Author: gertrudeasumadu

Dear Young Person,

What are you doing today that your older self will be proud of? What investments are you making to ensure that in about 5 to 10 years time you will be very proud of yourself and not be filled with regrets…

In today’s world, it is easy to be caught up with social media, the buzz, the hullabaloos and what have you…which could result in wasting time to achieve practically nothing. It is very easy to be forced into doing something because that is what everyone is doing and looks cool or just sitting there still wishing, hoping and thinking something could be different so you could ACT…But the question is what excuses are you still giving? Time is going already.

Personally, I believe the environment a person find themselves in has a lot to do with the direction their life may go…which could be said for me…because I believe there are lots of things I would not have been able to achieve had I not pursued my tertiary education in the UK and especially at the university I attended. Above all, I SAW there were opportunities available for me to grow and I took advantage of it!

You can’t just go through this life without taking risks or advantage of opportunities and expect to be great…with the young ones today, due to technological and knowledge advancements, there are lots of courses online, volunteering opportunities, travel opportunities, student competitions, challenges among others that you could be part of…

Yes, life is not easy…it is tough out there, but you need to be tougher….benefit from social media; it should not always be about chatting friends, reading gossip blogs and what have you…money could be made out of this same social media you are always on 24/7, you could create content and put it out there hence building your online presence (blogging, vlogging, online business etc…). Just look around you and you will probably see what you actually should be doing.

You will not be young forever. Every old person was once young….and they say ‘Everyone was once a child but nobody was once an adult’...which goes to show that the time you would have being a young person is very limited but in those years lies the foundation for your adult life or future…it could be strong or weak…the choice is yours! The truth is some people will waste away their youth indulging in all sorts of things and regret but they probably can put back the pieces of their lives together and move on but honestly, it is better making the right decisions so you don’t get caught up in the end….someone might have been able to retrace their steps and made it…but what if you don’t? Prevention they say is better than cure. You are the author of your life and your destiny lies in your hands as well…How will your story end?

As for me, I want it to end on an excellent note….what about you?

Thanks for reading and enjoy the rest of the week!

Watch this space…I will be launching some projects soon 🙂

Sigh!…Just some few minutes ago, I took to LinkedIn to type in some words to employers/recruiters to take note of….or to LISTEN.

This is 2018..there are millions of young people going to school to finish and be employed by someone else….the deception we have believed or better put been made to believe is that go to school, finish and then go work for someone…then Voila! You have made it! What a sad joke!

I have been having conversations with some friends and we have come to realize how saturated the graduate job market is and the unrealistic expectations employers/recruiters put on fresh graduates out of university…How do you expect a graduate fresh from university to have 4 years of experience to perform a specific role? Are you being serious? Aside from all the skills they must possess and what have you…Like seriously? I always say that some of these HR people did not possess those skills at the time they finished university or better still don’t possess those skills even in their many years in their career but expect a graduate to ‘magically’ possess all these skills….how AMAZING!

The word out there is ‘the job market is tough’…but it is human beings who are in charge of everything on the earth (like God made it) hence making things tough and then blaming it on something called ‘the system’. As far as I am concerned human beings make up the system as such human beings can change how ‘harsh’ the system is.

The end result is there are many graduates chasing after jobs…over 500 people apply to 1 job posting as such little things are used to disqualify people and the thing is how do you know you employed the right person for the job in the end? I even hear there is a system called ATS or whatever which screens CVs so chances are that your CV will not be read by a human being! Everything is technology based these days and as such talent and I mean great talent is being wasted away due to the laziness on the part of some recruiters/employers…

Thus, I do not blame many young people who are starting their own businesses…I mean if nobody will employ me…let me employ myself…Let me value myself enough and do something for myself instead of sitting there waiting for someone to validate me with a job offer or opportunity…I was one of those people who used to complain about many people going into hair and make up business but since it is in high demand these days why not? As long as there is a market for it…why not? At least it is better than going to steal or engage in any form of illegal activities.

The truth is….it is not about graduates not being enough…I believe it is employers/recruiters being unrealistic. And oh nowadays it is even about links…knowing someone who knows someone who knows someone…and of course, it has helped many to secure jobs…but what about those who don’t have these links? What do they do? I always tell myself that I am glad that whatever I have achieved so far in life is through hard work and God’s favor and of course my parent’s support and not because somebody connected me or linked me to get a position, admission or job….such that I do not become a liar when I am motivating other young girls to be daring when fighting for what they believe in.

