It was 2:47 PM on the dot when I pulled my cell phone from my pocket to check the time while walking into the enormous vicinity through the Back Gate.

 On the 19th of October 2024, I began to perceive the aura of this wonderland, and of course, I was thrilled to be there on the 9th of January 2025 to witness the institution for myself. Undisputedly, the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) was never eulogized excessively. Indeed, they are worth every iota of acclamation.

On that day, lectures hadn’t become intensively yet because students tend not to be in school until the following week when all the school activities would have been inaugurated properly. Obviously, there were not many people on campus, yet I felt submerged in being neglected by older students. I had an older friend who would always blitz my DM and go as far as extending the conversation in person. Everyone was still emphasizing how older students neglect and disparage new students, termed “FRESHERS.” The fear of this word stuck tightly in my brain, and I never wanted to be a victim.

This impression made me avoid speaking to anyone that day about anything. My instinct kept encouraging me that I could do everything myself, like pinpointing my faculty, locating the library, and finding other basic necessities. But not until I got lost in the vast environment did I realize my limitations. I trekked for about 20 minutes without finding a single route I recognized. At this very peak, I lost my ego, fidgeting at the same time because it was getting late. At first, I thought of hopping on a bike, but I certainly didn’t know my destination nor where I was standing at the moment. This time, I had to ask people around me for my current location. All thanks to my lucky stars, I was not neglected by the students I managed to ask, as my sentiments were glued to avoiding being addressed as a “fresher.” Perhaps I didn’t ask for directions directly from any of the students I approached.

Here’s what I did: I picked up my cell phone and called a friend who had been in the school for a while—a final-year student, to be precise. She conveyed that I should look out for a motorcyclist and hand over the phone to him after I told her my current location, aided with its description for better clarification. I did as she said, and all thanks to God, the motorcyclist was smart enough to understand everything she said to him over the call. I didn’t know what she said to him, but I had a second thought: “What if this bike man mistakenly asks me where I’m heading to since he doesn’t hear clearly?” But it wasn’t so.

I hopped on the bike, and shortly, I was set down at a popular market that I was familiar with—“EKE AGBANI.” After I made the payment, I looked around and said to myself, indeed, I’m a “FRESHER” because I realized it took the motorcyclist 2 minutes to get there, while it could be walked in a maximum duration of 5 minutes.

This incident was quite awful but not horrible. The view and bliss of the institution I dreamed of met my expectations, so I never felt too bad as a fresher.

Sincerely, I’m thrilled to be a student at ESUT.

Nwabuike Favour Ihechiluru is a 100 level student of Mass Communication Department, ESUT