₦airaland Forum

The smartphone is one of the blessings of this internet age. Talk about having mini computers in our hands, these mini-machines have the potential to supercharge our daily lives.

It weakens me whenever I meet people who barely use their phone up to 50% of its true power. It feels like only using a small room in a 5-bedroom duplex. If you’re a student and have a smartphone, then you’re carrying one of the best study buddies in this age.

There are many ways your smartphone can supercharge your study life. And no, I don’t mean dubbing from Wikipedia during a test. I mean studying beyond classwork. I understand the price of these phones may put some off. But, I know with as little as ₦20k, you can buy a small phone that will deliver the basics.

My first smartphone was about ₦15k and I can testify the ninja things I did with the little beast. I want to believe many of us are power users of our smart devices especially in our study life. If you are, then good for you.

If you aren’t or seek to know more, here are some cool ways your smartphone can improve your study life.

1. Good ol’ surfing the web

When was the last time you used the school library for an assignment? I’m sure it’s been a while for most. You can’t afford to not have a phone to search the internet for information. Getting a fresh insight into a course is as easy as running a simple internet search.

I must admit that internet searching is an art that takes time and practice to master. Apart from searching, there are websites dedicated to helping students get better. Find them, maximize them.

2. Reading e-books

Nowadays, most books have electronic formats (like pdf,). There are relevant free books, reports and articles you can download online. To search for pdf resources type “course/topic/assignment title pdf” in the search bar (e.g. “introduction to calculus pdf”), download the best results and you’re good to go.

PDF reader apps abound for smartphones. You may also consider downloading books in epub format. It’s an easier format to manage compared to pdf.

3. Watching Videos

Guess the largest source of videos in the world?

YouTube.

And it doesn’t occupy that position for no reason. There are hours of videos uploaded to YouTube every minute. Some of these videos are educational. You may be lucky to find a teaching series on the subject you’re currently studying. There are cheap night data plans to consider if you’re on a budget.

4. Downloading and using third party apps

Countless apps exist to enhance how you study. I’m talking hyper-cool calculators, compasses, periodic tables, mathematical tables, encyclopaedias, medical dictionaries, schedulers, you name it. Here are a few of them

Wunderlist

Free Graphing Calculator

Mathway

Circleof6

Habithub

Goodbudget

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

5. Recording your lectures

A friend opened my eyes to this secret. You’d see her in front of class close to the lecturer all the time. It wasn’t only because she was paying rapt attention, she was busy recording the lecture. I’ll share more about this technique in a separate post. Just know your smartphone can be a library of recorded lectures.

These are some cool ways to use your smartphone to your advantage as a student. Which of them do you use?

http://naijastudenthub.com/2017/09/21/5-smartphone-tips-to-supercharge-your-study-life/

It's easy to not know of happenings in the professional world when you're an undergraduate. This naivety fades when you read, interact with professionals, or get a helpful mentor. Sadly, many graduate without knowing what to expect until they are out of school.

But that can change by reading through relevant job vacancies.

What are job vacancies?

This needs no explanation really. Job vacancies tell you what to expect in a job. It states the various requirements and what a potential employee should do on a job. Companies generally include a well-articulated job vacancy announcement for jobs they advertise. This so applicants know exactly what’s at stake and the expectations.

These announcements offer a great route to knowing what to expect after school.

You can read up job vacancies on various job boards. There are many Nigerian job boards on the internet. A simple google search will yield tons of results.

Also, try to go beyond job boards within Nigeria and check foreign ones. The world is becoming a global village and it’s possible to work anywhere on the earth today.

One other site I love is prospects.ac.uk. It’s one of the top sites in the UK catering to undergrads, grads and professionals. This website has valuable information for any student's transition to the professional world. It's a great resource for undergrads and fresh grads. Make sure to check it out.

How reading job vacancies can help you

As an undergraduate, the most important academic goal is to get your first degree. You may not know of other required certifications and competencies.

Vacancies reveal that you.

There are jobs which need a post graduate experience before one can apply for them. Reading through a job description can also help you to know what a professional in your field of study does. You are informed of the possible organizations you have to be a member of as a professional in a certain field.