I urge we the Millenials…especially those who have graduated from university, whether employes, unemployed, self-employed, let us do our best to encourage the younger ones to be creative…start to do something or think about doing something for themselves…of course it might not pay off in the beginning but it always will with hard work and determination in the end..Let us change that mentality that the normal thing to do is to finish university and then be looking for jobs only to end up frustrated and depressed…IT IS NOT WORTH IT…If the big men and women up there won’t help us we need to help ourselves because, at the end of the day, this life is all about YOU and how you make it.

Success has many friends…you will find out that all those who rejected you will now be looking for you…and to all those who ignore people when they walk up to you for help and you ignore them…(well done…watch them do it like a boss without your help).

P.S. I am working on something regarding this and will unveil as the time approaches….as well as other projects. #stayempowered #stayhopeful #therejectedstonewillbecomethecornerstone #trusttheprocessevenwhenyoudon’tunderstand #trustGod’stiming.

Have you ever been in a very tight corner or situation where no amount of motivational messages or whatever it is makes sense? Like you have just had enough of it all? Let’s be real. For instance, you are unemployed and been submitting thousand of applications and still get rejected or trying to pitch a business idea over and over again but to no avail, or dealing with the loss of a family member or whatever? Then you go to church on Sunday and your pastor preaches about God being faithful and God will come through for you and all that…Like you catch my drift….and you are just there like yeah yeah ‘We know….and we have heard this over and over again…’ Like not doubting HIS power but when will he come through for me too?

It is fine to feel that way…sometimes if it helps just cry…sometimes just let all the emotions out…it never helps to bottle it all up because you just feel tense, stressed and depressed!

No joke, but at one point in life we all have to go through a very rough patch and it could be anything…you name it. When I hear news of people committing suicide, I sometimes don’t blame them at all (I am not saying it is the best option but we all have different strengths and how we can handle the things life throws at us). Some time ago, I heard a story of a level 100 university student who committed suicide because she had bad grades and felt very depressed.

When I first read the story online, I was like Seriously! I mean we all have had bad grades at a point in uni but you always have to find a way to bounce back so what is the point of killing yourself..I mean you are still in your first year and still have more years ahead of you to make things better…But you see, for this girl maybe there are other reasons which could be attached to self-esteem…there are some people who just cannot see themselves attaining some marks in assignments or coursework or whatever but personally I have come to admit that there is more to life than getting the best grades all the time…I am not saying it is not good to get very good marks but sometimes we dwell too much on the situation such that we do not pay attention to probably what we have to learn out of that situation…Trust me, in every situation there is ALWAYS something to learn from it. Some people had bad grades, learned something out of it, moved on with their lives and became GREAT…it is unfortunate that, that was not the case for this girl.

Whatever it is that whoever is reading this might be going through if it helps please talk to someone. Yes, you can pray and fast about it…that is if you are a Christian but whichever the case may be, talk to a trusted person anyways. Then, they could probably give you some guidelines as to what to do…What they tell you might not be the solution to your problem but at least it may make you feel better probably for the moment and train your mind to think that so far as you are alive and have the strength to go through every day, you will make it.

Until you move, you would not have an idea as to what is at the other side of the tunnel.

Thanks for reading!

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I sometimes sit back and cannot believe I am almost 25….like…….

I still remember when I was in primary school…those days when life was very much easier…well at least you do not think about finding a job, paying bills, making tough decisions here and there etc. It was almost like you were not experiencing LIFE that much! I remember going to school holding my lunchbox, playing ampe (a game played mostly by girls most Ghanaians can relate to)…when someone does something that ‘bad’ especially in school that everyone is gisting about it and can’t wait to see what happens. I remember one time a senior three years ahead of me hurled a stone at my classmate which ended up on his eyelid just because my mate had gone to demand his own eraser which this senior came to borrow…(well there was a misunderstanding which led to that but really??)…We all couldn’t wait to see the outcome…well this senior was laid on a table and whipped in front of the whole school….(that was not too much of a surprise…)

High School was very much the same…just that I was much older…entering the teenage years…the very tough years are here and mehnn it was tough. You will hear stories in the school of what some seniors did and all sorts and sometimes my mates…There was a time where some girls in my class were ‘dating’ guys in senior years…hmm that was the ‘ish’ of the moment. I remember one incident where some of my mates who were prefects were demoted because they had gone swimming at a hotel and allegedly been seeing to be engaging in certain acts deemed ‘inappropriate’…. At the time it was quite embarrassing but thinking of it now….But all in all, it was fun…Going home after school was really fun with my squad…we could spend about an hour on our way…talking about almost everything that happened….(for another time)

Secondary School was also another phase on its own…but I LOVED it. The beginning was hectic I wanted to leave…I cannot even put it into words but probably very soon I will do secondary school diaries…(should be more fun and I will probably let some of my friends and classmates feature on the blog). I made some amazing FRIENDS I still keep in touch to date and plan to keep forever!

