Daniels Ochieng, Bachelor of Information Technology

Before joining the AIU I had this thrill and anxiety about what I will find there and who I will interact with in the various course units. University education not only gives you the knowledge to you academically but also gives you the knowledge on how to handle the real life challenges. For most people, university experience is the first step into finding their future career. Leaving home for the first time, or atleast getting online to start this course, I started finding out that I have the best skills that could enable me survive in the real world – this was my best period ever. This was also the time that made me transcend what my parents, community and village achieved collectively. I was first among equals to join a school of higher learning.It is never an easy journey to go through but once you have a purpose and a reason as to why you are doing it gives you a million reasons to continue with it. Just being in School Online for the first time was opening a new chapter in my life. Interacting with different kinds of people that you are not used to seeing around, being on one platform with different kinds of people and having to adjust to different lifestyle is a make it or break it moment in life. One of the best things that makes the university life very interesting is that there are no more parent rules. You are the owner of your life and you will always make the rules. Whether you make the right or wrong choices about your life it’s always up to you. No one is there to guide you and with that you have all the freedom to whatever you want to do at your time of choosing. This kind of freedom is great since it prepares one to be able to make important decisions about life. Whenever I ever thought of getting the best experience in my life I got motivated on wanting to join the university so that I can be able to have the best experience. The university gives the best experience by taking a proactive role while learning, getting engaged in co-curricular activities, going abroad and doing the most while studying, taking care of the body, and always asking for help while needed. In my case and through the online platform, I made Friends, interacted with tutors in a different continente, learnt a lot and even met and made Friends within the course.Taking a proactive roll while in university it helps in some external learning. While This may be an obvious point, but we students have a tendency to forget the importance of learning during our university years especially in the midst of managing deadlines, trying to moderate our caffeine intake, and dragging our heels and sleep-deprived selves to our morning classes. During the university years, you have the chance to test different programs, learn from experts in diverse fields and explore your passions. This helps one to be able to tailor your different academic and career paths. In order to be able to achieve this one should be able to track of your deadlines and avoid the rush hour things. Also being able to attend the classes and tutorials regularly and being able to participate in the education sector actively thus making you being proactive. Learning during your university years doesn’t have to be restricted to your classroom, either. If that course on art history conflicts with your schedule, consider enrolling in a free digital course from online platforms. I’ve taken a few courses on topics that I would not have otherwise been able to fit into my schedule or degree program on campus. There is always a way if you look for one. The proactive role while learning helps to be able to keep themind active ane being able to avoid other activities that may be unfavourable for the lerning. Despite what you may think, university isn’t just about hitting the books. Along with taking advantage of the numerous learning opportunities that are now accessible to you, enrich your student life by getting involved outside the classroom. These years represent one of the only times that you will have the chance to indulge freely in your hobbies and connect with people from a spectrum of diverse educational and cultural backgrounds. To make the most of student life, don’t be afraid to push your comfort zone, try new things and meet new people. You’d be surprised at how many opportunities there are for students to get involved on campus. Your university’s students’ council is a great place to start looking. Students’ councils are a valuable resource for student-led associations and initiatives. Also getting engaged in various activities outside the classroom chores helps one to be able to participate actively in their hobbies and also develop their talents. Something that I regret not having done during my university years is going on exchange or volunteering internationally. The case of wanderlust hits all students at one time or another, and university can be one of those rare times that you can get paid to indulge it. This isn’t just about getting the chance to go on a glorified vacation, either (although that is an obvious attraction) you can apply to gain experience through an international internship, go on exchange to take a course at a foreign university, learn a new language and so on, all of which are things that can make your professional portfolio more competitive in an increasingly global job market. Not only does the experience allow them the opportunity to explore and immerse themselves in a new culture, witnessing at first-hand the impact of their work among the locals broadened their perspectives on their own learning and showed them the practical value of their education. This is one of the experiences that one’s get to regret after missing the opportunity to be able to participate actively in the outside opportunities that are available. Mental health issues in particular are becoming increasingly prominent among students, and nobody should feel afraid to speak up about them. Fortunately, society is gradually shedding its stigma against mental ill health and becoming increasingly aware of the importance of recognizing mental health issues on campus. There is no shame in admitting that you are having a tough time and asking for help all of us do at times and you’re not alone. Your health, physical and emotional, is so crucial for keeping you on your feet and moving forward so that you can enjoy your university years to the fullest.One of the main and overlooked aspects of the university experience is learning to be an independent and responsible young adult. As most of us leave our parents’ home to live on our own in a new city, we are also faced with a new-found responsibility of fully caring for ourselves. From doing the grocery shopping, to managing the play and studying time to arranging that Skype call with your best friend to getting around to finally making that GP appointment. So, with this new-found responsibility we begin to learn more about what it is like to be in the ‘adult’ world, as well as learning about and improving some crucial life skills like time management and self-care, to name a few. This helped to be able to achieve various skills on how to be able to live with different kinds of people in the society.This one may be an obvious one but nevertheless it should be highlighted. The people that you meet during your university time are the ones that can make your time at the university that much better. But, also the people that you meet at the university from students to members of staff are what makes the university experience that much more unique and special with the university having such diverse groups of people from all backgrounds, countries, walks of life and all with interesting stories to tell and learn from. Therefore my experience at AIU has helped me to be able to actively participate in various activities in the real world. Being the first time that I engaged in Online studies, I got to experience coping skills that helped me later in life with the Covid pandemic.University experience may not be feasible to every student but your own experience is what determines how you are able to utilize the opportunities. As a university student, you essentially have free rein over how you want to spend your day, every day. It can be challenging to manage things on your own but also exciting as you begin to figure out who you are or who you want to be. University is the time when you realize your independence, mature (a little), learn invaluable lessons and begin to identify your own personal values and beliefs.The ability to give back to others, help them grow, and make their time worthwhile is the best thing that can happen. It’s the best experience that you get while in the university since you get to interact with various kind of people. It’s not always give that you get to experience it but it differs as a student in what you ought to get after doing it. Being able to share valuable lessons is very rewarding; since you are able to know that you were part of someone’s growth. Sometimes while in university you may have different assumptions that you ought to make which if I was to be asked you need to get mentors to be able to give you the best advice so that you will be able to make the right choices while in school. It may never be easier while in university but when you get the best experience you are able to differentiate between the good and the wrong. You are able to identify your real friends and also friends that end up being like family. The university life it helps you to make your own decisions and that’s what I learnt from AIU. No parent, no teacher to guide you on what to do rather you have yourself to make your life decisions. Whether you make the best or the worst decisions it always depends on what you feel is best for you. One of the best things about university life is that you get a new experience every day. In my university life, along with study, I and my Friends (even though we were online) enjoyed a lot of other things. We travelled lots of places, had new experiences and learned many new things. In AIU the best experience you can get is that it has secure environment and since it has diversified cultures you are able to experience the different cultures that are available in various ways. Also the teachers around the school environment they not only give you education but they also give you advice on their university experience which inspires. University Life is a remarkable and essential time in a person’s life, and everyone should enjoy it. University Life teaches us many things and builds our confidence to face the new challenges and struggles in our future. Instead of just focusing on the study, a person must participate in other activities and socialize as much as possible in his/her college life as all these things help in the overall development of a person. The university experience means a lot of different things for different people and that’s okay but the main thing here is to enjoy it. I thank AIU for granting me a chance to experience a different atmosphere, a different way of learning, I am a better person today because of this experience.-DANIELS OCHIENG