As with Nigerian jobs, you become familiar with the 'age caps' for certain graduate positions.

All in all, you gain a certain level of insight into general expectations. Having such information can guide you in plotting a path or switching careers after graduation.

So, you may want to check out some relevant job vacancies next time you find yourself idling through the internet.

http://naijastudenthub.com/2017/09/18/how-reading-job-vacancies-can-help-you-plot-a-career-path/

Dearest undergrad,

I write this letter to inform you of something important. Many of us missed this in our time and sadly, many are still getting it wrong today. Please start planning for life after school now. There’s no time. Every day you sleep and wake up, another day of your life is gone.

You may say but I already have a plan. I want to work in a Fortune 100 company the second I graduate. Not bad. If you want to own a patent or become the next Mark Zuckerberg, that’s fine also. How are you working towards these goals? do you sit all day and dream of helicopter rides and fancy suits? or you work your butts off to secure this future? Goals are mere wishes if you don’t put in the needed work.

Don’t wait till you graduate before connecting with people or setting up that LinkedIn page. Cherish relationships. Maintain healthy relationships with colleagues and lecturers as much as you can. You never know where you’ll find yourselves tomorrow.

Don’t wait till after NYSC before drafting your first CV. In fact, if you don’t have a CV at this point, stop reading this letter and draft one now. There are many free samples on the internet. Know the career path you want and start charting a course. If you want to study abroad on a scholarship, research the available scholarships during your spare time. Know the schools that suit your course at your fingertips.

Please get relevant skills.

If you don’t know how to type and save a document on a PC yet, I’m begging you, learn it ASAP. The world’s gone digital and even basic computer users are often overlooked for more competent hands. Learn something other than what you learnt in class. People are making a living off skills they picked as undergraduates.

Strive to intern at every opportunity you get. ASUU strike? No problem, find something to do even if it's for free. I can hear you scoffing at this thought and I know it may not make sense now. Just pray you don't be in a position later where you'll wish you had seized these opportunities.

Please join relevant bodies while you're in school. It's wise joining these associations as student members and upgrade to grad members when you graduate. It saves you some money at least. Do you know there are Accounting students who bag their ICAN before NYSC? foresight, my good friend, foresight.

Lastly, please try and get a good grade. Yes, there are many 3rd class and school drop outs millionaires today. But, if you want to increase your odds of getting a that good job or scholarships, a strong first degree helps.

Start actively planning your life now you’re in school. Learn from the experience of those that have gone ahead of you.

See you at the top.

http://naijastudenthub.com/2017/09/09/dear-undergrad-start-planning-for-life-after-school-while-youre-in-school/

Dearest undergrad,

I write this letter to inform you of something important. Many of us missed this in our time and sadly, many are still getting it wrong today. Please start planning for life after school now. There’s no time. Every day you sleep and wake up, another day of your life is gone.

You may say but I already have a plan. I want to work in a Fortune 100 company the second I graduate. Not bad. If you want to own a patent or become the next Mark Zuckerberg, that’s fine also. How are you working towards these goals? do you sit all day and dream of helicopter rides and fancy suits? or you work your butts off to secure this future? Goals are mere wishes if you don’t put in the needed work.

Don’t wait till you graduate before connecting with people or setting up that LinkedIn page. Cherish relationships. Maintain healthy relationships with colleagues and lecturers as much as you can. You never know where you’ll find yourselves tomorrow.

Don’t wait till after NYSC before drafting your first CV. In fact, if you don’t have a CV at this point, stop reading this letter and draft one now. There are many free samples on the internet. Know the career path you want and start charting a course. If you want to study abroad on a scholarship, research the available scholarships during your spare time. Know the schools that suit your course at your fingertips.

Please get relevant skills.

If you don’t know how to type and save a document on a PC yet, I’m begging you, learn it ASAP. The world’s gone digital and even basic computer users are often overlooked for more competent hands. Learn something other than what you learnt in class. People are making a living off skills they picked as undergraduates.

