Campus Life by Mulindwa E. & Kikwata E.

GET ORIENTED TO CAMPUS LIFE: The Facts a Fresher Should Know
The facts a fresher must know
Edmond Mulindwa
BRAM(Hon), Makerere University, Kampala
A Senior Research Assistant
Research Records and Archives Management Consultancy Solutions Ltd (RRACS)
0700764661/0784996561
edmondmulindwa@gmail.com
Jimmy Kikwata
BRAM(Hon), Makerere University, Kampala
Principle Director
0703330003/0788681118
kikwatajimmy@gmail.com
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By Mulindwa E. & Kikwata J.
Copyright Notice
Edmond Mulindwa & Jimmy Kikwata 2017
All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission
of this publication may be made without
a written permission from the authors.
No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced
or copied or transmitted without permission
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PREFACE
Campus life involves attending university events, joining student groups,

working on campus, being a fan of sports, and much more. Therefore we
developed the idea of putting the campus life in writing after realizing that
freshers are ever challenged with the situations found at campus. It has
been discovered that some students make mistakes thinking that
campusers must be like that. When they make mistakes, regretting cannot
save them in future and some mistakes can cause permanent visible and
invisible scars on their lives. The consequences of whatever done at
campus starts the positive and negative reminders one may get out of
campus gates with until his /her death. Therefore, whatever is written in
this information bank has been generated out of search through reading
different publications from different people, making inquiries from different
classes of people like campus students, administrators, facilitators,
educationists and residents around different campuses especially Makerere,
Kyambogo, Nkumba, IIU, Bugema, KIU, UCU, NKOZI, Victoria and Ndejje.
You will find out that many statements have been directly presented in the
way they were gotten from different sources. Some other information is
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presented basing on the experience of the writers.
All campus students are appreciated because their lifestyle has compelled
the writers to critically take this analysis and come up with this
documentation as evidence for future generations. The reader is requested
to properly read and understand this documentation properly and learn
from all the arguments gotten from different sources.
Therefore, this initiative will benefit the freshers and the entire public to
get informed about what happens inside and outside the gates of different
campuses. The fresh students may use this book in supplement to other
tools to pave their way to success while at campus. Fresh campus students
take this opportunity to get a well-documented lifestyle that is found at
campus to prevent you from accidental mistakes. The Senior six "A" level
students may also take their time grasping the content of this book to get
prepared for campus life in time.
The parents, sponsors and guardians who are fueling their daughters and
sons to fulfill their dreams may also use this book to be informed about
the entire life of the campuses where they send them. Therefore do not be
hesitant to get your own copy.
We wish you the best

may
God bless you!
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The process of writing this publication started from 2012 after realizing the
challenges faced by campus students. When the demand of selecting the
what to research about campus obviously the topic Get Oriented to
Campus Life was taken as the first priority. Therefore, reaching this level in
life, it has been a combination of efforts from different individuals. I would
love to utilize this chance to acknowledge them for the priceless work
done. First and foremost, l thank the highly exulted God for the gift of life,
knowledge and ability that have fueled the production of this information
bank.
In my course of life, I cannot forget to thank my beloved Father and

Mother Mr. & Ms. G. W Yiga who give me a parental support in all my
programs. I thank the local community members of Lusenke Gomba where
I grew from for the good cooperation we had and still have with them.
Academically, I thank Msgr. Charles Kato Katongole for the endless and
priceless support he gives me. In supplement to the same great
contributors, Mr. Stephen Kyameze the principle director of St. Stephens
College Bajja is also much appreciated for his support.
Gratitude and thanks are extended to my brother and sisters namely;

Kamoga Samuel, Namirimu Jenifer and Namusis Justine who are ever
welcoming and supporting my innovative ideas. On top of that I also
appreciate Nakiwala Mastula, Nakabugo Reme, Mirembe Eve, Islam
Ibrahim, Lubotwa Josua, and Kansiime Edgar who are my notable friends
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over the years. Although different responsibilities and other inevitable

