#BNCampusSeries: Omolara Gives us a Glimpse into Hostel Life at the University of Lagos

Editor’s note: For the next 3 months, we’ll accept and publish students’ experiences on Nigerian campuses through the #BNCampusSeries. Beyond the four walls of the classrooms, so many things happen on campus, and our goal is to document the various aspects of this phase. The BellaNaija Campus stories explore academics, finances, love, school anxiety, mental wellness, relationships, and everything in between, and we invite you to be a part of our effort to share the diverse experiences of campus life.

Today, Omolara Tanimowo, a student at the University of Lagos, is giving us a glimpse into life in the UNILAG hostel, school activities and the gift of friendship.

Going back to school as a mature adult has to be the boldest step I have taken all my life. At 24, I started pursuing admission into the University of Lagos in 2019. I couldn’t get in despite scoring 252 in my UTME. I tried again in 2020 and scored 272 but still couldn’t get in due to the delay caused by COVID-19. I was given admission but we didn’t resume until October 2021. Nothing prepared me for the life I eventually encountered in the hostel.

It was daunting at first but I adapted really fast and started to enjoy the process. Every day ushers in new dramas; from boyfriend snatching gist to clubbing gist, stolen items gist and fellowship gist – everywhere gist. I was blessed with very amazing roommates who contributed to my growth in many ways. During my last school session, I had the privilege of staying in a hostel where I bonded with my roommates. We had a great time praying, eating, watching movies, reading at night, and playing games together.

Take it from me, hostel life in UNILAG is pure trenches. You have to constantly stay in the good books of the porters by giving them gifts or even raw food items sometimes. There is a particular lady among them who is a beggar. She could beg for anything. There was a time when my roommate wanted to preserve fish in the common freezer, this lady said she could only allow her to keep it if she relinquished one out of the three fish. My friend could not afford the fish getting spoiled, so she agreed. When I got back from home and heard, I lost it. I told her she could have fried the fish instead of falling prey to that greedy person.

But that’s just a bite of hostel tales. Tell me about stolen clothes and underwear. One of my roommates lost her new bra the same week she moved into the hostel. We have to go downstairs to fetch water every time because clean water isn’t running in my own hostel. We have six taps serving over a thousand students in my hostel. It was pure ghetto. Sometimes, it would take two hours just to fetch two buckets of water. Other times, when I don’t have the patience or time, I buy a bag of water to cook or bathe. We’ve had days when the taps would not supply water at all. We would have to go to the closest boys’ hostel to fetch water. In fact, I lost weight from my activities in the hostel than from attending classes or reading.

Nothing comes easy in my hostel, not even cooking. We have six cooking spots serving 12 rooms, and in my room, we are seven. God abeg. Multiply that by 12 rooms and there you have your answer. At 3 p.m. when the power is restored, you’ll see us taking turns cooking. That can go on until past midnight. On the days when I am exhausted from attending classes or staying out reading into the late evenings, I don’t bother joining the cooking queue. I would just buy food from any canteen around or drink garri with groundnuts.

Despite facing some challenges like fighting for water at the tap and running to the kitchen to plug in my hot plate before 3 p.m., I enjoyed the experience and I’m looking forward to going back to the hostel when school resumes. I hope to get a better hostel next time, one with fewer challenges than the one I stayed in the last session. If I don’t get a better one, I’m still willing to go back and face the challenges again. All in all, the experience made me stronger and more skilled at handling tough situations. A luta continua; vitória é certa.