Fun or Fear? The Biggest Fs of NYSC

I wish someone had informed me like this National Daily article, that feeling super anxious about the NYSC camp is the beginning of the actual hostage-taking by fear. Experiences are indeed relative and NYSC is no exception. I cannot guarantee that your NYSC experience will far exceed your expectations as mine did but I can assure you that choosing to see the most fun in it will prevent you from being held “hostage”.

So I’ll share with you some pretty important things to note

1. PERSONAL ITEMS

Bring everything you’ll  need for camp. Buy as many whites as possible, not to show off but to ensure your wardrobe won’t limit you from appearing fresh and clean daily. You may have to change up to 3 times a day because of the strong correlation between appearing clean amid the stress and having sound mental health. Always sleep with a mosquito over your head o! and don’t let yourself be persuaded into believing it’s not worthwhile. You may dislike this because it could get intensely hot so buy a handheld electric fan- see this right here? this? It’s essential to living as breathing. LOL. Take a bath if you feel stressed or after being outside for so long. We never really liked this because the bathroom wasn’t exactly the best, so the trick is squinting. Even at night, my eyes were just enough to see without any extra light because hmm… LOL…You’re welcome. Always brush your teeth with packaged water and not tap water, don’t play!!!

2. RELATIONSHIPS

Look people in the eye when talking, especially the officials but with respect; the fear associated with camp causes some corpers to feel insecure and uneasy but what the bold and confident will eat freely, the insecure will beg for. If you don’t appear and speak like you know who you are, you’d be treated like someone different. Do not get too familiar with officials. It’s as simple as this. Smile as an accessory and as a tool. Talk to whichever corper but stay aware of your limits; it is like a game of cards. At all times, never be scared of seeking clarification. Pro tip my friend- if you don’t know what you’re searching for and if beauty isn’t looking for you, it will blind you rather than make you see. Do not let butterflies with a three-week lifespan cause you to lose yourself and I tell you, there’s a whole field of butterflies waiting for you there so be wise! haha!!!

3. FOOD

Don’t skip breakfast o! and always include proteins, in fact, skip no meal as some activities would make you get tired quickly. Remember fruits and fruit shakes!!! You’ll need a lot of self-control to avoid spending all your money on mammy market food. There are some good spots there so be careful and remember life begins outside the camp but hey it’s okay to be a little extra sometimes ^_^. You may want to ditch fit-fam till you’re outside camp for this reason – ICE-CREAM, those sweet and shiny things will comfort you ‘cause of the heat so don’t think too much, just indulge to cool your brain. If you’ve never appreciated God for ice-cream, wait till you get to camp.

4. SLEEP

Prep the night before so you can sleep till 4 am and get ready in a few minutes, or even get ready earlier and sleep till the bugle blast at 4:30 am. Sit in front of someone with a chair to rest your head and sleep when necessary. This? You’d get better sleep from this most times than at night. Get at least 5 hours of sleep daily using both sleep tricks. Sleep is a luxury there so don’t joke with it. Use your sunglasses if you really need to sleep at odd times but be careful ‘cause it’s not really allowed in most camps. Just be wise. My igbo friends will say “ Ako na uche”

5. SOCIALS

There’s always something at night to keep the “fun-fire” burning. Participate where and when necessary, and don’t be afraid to take the lead. No one will tell you this but most people who are actually REALLY good at the stuff and shy away from the spotlight because of the fear of failure, usually end up saying “it wasn’t even that deep, I should have gone for xyz…” so don’t cry just try, but try excellently well. Also, don’t forget man is spirit. When you don’t skip personal and congregational moments of worship, you’ll be amazed at how inspired you are to keep going and how recharged you feel for the rest of the week. Laugh when you should, and get involved where necessary and due. By connecting with people on a personal level and creating lasting memories, you can appear everywhere without actually being everywhere which is key for maintaining relevance at protecting your peace during camp. Act surprised when you are, offer fist bumps when people succeed… make solid memories!!!

If you’ve accepted the call, you must take it in good humor with a sense of purpose. I didn’t have my phone for a whole week till the end of camp because it got bad yet I could see the beauty of everything. I didn’t lose much weight and if I did, just a bit. I also didn’t get a tan in my complexion as I thought I would which was a major concern initially.

So, my friend, this is that encouraging message about the NYSC camp you’ve been hoping for and once you condition your spirit for good, things will align to favor even your body and soul.

See you again!!!