factors sometimes separate us geographically they have been my
cornerstone during the process of writing this publication.
I also thank the different local media houses including Bukedde, Orumuri,
New Vision, Daily Monitor, Kamunye, Weekly Observer and The sun that
took a step to follow the inside stories about the campus students and
other stakeholders. They have been a pivotal source of information that
was used to provide answer to all pending questions that had to be settled
by the writers of this book. The campus Times, Campus Bee and YallAfrica
should also be appreciated for the information that was also cited in
relation to the topic.
Lastly, I cannot forget Mr. Lutwama Ben the Director of Bukalagi High
School and Brother Federis Muleme the former Head Teacher of St.
Aloysius Bukalagi who primarily supported me with the little they had.
May the highly exulted God reward you abundantly!
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CONTENTS
PREFACE ................................................................................................ i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................ iii
INTRODUCTION .................................................................................... 1
BE READY FOR CAMPUS ......................................................................... 3
THE LANGUAGE/TERMS USED BY CAMPUS STUDENTS AND THEIR ORIGIN
............................................................................................................ 8
CHANGES EXPERIENCED AFTER JOINING CAMPUS ................................ 11
QUALITIES THAT MAKE AN EFFECTIVE CAMPUS STUDENT .................... 13
Self-Disciplined .................................................................................... 13
Engagement ........................................................................................ 14
Persistent ............................................................................................ 14
Thorough ............................................................................................ 14
Organized............................................................................................ 15
THE COMMON CHALLENGES FACED BY FRESH STUDENTS AT CAMPUS .. 15
STUDENTS LEADERSHIP...................................................................... 21
THE RELEVANCY OF COMPUTERS AT CAMPUS ...................................... 22
ATTENDING LECTURES ........................................................................ 23
THE EFFORT NEEDED AT CAMPUS ........................................................ 25
HOW TO DEAL WITH YOUR COURSE WORKS (RESEARCH) .................... 27
WHAT MAKES COURSE WORKS HARD? ................................................. 29
SELF CONDUCT AT CAMPUS (DRESSING, CLUBBING AND COUPLING) .... 31
CLUBBING AT CAMPUS ........................................................................ 35
THE CAMPUS BEACH TIME ................................................................... 38
COUPLING AT CAMPUS ........................................................................ 39
RELIGIONISM AT CAMPUS ................................................................... 43
STUDENTS FEEDING AT CAMPUS......................................................... 45
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STUDENTS RESIDENCE ....................................................................... 47

WHAT HINDERS SUCCESS AT CAMPUS? ................................................ 53
RETAKING COURSES AND ITS IMPACTS ............................................... 55
DEAD YEARS AT CAMPUS ..................................................................... 59
STRIKING AT CAMPUS ......................................................................... 61
SAFETY AT CAMPUS............................................................................. 64
WHAT TO BE DONE ............................................................................. 65
FEES PAYMENT AT CAMPUS ................................................................. 66
STUDENTS REUNION CLUBS AND ASSOCIATIONS ................................ 69
HOW MANY STUDENT CLUBS OR ORGANIZATIONS SHOULD YOU JOIN? 72
WHAT ARE THE GENERAL TYPES OF CAMPUS CLUBS AND ASSOCIATIONS?
.......................................................................................................... 73
SPORTS CLUBS .................................................................................... 75
COMMUNICATION AT CAMPUS ............................................................. 77
INTERNSHIP OVERVIEW/INDUSTRIAL TRAINING .................................. 79
CHALLENGES FACED BY INTERNEES ..................................................... 82
GRADUATION ...................................................................................... 84
HOW STUDENTS DECEIVE THEIR PARENTS AFTER FAILING TO
GRADUATE? ........................................................................................ 87
RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................... 89
CONCLUSION ...................................................................................... 91
GLOSSARY ............................................................................................ a
Pictorial ................................................................................................. b
Other Sources........................................................................................ b
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INTRODUCTION
Congratulations to all of you who have been admitted by different

universities around our motherland Uganda. We must understand that
every step of the process is a building block towards the next and has
important elements of training and a depth of knowledge expected in life.
You are going to experience a new place with new characters but get
ready for them. You are going to be around new people and have to make
an entirely new groups of friends. Your parents are not going to be
watching over your shoulder so you are expected to do the needful.
This book presented to you is about the opportunities and pitfalls that face
all campus fresh under graduate students. It aims at addressing the golden
campus vibes through the discussion of the students' residential life,
academics, privacy, stress management, clubs, time management, drugs
and alcohol, sex, conflict resolution, dressing, self conduct and separation
from family. If you have been a wheelbarrow, please expect no one to
push you at campus. You are now done with elementary, ordinary and
advanced levels of education where your teachers and parents have been
following you up to do the needful. At this age you are expected to be self-
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driven. Any person who thinks that campus life needs relaxing he/she
becomes a potential candidate to harvest a failure!
All people enter into the campus gates with excitement written all over
their faces. Mentally they get aligned towards the first-class chart and they
all feel like they just got an award. But the sad news is, the number of
students being celebrated for admission is commonly far more higher
compared to that of graduation! Thus it is something worthy of thinking!
Many continuing students continue to assert that the strategy involved in

