“Maryam, I’ll not read anything again…even sign posts by the roadside.’’ A friend had said to me in a surge of excitement, grasping a red marker and signing on the white t-shirt of another friend.

There was a burst of exhilaration seeping around the school compound, which was brimming with youths pacing back and forth as they signed on each other’s t-shirts.

“Four years don waka, we still dey carry go. Nobody waka, nobody go so low…” They sang excitedly, glad that they had completed the four-years rigorous programme of studying in the university.

I was also excited. I would finally be termed a ‘graduate’, coupled with the fact that I do not have to wake up early for lectures, sleep in a room with four other people and study hard to excel in my examinations.

Graduation day is one of the most remarkable days in a person’s lifetime.

‘I am finally free!’ Someone would exclaim, knowing that he would no longer be classified as an undergraduate.

One would no longer need to stay up late at night to read for a test, mutter prayers before entering a lecturer’s office, buy handouts, prepare concoction rice to save cost, etc.

However, a person will graduate and realise that things are actually not the way they had imagined. Several unforeseen events occur after graduation…events no one prepares you beforehand.

What are those things that no one told you before graduation? Share your true-life experiences with us now (mareeam802@gmail.com/08147693307).

‘Things No One Told You Before Graduation’ will be a weekly series. So, grab a bottle of Coke and a bowl of popcorn, and stay updated with these thrilling stories.

"even with your good grade, it still not going to be easy for you out there"