First Day in College: The New Way Of Life

I reached school at 8:00, I'm at the Annex part of the school since that's where my department is situated.

I brought out my phone to confirm the venue of the class from our departmental group chat I was added to when I got admission.

New business lecture hall(Nblh) Rm2 it reads. I look around there are many students either going out of the gate or coming in, others are entering classes, the school looks so busy and filled up with people and cars, Of course it's a Monday, the first day of the week one shouldn't expect less. I walk forward a bit, to my right is the faculty offices, a rectangular building labeled with numbers, right of that is the bursary unit, the next building going in a circular shape is Accounting department, my department and opposite me with a small field in front is another rectangular building all painted Yellow this one is labeled Nblh. I smile and heave a sigh of relief and search for Rm2 with my eyes while walking towards it.

Getting there the Lecturer is already inside. Thank God it has two doors so I make the sign of a cross and walk in using the back door.

"Economics is a social science that studies the relationship between scarcity and resources as a means of satisfying human wants" I hear the lecturer say without break as I take a seat at the nearest space I could find at the back. I guess he is just starting and the class looks so full. Ecn110 happens to be our first course.

"Sir, please come again" a voice says, I can't locate the voice but it belongs to a guy.

"Did I come before?" The Lecturer replies causing the class to erupt into fits of laughter, I can hear oohs and ahhs as some people read different meanings into what he said. The Lecturer looks like he is in his late thirties and has this strict looks, but he seems a bit playful and funny from the reply he just gave. I take out my book as the lecturer continues dictating the notes so fast and look around to confirm if he truly just started from someone. That's when I noticed this girl seated beside me. I recall her face from my very first time in this school when I paid my fees and came to be among the first to sign and stamp to avoid crowding up when it's rush hour.

"Hey Good Morning" I greeted her and she just nodded. She's busy on her phone while writing. Then she turns to look at me catching me off guard as I was lost admiring her physique and mode of dressing. She must be from the North because she was putting on a white coloured hijab,with a multi coloured, long, free flowing gown. When she later stands up I'd get to realize that she's a lot taller and slimmer than me. I've always wanted to be this tall but not this slim.

"Adara" she says while giving me a small smile. She must have noticed me staring at her, hence the reason for that smile.

"What?" I asked a bit confused.

"My name is Adara" she repeats. And continued writing. That was when I realized that I hadn't started writing yet and the lecturer had gone far.

"I'm Treasure" I replied to her and opened my notebook to start writing, then I remembered what I wanted to ask her.

"Tracy, you look familiar I'm trying to recall where I must have met you" she called me Tracy too I smiled.

"Yeah we met at the bursary unit a few weeks ago" I helped her out. "Please did this man just start the lecture?" I finally asked her.

"Oohh yeah I remember you now"she chuckled. "Yes, he just started," she added. I wondered why she was just smiling. I shifted a bit closer in order to copy what I missed. I couldn't wait for the lecture to be over so that I could ask her where she is from. Talking now was a distraction. My goal is to graduate with a first class degree.

"So when do we meet again?" I hear the lecturer say. Signalling the end of his class.

"Tomorrow morning by 10:00", a guy replies. I recall he was elected the class representative by a senior colleague a few weeks ago when few of us met after signing and stamping our school fees receipt for a brief departmental orientation.

"No I won't be free, let's cancel the class and shift it to Saturday '' the Lecturer said. Immediately the whole class is in an uproar. Everyone is trying to talk at the same time. I'm in shock as well.

"But we just resumed, Saturday class, how?" I hear someone say.

"I have clothes to wash" I hear another say. They've said my mind already so I just frown.

"You"!!! The Lecturer says while pointing at a tall very skinny dark girl on a white shirt and blue stripes with blue faded jeans. "Leave my class" The man finished saying. Suddenly the whole class went so quiet that you could even hear a needle drop.

"But sir I wasn't the only one who shouted" she says trying to defend herself.

"I Know but I caught you shouting so you will serve as an example to others" He replied back. So she got up, packed her stuff and walked out. I feel both surprised and sorry for her.

"This Man is gonna be Strict" I hear Adara say beside me.

" If anyone has anything to say, why not raise your hand, I'll point at you and you say it instead of behaving like uncivilized human beings". The Lecturer says, sounding angry. "When I said that I expected Us to negotiate whether it will be favourable or not but no you all started talking and shouting at the same time, has it changed anything??" He asks not really angry this time

"No" we chorused.

"I have the final say, for this attitude we meet by 11:00 on Saturday, Goodbye class" He says and Leaves the class. I don't know why but I turn to look at Adara and she's already looking at me so we share a knowing look and laugh.

"So You're from the north" I say more like a statement than a question.

" Nope, I'm from Edo State" she replied.

"Oooh but you're a Muslim?" I ask this time.

"Yeah, My dad is a Muslim but my mum is a Christian I do follow her to church sometimes,"she states. Interesting, I thought to myself.

"But when you're filling an official form and you're asked your religion you will choose Islam right?" I ask for further clarity. I know it's none of my business but I'm a curious and inquisitive person.

"Exactly," she says.

"Hi" I hear someone say to us, I turn around and see a smiling girl dressed in a knee length yellow gown. She has the most beautiful smile with dimples. She's with some set of girls. I recognize them from a few weeks ago too when we all went to stamp and sign.

"Hello" I replied back and smiled.

"I'm Treasure" she says. I gasp and smile too

"I'm Treasure too" she gives me another of her beautiful smiles." So we are namies" she says.

"I guess so". I replied to her.

"So You're T1" Adara says referring to the other girl "and you're T2" referring to me. Everyone there chuckles. We all took turns to introduce ourselves. There are six girls in total plus Adara and I making it 8. The dark and a bit chubby girl was Melody, she dressed a bit too holy, Then there was Peace,she was dressed so casual and simple, later I got to discover that she is very intelligent, and then Miracle, fairer than Adara, not too slim or chubby, Victoria, short with big buts and chest, super intelligent too and finally a girl with a name in our dialect which we transcribed to mean Endure.

Classes Ends for the day and I find myself walking back home with these 7 girls. We seem to be heading the same direction in order to find a tricycle and head back home. So we gist about school stuff, at some point we all break off and go separate ways. Surprisingly only Adara and I are left.

"Where are you headed?" She asks I tell her and it seems we are heading almost in the same direction. Soon we boarded a minibus, after we settled in I asked her. "So what brought you to Akwa Ibom, I mean why did you choose University of Uyo".

She just smiles and says "nothing really, my dad decided we move down here because of his work"

I nodded, finally satisfied. At a junction we both alight. We bid our goodbyes and she crosses over to her house while I go ahead to board another tricycle heading to the side of my house and finally a bike, Very exhausting. Why I'm I not staying in school? I ask myself, well the last Time I brought it up with my parents.

My dad said he wanted to be able to watch and control me.

I got back home and mum asked about how school went. I gave her and my brother the gist.

Days soon turn into weeks, normal routine, nothing really special or interesting in school happens again for now. University of Uyo wasn't even my choice of school, I remember the day I came back from registering for Jamb, an examination we take in our country in order to gain admission. Dad asked which school I chose, after hearing I chose a school outside the state he got annoyed and ordered me to go change it. I guess it's the same reason for not allowing me to live in school. Too bad he doesn't know his little innocent girl is already halfway from being a bad girl. Don't get me wrong, but I do have some dark past.