Strive to intern at every opportunity you get. ASUU strike? No problem, find something to do even if it’s for free. I can hear you scoffing at this thought and I know it may not make sense now. Just pray you don’t be in a position later where you’ll wish you had seized these opportunities.

Please join relevant bodies while you’re in school. It’s wise joining these associations as student members and upgrade to grad members when you graduate. It saves you some money at least. Do you know there are Accounting students who bag their ICAN before NYSC? foresight, my good friend, foresight.

Lastly, please try and get a good grade. Yes, there are many 3rd class and school drop outs millionaires today. But, if you want to increase your odds of getting a good job or scholarships, a strong first degree helps.

Start actively planning your life now you’re in school. Learn from the experience of those that have gone ahead of you.

See you at the top.

http://naijastudenthub.com/2017/09/09/dear-undergrad-start-planning-for-life-after-school-while-youre-in-school/

Is it possible to write an exam without cheating?

Sometime in my third year, I wrote this killer math exam. Not like it was nothing a student won’t pass with good study, I was not prepared for it. Simple, no excuses.

It became so bad my seatmate noticed my blank slate of an exam script. You know when you see symbols instead of what you know and you’re rooted to your seat in confusion. That’s how I felt.

Long story short, this good guy (one of the best in the department) offered to help me. As in, he was ready to show me as much as I wanted to dub.

I declined his offer.

Being a Christian played a large part in that decision. The second influence was what a friend said when I was in secondary school. According to her, cheating was like lacking confidence in the fact you can read and pass an exam. It’s a simple message that struck a chord in my heart.

There are benefits to writing tests on your own. The pride is overwhelming for one. If you’ve aced a test in the past without asking for help you should be familiar with this feeling. It also builds your self-confidence.

It’s unfortunate how we view exam malpractice these days. Of course, the word ‘cheated/cheating’ is always replaced with something less incriminating. I’ve lost count of he number of times I’ve heard talks justifying the act. Well, if it was right to cheat during exams, schools won’t have penalties for it.

So back to my initial question…

Is it possible to write an exam without cheating?

Of course, it’s possible.

Is it possible to ace an exam without cheating?

Another resounding yes.

Are there humans like you and me acing exams without malpractice?

Yes, yes and yes.

If that’s the case, then why do you feel you can’t pass that exam if you don’t ask your neighbour for help?

Why?

When we ask questions like these and ponder on them, it can open us to good reasons why we should shun malpractice.

Personally, I see exam malpractice as doubt in one’s ability and failure to accept responsibility for poor preparation. You don’t believe you can write an exam and even nick a ‘C’ so you have to cut corners. It is not meant to be so.

Taking a no-cheating stance may not be easy at first. But the truth is, success is not magic. People put in work to get what they want. We should all strive to put in the required effort to get results we seek AND decide not to cut corners. While we scream at corruption at the highest levels of governance, we should remember that change begins with you and me.

So, my dear friends, it is possible to write and ace an exam without help.

Have you written an exam before without cheating? Share with us below

http://naijastudenthub.com/2017/09/05/is-it-possible-to-write-an-exam-without-cheating/

Evaberry:
The mistake most graduates here in Nigeria make is that they start thinking of what to do after school and not during school.

you start planning your life while you are still in school and you work to ensure you get the life you want, you don't have to wait till you finish and have a degree.

Op go though the business section you might see what you are looking for.

You've given me an idea with this post. Thanks

juniorboy:
I plan on running a software program. Hope it isn't a bad idea?

It's a great idea if that's what you really want. Pick your poison programming language and scour the internet for resources to get you on your way.

Time is of the essence bro.

It’s no longer news that winter is here ASUU has gone on strike. There’s no idea how short this will last but going by the news, expect another week.

Yeah, I can relate with how annoying the trend is. Take it from someone who’s sat at least a year of strike actions put together.

Looking on the bright side, ASUU strike does provides you extra time you can put to great use. This same can be said of other ‘holiday’ periods.

For this article, a holiday refers to anytime school is not in session. It may be semester breaks, strike actions or the unfortunate case of waiting a year to rewrite JAMB. It could also be the months of waiting for NYSC call up.

