Emma Kanana Mugaa: My university diary
Almost every Kenyan parent wants their children to pass their exams and join university before sitting in those big state and private offices. The jealous villagers must always get their good share of frustration. University students are the most popular groups country. They wear different hats – from influencers to revolutionists or to fashionistas. Everyone, even the old woman in my village, will tell you that all kind of things happen at a university and you should be cautious should you join one. Most of the time, they actually mean bad things, not good and bad combined.
Before I joined Multimedia University about four years ago, my mom invited one of the highly regarded neighbors to come and load me with life’s most important skills in form of pieces of advice, warnings- according to the two. I was going there for strictly one thing – studies. She rubbed in the “fact” that men will be there and the good ones actually prefer learned and financially established women who have been to university. Generally, my job at the university was to study very hard, avoid men and abstain from drugs and all worldly things that were not good for a girl who was good enough to join university. I took it all in good faith, and I am grateful because they wanted the best version of myself and that is what matters.
I had just been given full phone-freedom though it came with a lot of reminders and threats that if I dare go against mama’s wishes, I should not be surprised if a tragedy close to Lot’s wife knocked my door. I thought of the best way to maximize my freedom and settled on peer group interactions, just like all university students. From the interactions it was obvious that the highlight for most of us was the liberation at the university. Tasting freedom for the first time is not as light as you may take it. Most of us did not know how it felt like to take what you want, go out and come back when you want, see whoever you want and most times, do what you want, at least that is how we believed it would be like. Were we frustrated? No?
I reported to MMU in pure ecstasy and mama reminded me that she would be there to celebrate my first-class honors four years later. Like the alchemist taught, the universe conspires to give you something if you really want it. I wanted friends who were as adventurous as I was. I wanted to bath in my freedom. I wanted to try out the wildest of things on the earth. I wanted to test and feel my depths and limits. I wanted people to do this with me. Most of the things that we anticipated, were at our disposal. For the first two and half years we did most of the things that we wanted, when we wanted to.
It is a beautiful Saturday morning and I am in a rush to briefly meet a friend, in town. We are meeting to share crypto trading and investment lessons and personal branding services on social media. The work load on my study desk that morning needed two or more deputies to complete in good time. Either way, I had to leave but one thing was a must do. Meditation. I took my mat, got ready and with my eyes crossed, I embarked on the recently discovered monk Dosho process. Today he failed me. My mind took a rewind to my first months and years at the university. I knew I had spent time in things that did not matter to me or anyone else. Things that neither mama nor her respected neighbour. I wished I had attended to the workload at my desk two years earlier. I wished I had surrounded myself with the Pauls who had seen the light and had left their old beings, said yes to the call, to become the best versions they could be and were consistently on the journey of self-development.
Could I have done better if I had listened to my mother and neighbour? Maybe yes, but if someone was to ask me today, less than four months before leaving university, I would disagree with a lot of things, based on experience. Do not go to the university for a certificate to sit in a big office and help in frustrating jealous villagers. Big offices are important, but we can have more and sit in them with honour. That could be the main reason of being there, but there is a lot to position yourself for greatness in life. For me, it is the best place to exercise and maximise growth in all realms. Have a development plan and build your discipline. It is the best time to surround yourself with great people, identify your mentors and build a strong network. Read and emancipate yourself from mental slavery. The best way to grow in any field is to learn. It is the best time to fix your crown and conquer the world with confidence. Use the freedom to solve a social issue, create and sell content, write, learn about property, invest – I mean just do something that adds value and monitor your own progress! This will keep you on toes and by the time you leave the university you will be proud of the person that you have manufactured.
Always remember when you need something and purpose to go for it, the universe conspires to give it to you. Time at the university is for discovering yourself, adopt healthy habits and make YOU. Remember all the pieces of advice. Above all, get close to God. There is more to life. Have all the fun in the world, but remember to be a free agent with honour.