Completing university was quite recent…which I have already talked much about in detail!

Childhood was fun, Adolescence was fun but quite challenging, now as an adult…hmmph I wish I sometimes was not in too much of a haste to complete one stage quickly. For instance, when we were in primary I sometimes could not wait to go to high school then I could not wait to go to secondary school then I could not wait to go to university then I could not wait to get out….then on and on and on…

Growing up, I have come to appreciate enjoying every moment and not rushing to the next stage because once it is gone that’s it. I cannot rewind time and go back to Primary 2 and become that 7 year old again. There are some things that we will never get the chance to do or become again…I always tell these young folks, stop trying to act 23 when you are just 14…appreciate childhood and act like you are one…so that you become 23 and miss becoming a child again.

I miss those days when children were children and the TV was interesting with various shows that were morally upright and taught lots of lessons…the days when the world was a bit better than it is today.

Many a time, most of us have dreams, aspirations, goals and so on and so forth that we want to pursue. Sometimes they seem too big to pursue…sometimes too it seems it is going to take ages for it to be finally accomplished or whatever thoughts you may have…well JUST DO IT.

I am a victim, in fact, we all are…we like to comfort ourselves with too many excuses such that in our mind’s eye our goals seem invalid or we are dwelling on the money we don’t have, the tools we wish we had, the course we would want to take but don’t have time and many others. Well, well, well, today is the day of putting those excuses behind. Start with what you have…Start with something small…Start from somewhere.

Every successful business or person started from somewhere, it did not have to be huge in fact they did not need many people to approve of their goals before they did (Look up the stories of Google, Amazon, KFC and how they started)…they just had to summon the courage to put their ideas into action. Nobody rewards ideas, but rather output. Imagine if those who invented phones, internet, computers etc, were thinking to themselves nobody would notice them or people would not like their inventions or whatever, would we have benefited from those inventions today? And remember the laptops we are using today was not invented as it is now..in fact, there were typewriters before someone improved upon them then we had desktop computers then laptops, palmtops, Ipads and what have you. So do not doubt the value of your talent or ideas because there will be a market for it…even if you think everybody is doing it…YOU ARE NOT EVERYBODY!

I know people who want to start projects or a blog or a youtube channel among others but are being held back by themselves…in fact, I was also within that category… I should have started blogging about 4 years ago but of course I was thinking to myself what someone will say or think or the fact that there are millions of bloggers worldwide but I decided that I do not care because so far as I have the desire and talent to write, I would not want to die with it and then on my deathbed wish I had done it…TOO LATE!

To be honest, we do not have much time on this earth. Life is VERY short and I think if we really thought about it we will start doing the things we know we want to do or better put fulfilling our God-given purpose other than allowing fear and uncertainty (which is not from God) to hold us back!

Thus, whatever you want to do, even if you feel you don’t have all the resources, which you might never have or not ready which you may never be…just say to yourself I will start from where I am having the big picture in mind and of course working towards it!

P.S Do not always discuss your ideas with just ANYBODY…because there are dream killers and trust me they might be all around you. Only discuss with those you KNOW will offer sound advice regarding your ideas. Be careful who you even share with eventually. Your ideas are worth protecting!

Thanks for reading and have a productive week!

Life is one piece of puzzle…I am quite certain even after death we would still not understand certain things just because it is not everything that is meant to be understood.

Because life is quite mysterious…in fact very mysterious you cannot know who is against or for you at a particular point in time. In retrospect, I am referring to those people we refer to as friends, best friends, sisters, loved ones or even family. My grandmother used to say ‘The head is not like a pawpaw that you could cut open to see what is in it’….very true…even the Bible reiterates this when it says ‘The heart of man is desperately wicked’.

