instead
Although what we are doing right now sounds like it is not going to help much, you can always consider a part-time job while ASUU strikes just as well. Jobs that do not require education are powerhouses of employment!
Learning a skill as a youth during a strike
There are many ways to learn a skill, but the best way is if you do it as a youth. Youths are capable of doing things faster, and they have more energy. More importantly, they will not be as tired or worn out from other activities like going to school or work at the end of the day. Some skills to learn are; carpentry, welding, plumbing, electrician work, and countless others.
Importance of learning a skill as a youth during a strike
The recent ASUU strike has made this issue very seriously, because of the consequences that could happen as a result of an incomplete education. The teachers who are currently on strike are there to protest poor conditions and lack of benefits. One such consequence is that they will lose their jobs. But before they do so, let’s take a look at the importance of having a skill since this will help ensure your economic success in life.
Every person is unique, and therefore individuals should pursue different careers based on their interests. Although one skill that is well regarded by many economists and politicians is Computer Programming.
Computer programming or programming for short is the instructions that the computer follows to perform a specific task. It uses a series of step-by-step instructions for completely different and complex tasks such as creating photos or movies, playing games, scheduling tasks, and much more. The field of programming has grown tremendously over the past few decades with the introduction of computers into almost every aspect of our daily lives.
Benefits of keeping busy as a youth during the Asuu strike
- The individual gets a chance to learn how to plan and manage his/her time so that he/she can do better in the future
- The individual establishes good habits that would be valuable in later life
- He or she develops a good work ethic and competitive spirit
- The individual gains self-confidence
- The strike may be part of his or her resume/CV later in life and therefore, a great selling point
- A chance to be trained in the real world and not stuck doing things one hates.
- A chance to explore other work opportunities which may interest him/her more
- He or she becomes independent and doesn’t depend on parents as much anymore
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Fortune Ehiwayas is a prolific writer who loves arts and science fiction, converting her experiences into captivating content.
