The lifestyle of students across the varying campuses in Nigeria and cotonou depicts a close to perfect picture of the gap between the haves and the have-nots in the country.
Students from rich homes often appear to have no worries, they look ‘cleaner’, use the latest phones, eat at the best eateries and always have money to buy all the requiredstudy materials and textbooks On the other hand, the broke (poor/not financially strong) students struggle through every semester especially at month ends; often not having enough cash, so they only
buy study materials for courses that are life-threatening’. Now, what should be the proper response of broke students? Should broke students
attempt to alter their financial state or just endure and struggle their way through school? (Have in mind that your financial condition might not change even after graduation). From personal experience, the only way out
for broke students in Nigerian Tertiary
Institutions is this: Do Something. Students who hate being broke must stop wishing, dreaming or even praying for a better student life (in terms of their finances) while folding their arms. Do something today to initiate change or donothing and remain the same. How do you ‘Do Something’? As a student, the main reason for which you are in school is to study and not to hustle. Therefore, you must not neglect your books in pursuit of money- this is something student-hustlers must understand. There has
got to be balance. Having said that, here is how you can ‘Do Something’ in your quest to stop being broke:
1. Start with your mindset
Winning any ‘battle’ begins in the mind. Adapt the mindset of winners; say to yourself: “I can do anything I set my mind to do”. Accept that your broke student-life can be fixedand that whatever you will do MUST NOT negatively affectyour academics.
2. Appraise yourself and identifyany skill
you have – any skill at all Do you have any skill? Can you style hair? Can you sew? Is there anything or something you know how to do? Can you teach?
3. Monetizeyour skill
No one should answer ‘No’ to the last
question in point number 2. Someone who printed and madephotocopies
of a notice that read: “Get a Home Lesson Teacher for your Precious Kids. Call 080xxxxxxxx (his phone number)” and pasted them around the senior staff quarters. Count 2 weeks later, he had started helping 8 primary school pupils with their assignments.He worked 3 hours every working day at the rate of 5,000 naira per month for each child. What will you do with an extra 8 x 5,000=40,000 naira every month? Please note that our aim at this point is not to be as rich as Dangote but to stop being broke: to be able to buy handouts, textbooks and eat well; because we need those in order
to graduate well.

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