You see, we can’t say we will or can go through this life all by yourself…even Jesus had friends when He was on earth though he knew the nature of man…in fact he predicted that his friend and disciple Peter will betray him which came to pass eventually…so you see even Jesus suffered the consequences of friendship how much more us?

I recently read a story online…in fact, it happened back in 2012 whereby a young lady returning home from work late in the night was attacked with acid on her face by her childhood friend…a best friend! I still do not know the exact reason for the act but I read the attacker was jealous of her friend as she got all the attention when they were out together and also the fact that her friend ‘snatched’ her boyfriend or whatever sometime ago. The truth is whatever her friend did to her does not give her ANY RIGHT to do that to her…Of course, she looks very good now but that SCAR will always be there…She will always remember when she looks at her face in the mirror what ‘friendship’ has cost her.

What am I saying? Open your eyes and check your inner circle…I am sure that if you look closely you would know those to cut off and those to keep. I am sure if this girl did just that, she would have seen signs of jealousy from the friend who attacked her. Don’t be naive in thinking all your friends are genuinely happy for you when you are always winning, just got married, just had a baby, just traveled abroad and so on and so forth. Of course, they might pretend but watch their actions as they say ‘Actions speak louder than words’.

Personally, I have many people I can strike a conversation with…talk about general things and afterward, everyone is off…no phone calls, text messages nothing! But when it comes to MY friends they are very few….and I mean few…Among this few, there are people I will share intimate things with and some I won’t at all due to certain reasons. Ultimately, there are some things that only YOU should know…you should send to your grave…because remember your friend has another friend who has another friend who is NOT your friend.

Due to certain past experiences especially in recent times, I am very mindful when it comes to having friends…Naturally, I am anti-social and yes I like it. Because who many friends epp (help)? I would rather have 3 genuine friends who I know have my back than 20 friends who I can’t even trust. I once read a story about a man who gave his wedding invitation cards to his father to share. Of course, his father devised a plan, He called all 150 to 200 friends and told them that their friend (his son) was in trouble and as such needed their help. Apparently, only 50 showed up meaning they were his REAL friends.

Having 1500 friends on Facebook, 10000 followers on Twitter, 5000 followers on Instagram does not equal ‘friendship’. When trouble comes that is when you would know those who are really for you thus the saying ‘A friend in need is a friend indeed’. The year is still young, maybe you should start evaluating those you call friends in your life.

Be vigilant like the snake and wise like the ant. #A word to the wise is enough!

Thanks for reading. Have a productive week!

Happy New Year Everyone! I hope we all had a splendid holiday! Well, I tried to…the most important thing is remembering the essence of the season; THE LOVE OF GOD FOR US AND HIS GIFT TO US, HIS SON JESUS CHRIST (Well at least that is what Christmas means to me).

I hope we all charged for the year ahead. We all know about the New Year, New Me stuffs…In as much as I do not agree with this stuff (because you CANNOT automatically become a new person because you entered a new year), I believe you could set realistic goals to become a better person each and every year…just because we are human beings.

This brings me to the topic of having a vision board. Since secondary school days, timetables hardly worked for me. Even when I managed to do it, I always find myself studying another subject instead of what I am supposed to be studying. Well, even in university I still struggled with sticking to having plans or goals for a particular semester or year just because I let things happen naturally though of course, I have my plans/goals in my head.

However, somewhere in 2017, I attended a forum with other amazing young women from all over the world and prior to that, we were told to make a vision board which I was not so keen about (I just hurriedly did something upon getting there)…I was however intrigued to see other people’s own…the attention to detail and the work that had gone into it. I then thought to myself oh wow! I probably need to know more about this. During the programme, a couple of people agreed to present theirs to the rest of us and I was really impressed with how intentional they were about pursuing their goals and not just that but what they were doing to make sure it happens.

Then I thought to myself maybe I should create a vision board for myself….especially for 2018. I will try my best to write those goals down, how I will achieve them and more and by so doing encourage other people to do so as well…

So I know today is the 4th January but it is not too late…you can create your own vision board, you can be creative with it…however you want it…paste it anywhere in your room or somewhere you could see it everyday so that it keeps you on track. Remember to pray over it and try as much as possible to keep it personal..(not everyone must know what your plans). Trust me I am certain it will pay off.

This is my NEW YEAR gift to you all. Let us be intentional about pursuing our goals this year and become better people. Stay tuned for more updates….

