A first-year's honest, nervous night before UNILAG, and how a year as a Virtual Assistant taught me to handle the unknown.
Honestly how my nerves are day by day
The Night Before Akoka
I'm lying on my bed, staring at the ceiling fan, and my bag has been packed since Sunday. I've checked it three times: admission letter, ID, pens, and a notebook I'm almost afraid to write in.
UNILAG. Me. It still sounds like someone else's story.
The Fears That Won't Let Me Sleep
Getting lost
What if I walk into the wrong lecture hall while two hundred people watch? I picture Akoka as a maze, with everyone else holding a map I never received.
Registration and money
What if the portal crashes during course registration and I miss the deadline? Then there's transport, food, handouts, and fees. I keep doing the maths in my head, and the numbers never feel kind.
Not being smart enough
This is the loudest one. What if one bad test proves I don't belong?
"Nobody handed me confidence. I built it task by task."
What a Year as a Virtual Assistant Taught Me
Then I remember something. Last year, I started as a Virtual Assistant knowing almost nothing. I learned Asana, Trello, Zoho, and Zapier, one confusing afternoon at a time. I handled deadlines, messages, and people who needed things yesterday.
So maybe school isn't a monster waiting for me. Maybe it's just another system I haven't learned yet.
My Plan for Day One
I open my phone and start a board with four columns: Timetable, Assignments, Tests, Budget.
Here's the plan:
Leave early and walk my route once.
Ask for directions without shame.
Register for courses early in the morning or late at night, and screenshot every step.
Join my course WhatsApp group on day one.
Say hello to the person beside me.
I'll probably get something wrong, and I'll survive it.
Final Thought
The fan keeps turning, and my chest feels lighter than it did an hour ago. I'm nervous, but I'm not empty-handed. I'm bringing organisation, adaptability, and a year of real work experience.
Okay, UNILAG. I'm nervous. But I'm coming.