Teaching as an undergraduate.

Good day everyone, welcome to my blog.

Being a working class undergraduate can be fun and less demanding at the beginning of a semester when work is yet to start fully on campus till when classes begin in full and you start to miss classes.

Apart from the challenge of being underpaid, there are other factors which may affect a working class undergraduate, the most important one is that such a person may miss out on some fun activities available to their peers during the semester because you have the responsibilities of being a student and an employee which could be demanding.

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As an undergraduate, I never had the intention to work nor did I search for a job, the job found me. One afternoon during my second year, I went to this lecturer's office to submit an assignment. After submission I made my way back to the hall where the next lecture I had would be taking place, then I had my matriculation number called out from behind.

I turned around to find the assistant of the lecturer whose office I just left calling after me. I went back to meet him and he said "Oga n pe e" (boss is calling you). That was how I landed my first job without experience or qualification. On getting back to his office, the lecturer was direct. He said, I want you to come teach in my school on a part-time basis. I will foot your transportation fees in the afternoon, you will sort yourself in the morning and I will pay you six thousand naira at the end of each month.

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Who was I to say no to Mr Victor Akinola so I agreed on the spot and told him to please design his school's timetable to accommodate my schedule and he agreed. That was how I started working. I would go to work with public transportation in the morning and he would drop me on campus in his vehicle during midday in time for my departmental lectures to commence.

I took up the job because my boss was one of the few lecturers who was well feared on campus and because I was afraid to decline his request. It was on the job I found out that he was not as tough as people thought he was. I was not really lagging in anything so I collected the lump-sum payment of my salary at the end of each semester and used it to buy rice.

When I get to town (my parents house) I sell this rice to the people in our neighbourhood then use the money to buy some of the things I would need in the coming semester. It was like that till my final year when the money I needed for my project was not forthcoming from my parents.

I conveniently paid for my final year project from my pocket and I was glad I was able to support myself through my part time job. During that period and times after, a lot of thoughts usually ran through my mind, one of them was if I was not working and able to support myself, would I have dropped out during my final year?

Thank you for reading, I am @ellizy.