2018 IS GOING TO BE WHAT YOU MAKE IT TO BE NOT WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN TOLD OR THINK IT WILL BE.

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First of all Merry Christmas Everyone! I really hope you are all enjoying Christmas and gearing up for the New Year as well!

Where do I even begin from? 2017 has been very INTERESTING…in the sense that I have been bold to achieve most of the things I really wanted to especially after graduation last year summer…and I am thankful for that!

I have traveled to different countries for different conferences, programmes, events and what have you and made some amazing friends from all over the world! I could not be more thankful for that! I have experienced a different culture! What more could I ask for? I have been through some challenges (bruuh!) yet God gave me the strength to overcome…

I have learned more about myself, getting to know myself more and more…discovering who I really am…what I can take and what I can’t take, my values, principles, and perspectives. I have learned to smile when the tough times came, I have learned to pray even when I could not or did not even feel like. I have learned to delete some people permanently from my life, I have learned to forgive people who offended me (even though I may not be friends with them like I used to), I have learned that everyone who says they will be there for me won’t necessarily be there for me when I NEED them. I have learned at the end of the day LIFE always has a way of teaching you lessons that you really need at any particular stage…whether harsh or mild…you still have to learn.

I am thankful for being bold to put many of my plans into ACTION in 2018. Yass! Time for some REAL goals to be achieved! 2017 was preparation grounds and I pray God help us all to be GO-GETTERS! Dare to dream and ACHIEVE.

I would like to end this post by thanking some people who have been very instrumental in making this year both a learning curve and a blessing to me…I LOVE YOU and GOD BLESS YOU ALL!

Ojoyi Ocheche, Bisola Babalola, Dasola Amokaye, Salwa Rogers, Benedicta Uweru, Victor Ogheneovo, Ade Omisade, Esther Bondzie, Nana Ama Agyei, Aresi Orgle, Roland Abuntori, Manar Al sagob, Janos Csala, Carina Kampter, Tina Reiner, Narcy Negrete, Najma Mohammed, Mimosette Lerebours, Sandra, Delight, Andrea Ruiz, Grace Oforiwaa, Sol Macias, Wislene, Women4Africa, Natalie Cofie, Enoch Boateng, Christiana Obodai, Philip Gyimah, Barbara Aboagye, Sandra Atakora, Elizabeth Osei, Dorothy Kings, Gideon Osei, Godfrey Sakyi, Mimi Agbada, Alvine Mfuapon, Lisa Osei, MY FAMILY and MANY OTHERS.

Appreciate people who have helped you on your journey. It is very important! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I wish us all the best in the years to come! Love you all and thanks for reading and supporting my blog! Greater things ahead!

Gertrude.

BOOM! The D day is here…the day we all probably anticipate at the beginning! I mean you always have it the back of your mind that one day you will complete that stage of life and then go into the ‘world’. Back in secondary school, I repeatedly heard the world, the world, almost everytime my headmistress spoke…in my final year especially. I never understood it and still did not even after secondary school because I went straight to university.

Having graduated from university now…I have a fair idea of what she was trying to say but I guess it came too early!

I could not believe I was graduating…It felt so unreal…It might sound cliche but I will still repeat that I did not think those 4 years will come very quickly like the way they did…But how time flies huh! The dissertations were over, final exams, everyone had seen what they were graduating with…unfortunately some were not graduating…(IT IS PART OF LIFE). The ordering of gowns, photography, for the ladies dress, shoes, makeup, hair you already know! It is VERY STRESSFUL because you want to make sure the whole journey ends on a good note and of course you end in STYLE.

Months leading to my graduation day, I was very nervous…What am I going to do next? With my background, you are expected to either continue with your Masters or get a job. I remember I was so keen on the former such that during my final year I had already made some applications and gotten some offers but to be honest…I did not even think I was doing it for ME…I just wanted to be ME.

It so happened that as part of a university residential event I attended just a month before graduation, I had a conversation with one of the organizers of the events who happened to be someone I was quite familiar with. I was able to talk from my heart to him that to be honest graduation is almost here and I don’t know what’s next. He told me one thing that really struck me…’Your whole life is programmed for you till you graduate from university’. Then he added…’I advise you take some time off..maybe travel or do something you will probably not consider doing…just try new things and eventually you will see what works for you.’ I was like YESS! This is it… I don’t need to fit into anybody’s laid down principles of what I should do next…I need to listen to myself the more and come up with what I REALLY WANT TO DO.

