I remember when i needed a contact of an old time friend and i couldn’t get it even from other close friends, I opted for Facebook, I typed his name and saw list of different profiles, I couldn’t get him because I can’t even picture the way he looks again. The only thing i can remember is that we went to the same primary school so that how i lost his contact. Am sure one or more persons can relate to this kind of experience.
In this technology age, the rate at which young graduates keep connected after university days has improved compared to how it was in time past. Thank God for social media and CEO of Facebook (Mark Zuckerberg), if not, i wonder how many will remember birthday of loved ones or still link up with old folks and so on. Anyways it goes beyond that, do we really have connection with those networks we share common values with at one point in our life time? If yes, Thumbs up, if otherwise it is not encouraging and there is need to merge this gap. What is this gap about? It is about investment in your social capital.
There are various kinds of capital, it can be Natural (renewable and non-renewable resources, talents), Human (knowledge, skills) Financial (in terms of cash) but Social Capital is a form of economic and cultural capital in which social networks are central and are featured with shared values, reciprocity, trust etc. It concerns the institution that helps maintain and develop human capital such institution as families, communities, voluntary organization, universities etc. from the above I deduce social capital also as social resources.
Now, it will be so appalling, if a university campus is designed to just come get academic knowledge and a certificate and graduate, can you imagine what will happen over the years if this continues without building a link of social networks, but the truth is some undergraduates aren’t aware that a university campus is a perfect avenue to build tangible social capital. University Campus is the environment of fresh minds that are ready to discover purpose, share ideas, vision and support each other. While some can actually share ideas and support each other or discover scientific fact while doing the academic thing, some others do that on a different platform, take for instance knowing your proficiency in football can’t be discovered in class but rather on the pitch and that is outside academic and inside sporting activities. Similar to sporting activities are intellectual talk shows, church activities, seminar, debates just to mention few and all are seen as extra-curriculum activities in which they are not put in place for just beauty, it is to serve a purpose which is to bring people with common grounds, If it were to be academics only, oh goodness me! University will be so boring, imagine me going for lectures only for 4-6 years, please don’t get me wrong, lectures are important and priority but other activity should complement that. All you just need to do is discover your area of interest or develop new interest, just try something new.
Not all the friends you have on campus are your social capital they are just possibilities for building good social capital. Your real social capital are those networks that have the same shared moral values with you and in which you have developed enough trust, security and you are willing to participate and give your commitment for the common benefit of all (In proverbs 27:17(MSG)…steel sharpens steel, and one friend sharpens another). That why people who share this common attribute and vision still have a strong connection even after graduation from school some are business partners, couples, leaders in various organization. I tell you one secret of successful people is the level of social resources they have pulled together over years, tell me the story of a successful man and see if he/ she will not attribute to another successful man, How will Pastor E.A Adeboye an anointed man of God be talked about and late pa Akindayomi will not be mentioned.
One of the secrets of growing your social capital is you grooming yourself rightly in other words self-development on all platform be it physique, spiritual, personal morals, career among others. When you do this, you will have what it takes to connect and meet good people, develop right acquaintances which in turn links you with other network of like minds and thus your social capital gets bigger. However in selecting or choosing the right social capital, it must be noted to make that choice in accordance with your vision in life in other words it should be based on what you stand for and what you are ordained to do in life, this will in turn help making your social capital worth the while.
In conclusion, University campus is just one of the various avenues in which social capital is built. Social capital is part of our daily activities so let us begin to develop it consciously because it brings about easy disposal and access to information which is a greater way to build a nation economy, it promotes equality, it gives birth to love thus developing strong and lasting relationship.
The hub of it all is that social capital is not just network of people but networks that share value, respect, reciprocity and have a sense of belonging so has to harness, synergize and effectually utilize resources efficiently and grow the economy at large.


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