This article discusses the different reasons for unemployment and how undergraduates can make money while preparing for graduate life.
Unemployment rate is high. Why? Some say its because of excessive corruption. No it's not.
Or Is it from the Universities? Definitely not.
Our graduates are unemployed because of a plethora of reasons.
The main reason being laziness and tenacious fantasies.
In terms of communication, our graduates cannot make a complete sentence. Their grasp of the English language is so poor that interviewers find it hard to understand them (I'm a young employer).
Basic English language should be learnt in nursery, Primary school and high school only. Before you get admitted into a university, they believe you are an adult that can think for him/herself. A university teaches you how to survive in life, and not how to speak English or force you to read. Most students dont like reading, they learn to speak by hearing and emulation. You hear things like"...according to Sen. Patrick Obahiagbon...". They want to learn the fanciful words before learning when to differentiate between 'their' and 'there'.
So dont blame our universities for our poor graduates' vocabularies.
Next, unemployment is high because our graduates just wanted to enter a university because it was the 'in thing' or they just want to be called a 'graduate'.
They don't know that a University prepares one for the harsh reality of life. That's why you should always develop your talent; study a course based on your talent.
Next, unemployment is high because our graduates have no plans after graduation.
Their plans are to
1. graduate,
2. enjoy nysc,
3. get a 7am-6pm Job with a successful bank,
4. get enlisted as one of those soon to be fired after a massive shake up in the bank,
5. get fired,
6. repeats from no 3
...and the cycle continues...but these people still fantasize on being as rich as Dangote. How?
Now, this is where I'll put the blame on Nigerian Universities. No pun intended but our education sector is still a slave to our colonial masters.
We're still making use of the British system of education, that basically teaches you how to 'carry on' in life, instead of the American system of education that teaches you how to 'start from scratch and survive' in life.
Little wonder Britain is so small and America is so large. A graduate of the American system doesn't have the mindset to 'work for someone'. He/she wants to start something new....and there're alot of new things to be discovered, just look around and think outside the box.
Let me tell you a bit about myself. I used my brilliance to tout around, jumping from different Nigerian universities till I was almost 28.
One day, I told myself that my life is going nowhere. At 28, not a graduate, no investments, nothing. I was just a nobody.
I got admission into a University in US. I promised to study, and I really studied. I didn't have a choice, my sponsor warned me that I'll have to work and study. Only my tuition, accommodation and fees will be paid, directly into the schools account.
I didn't want to work, so after about 2 months, my account was in the red, no source of money for that semester. It affected my studies for sometime till I thought of a plan to make money while maintaining my steadfast studiousness.
I drafted a list of all my Instructors (lecturers). I knew I had excellent grades so it wouldn't be difficult to get money off them. Before the end of that semester, I was almost $3000 richer from teacher-begging.
But I didn't know that good things still awaited. One of the lecturer advised me to apply for a scholarship. That it would make finances easier on me and my sponsor. I though that was a good Idea, till I advanced on it; I decided to apply for scholarship and not tell my sponsor.
I was on scholarship throughout my undergrad days. My sponsor paid my fees directly into the school account, even if I told the person that I was on scholarship, he/she wouldn't believe me.
So I read, maintained my A+ grades, collected money from instructors, the school president, the dean (they are always happy to help an honor student).
My main motivation was the money piling up in the school account. If you know the tuition and fees of unis in the states, do the math...calculate 5 full semesters and 4 summer semesters....that's how much that was waiting for me when I graduated (when you graduate, the school gives you all excess monies in your school account).
This can be applied in Nigerian Universities.
That's how I got the finances to start up and be my own boss.
Try and see money where no one sees it.
I immediately pursued my masters without delay. And now I've invested and set.
Being a humble Nigerian, I want to serve my country briefly for 10yrs and fully expend my skills there...while watching my investments grow.
You want to know a little secret? Someone posted my undergraduate graduation profile here on fp here sometime in 2012.
I urge students to try and think outside the box. There are alot...a damn lot...of ways to make money to propel you and your plans to the future, just make use of your only true friend...your brain. It's begging you to use it.
You guys should really stop graduating from school, just to contribute to the rate of unemployment in Nigeria.
Written by Shaggy, a Nairalander.