Graduation came and went of course very quickly…I nearly missed mine because I wanted better than I got but hey at least I have completed university and the ‘world’ was there for me to conquer. No restrictions or limitations! I decided what I wanted to and I started doing…(I will blog about what I have been up to after I graduate later on…)

Thus, to everyone reading this who is probably anticipating graduation in a few months but still feels nervous…please understand that it is okay to feel that way. We all did! But be rest assured that your plans may actually never go through…it is NOT a curse, it is REALITY. This is because life may not always give you what you want..after coming out of the shell of university…you will be susceptible to many pressures of life, harsh realities and lessons you may have to learn quickly! It may or not break you…but continue to learn. Never STOP learning…You may have left uni but as far as you are still alive you, my dear friend will always have to LEARN and GROW hence.

Whatever you end up with after university…don’t see it as the END…LIFE just began. In the end, We will all be FINE.

P.S If you are sure about working immediately, it is advisable to start applying for jobs whilst in your final year…It will save you a lot of STRESS. If it’s Masters do the same. It is NEVER advisable to leave it to the last minute. Then again, if they don’t work out immediately as you wish, it is LIFE.

Thanks for sticking with me through these diaries…hope you enjoyed it and took a thing or two from it. What was your favorite? I may add a bonus one? Watch this Space!

Gertrude.

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The final year is a bit scary and a happy moment simultaneously…of course you are happy you are drawing closer to the end of your studies…at the same time, you have to strategize properly to ensure you nail your thesis/dissertation and your final exams and courseworks…no matter what it takes (YES!). This is the moment where you would probably have to do away with irrelevant partying, outings or even positions that you might hold in a society or what have you to have maximum time for your studies…at least to boost your GPA to get you closer to the classification you want…either a 1st, 2.1 or even a 2.2.

During such period, you would probably find or have a new best friend that you will be spending most of your time with…the library! Personally, I was not too much of a library person. I would only go there if I have to borrow books or use high demand books for a specified amount of time or maybe have a group meeting. There were other places on campus I preferred doing my readings. However, for one reason or the other, that automatically changed in my final year….especially with the buzz of a new library on campus…almost everyone wanted to study there and of course to occupy a seat I had to be there by 8am latest every single day! 😦

It was fun and stressful at times…Spending almost the whole day in the library unless of course, you have some classes…burying yourself in different journals, articles online etc for the dissertation, leaving in between to probably see your dissertation supervisor…like it got to a time I was like…honestly, I AM TIRED. The consolation I got was when I had conversations with some of my friends on my course who would also say they were also in a similar position…I mean they could be telling lies but hey! at that particular moment, being comforted with a lie was very soothing to my ears…

However, I just had to press on…obviously without passing the dissertation, there is no way you could graduate…and there was no way I would come this far to disappoint myself like that in the very end! That spirit of laziness had to be cast..by force! especially when it got to a time where my supervisor would send me an email to send him something…(That was the height of it!). I was further motivated when I heard someone on our course had already submitted their dissertation three months earlier (How did they manage to do that?….Proper Planning and Time Management I suppose).

The truth is every student is bound to face some challenges in their final year. The fact is making it to your final year is even huge because not everyone does. Trust me, 2nd year is so much of a hell that if care is not taken…you will surprisingly miss final year…people always do. But getting there means you are good enough to make it to the finish line…so the ball is in your court! You can’t afford to let the side down (like my former headmistress in secondary school would say).

People have different ways to nail this last phase. Some people who used to learn alone would now prefer learning in groups…(can’t afford to do that..never works!). Others too who used to learn in groups would now learn individually. Others too would combine both depending on the necessity. The fact is go with your own flow…whatever works for you. Make time for your exams (if timetables work for you…go with it) whilst working on your dissertation..you can’t afford to succeed in one and fail in the other…all round success is the priority at this stage. You should be close to your supervisor as much as you can (especially if you happen to have a very nice one like I did). It could relieve you of some of the stress. (Just to add this in here: Please make sure you choose a topic which really interests you, it will do you a whole lot of good).

Finally, in as much as you want to do well and all that, it is okay to have some kind of fun once in a while. You choose your own kind of fun to destress with boundaries! Final year will always be final year..but be prepared to face it…Have enough sleep, wake up, pray, slay those exams, courseworks, dissertation and then live.

Thanks for reading.

Gertrude 🙂