In any case, this time is valuable and you can’t afford to blow it away. There are tons of stuff you can do with this free time. Even if you may have misused some of this times in the past, this is one time to make things right. Here are 7 ways you can make the most of this period…

1. Intern or get a small-time job
This may be a great time to draft your CV and pitch yourself to employers. Already, there are a couple opportunities since the announcement of this strike.

Walk around your area, speak to older friends and colleagues. Actively, seek opportunities to improve on your work experience. The pay may be peanuts, but the experience is worth much more.

2. Join the family business
Some of us have ‘family businesses’. This the business our parents have been doing for some time. It can be a big-time company or a small supermart. Whichever one it is, it’s not a bad idea spending holiday working here. It’s one way to give back and also add to your professional experience.

3. Learn a new skill
I have an engineer friend who makes a living today from graphics design. He learnt it while we were in school. There’s almost no limit to the skills you can learn during holidays. If anything, start with learning basic and intermediate computer operations (if you don’t know that by now). Code schools are also popping up everywhere so you can join one. You can also join the growing community of Nigerian freelancers and hone your skills.

4. Be active in church, other groups
Refuse to be an onlooker anywhere you find yourself. Be a part of people who make things work. Join a group in church, your community, and be active in it. These experiences also contribute shaping the person you’ll be in the future.

5. Travel
There’s no harm in travelling if you can afford it. Travelling is also a form of learning. If you happen to have relations scattered around Nigeria and abroad, consider travelling. Life’s too short to not explore more places.

6. Read books
I don’t mean only course-related books. Take up a novel, read a book on investment, study Nigerian history, look up spiritual books. Read far and wide.

7. Have fun
Well, you still have to catch some fun. Plus, it’s perfectly okay to spoil yourself a little. You can binge watch your favourite TV series, play football, go to more events etc etc.

http://naijastudenthub.com/2017/08/18/7-great-ways-to-spend-ASUU-strike-or-any-holiday-period/

rotexteymie:
Okay.... So I'm almost done with exams and I've been confused as to what to use my 3months break for....
Should I just get a part-time job? Learn something handy or just flex?
Please I need suggestions.... .....
Ps:If you're going to suggest I learn something handy please kindly drop your suggestions

You should have fun and do something that adds value to yourself. I don't what course you studying but there may be relevant software you can learn. I see you've done some computer training, good. There's practically limitless things to learn on the computer. Except you're a badass in all the popular software that is.

If you're into writing, or other soft skills you could consider freelancing. Check Nairaland's business section, millions of naira is flowing under-the-radar everyday in that section.

You can see this article for more ideas. Hope this helped

Apologies if this is in the wrong section.

A sketch artist is urgently needed to create shirt and dress sketches. Must be in Port Harcourt. Please pm if interested and I'll be in touch.

I/m trying to post my domain name on afternic. I registered with 1&1 and cant seem to find it in the list of registrars on on afternic.

warrenweste:
You can in fact i registered my 3rd domain there and sold it within few days n the buyer opened a 1and1 account n I pushed it within minutes. If its outside 1n1 then u can transfer after 60days

Will endusers listen to opening a 1and1 account? I was worried when I saw the 60days freeze. Discovered it after I saw his post. Already bought a domain. Newbie fingers burnt for a sec there

thankyou Iykepromotions. I'll come to share testimony soon.

iykepromotions:
sent..... confirm receipt.

My oga, great job here. Please send me the domain sales letter. Thanks a lot

It's not illegal but it is expensive.

bump

available still

available

bb

available

LadyGuinivere:
My curiousity is piqued! Please do send a PM

PM sent. Thanks a lot.

LadyGuinivere:
Is it a travel/visa kweshion? Ask on the visit thread
Is it for the health section? U can also post it there except the health matter is sensitie can do pms. Apart from that , man of God make we relate here ohh biko. God bless u for understanding.

None of the above.

I'm doing an article on cost of giving birth in the US and needed your help confirming if I've gotten my facts right. Can't paste the article here obviously. It's ok if you can't help

@LadyGuinivere please can I pm you? have something I want to ask. It's not directly related to this thread.

gt

Guyoo:
No picture?

see pic

bc

Ab