Managing as an undergraduate..

During my undergraduate years, though things were tough but not as tough as it is right now. Then, you can manage four hundred naira for two or more days if you have food stuff available and constant electric supply.

Here are some of the things I did to manage myself as an undergraduate. Once my parents provided my tuition, handout, food stuff and provision with little cash, the management depended on me so I had to be wise.

Firstly, I return to school in time to buy vegetables and pepper from a local market in our school area, I grind this pepper, boil it, leave it to cool, store in mayonnaise bottles then I will take it to a neighbours fridge for future use. Then, Nepa were still trying unlike now.

I make sure to cook and eat my breakfast before leaving for school in the morning every day, on the days that I wake up late, I dish my food and take it to school. I can't afford to buy food for two hundred naira per plate when I can cook a pot of soup or stew for one hundred and fifty naira.

To keep hydrated, I take water to school using already used Eva bottled water plastic which I I usually pick from home each time I travel back home. I later upgraded to one fine water bottle like that. I could not afford to buy bottled water everyday, that was too expensive for me then.

My hair was low cut so I only barb once in a month. I make sure to barb my hair each time I travel home as that will make my parents pay for it. No one noticed because i am always on scaff or cap. My outfit back then was a few pairs of black, blue and white jeans trousers with some skirts, tops and shirts all from thrift shops or from my sister's wardrobe.

As for bags, I had these two Tito bags I exchanged from time to time. I carry the first one, wash it and leave it to rest then carry the second one. My footwear were beautiful pairs of thrift shoes which we call akube, some fancy rubber sandals and a sleeper. They saw hell before I changed them.

As for data, I spent little on data because we do most of our assignments at the cafe so what we usually do was to join money together to buy time in bulk from the cafe attendant then take turns among ourselves to get our work done then we pay for printing individually.

During my undergraduate years, I hardly go to school by bus. I avoid taking bus to school, I only take bus to school when I am running late so what I do is to sleep early, wake early, prepare on time and leave the house one hour before the starting of my classes. This will allow me to arrive at the school and take some rest before classes.

As for hanging out, we hang out in the cheapest places that nature has provided us with. Places like the lake side (Jetti) which was closer to our school back then, under the shades of trees on campus and campus fellowships.

These are a few of how I was able to manage myself through school. Thank you for reading, I am @ellizy.

Images used are all mine.