the University Setting is quite different from the one used during the
secondary school days. One Noted that back in school, a student might not
come for class but at the end of the term still comes out as the best.
Interestingly, in high school a student may spend the whole of the session
in the hospital but comes up as the best in that class. How did it happen?
No one knows but to be sincere, if you employ that strategy in University,
you might find it difficult to succeed as some lecturers are very strict
when it comes to taking attendances. To supplement on that, some
courses are really crazy that one will struggle to understand on his/her own
without attending classes.
So in this write-up, a lot have been share with the Newly Admitted
Students some tips that would help them succeed while at campus. These
tips are no-brainer and no guarantee to success though they are just some
helpful hints that might boost your stand as a student on campus.
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BE READY FOR CAMPUS
Campusers
When you first arrive at campus, you will have time on your hands, a time
for socializing before life gets too busy. So it is advised that pay any tuition
and all fees needed, get your timetable, get to know your library, buy any
items you may have forgotten to bring from home. Make sure that you
have the necessary things before lecture commences. Therefore this
statement develops solidarity among the freshers not get carried away with
the euphoria of being a fresher.
Set an agenda and follow it. It was argued by continuing students that this
seems like pretty obvious advice, but you would be surprised how many
students and facilitators do not have a good system for managing time.
therefore one confirmed that the university is a lot about managing your
time. Getting to classes, dealing with e-mails, assignments, planning for
exams, Facebook, and squeezing in a social life, or a part-time job. It is a
struggle to manage all these tasks and to control this one must develop a
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clear and straightforward system of calendar + tasks. Under calendar,

include your class schedule, important dates and meetings, and most
importantly, look at the calendar regularly!
I personally prefer using an on-line calendar that syncs with my phone but
some people prefer the old-fashion (yet dependable) hard-copy calendar a
second year student said. For tasks, include short-term tasks (with
deadlines cross-referenced with your calendar) and long-term tasks, so
that you are reminded of deadlines. Use a small notebook for your task list,
and keep it always with you, the act of physically writing down a task list
may help you remember what you need to work on. She adds that a good
system for your agenda and tasks will make your life a lot easier.
Furthermore, effective use of an agenda and task list will help you refine
your time management skills, and these skills are essential
options to success at University (and for your career, beyond).
Attend lectures, You Paid For it and they

are there for a reason. Basing on the
investigation made, most students come in
with a focused mind and attend lectures on
a daily basis but they tend to backslide due
to some forces. Unknown to some of them
is that lectures provide value-added content. It is true that some of the
content may be available online, or with a text-book, but in most cases,
lectures help to draw connections between different contents, and/or
provide a valuable context to the material that might be in the textbook or
on-line.
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By experience, professors take a lot of pride in lecturing, and work hard to

make the lectures engaging, interesting, and thought-provoking, not all of
them though. You will soak up an amazing amount of material by just
being in lectures, and paying attention.
Connect With People. The truth is, the university is like a bag filled with
random objects. Therefore You should be expecting different kinds of
fellow from all walks of life. But networking with the right kind of people
can go a long way in helping you achieve that goal. Ask questions. Do not
form big boy, you are not! There are no silly questions (except for Will this
be on the exam?). This is very, very true. If you are confused about
something, or failed to get the point of a slide, or discussion, you must ask
for clarification. Although it can be intimidating to ask a question in a large
lecture room, its important to try. If you are confused, its highly likely that
other students are also confused. You are helping yourself, and your peers,
when you put your hand up.
Have a Study Strategy. In order to keep control of your commitments,

write out a personal timetable which includes any employment obligations,
scheduled study such as lectures, at least two library sessions per week,
private study, planned activities such as clubs and societies, and time for
rest and relaxation with your friends. Try to stick to it in principle. Even if
you have not had time to do the background reading, make sure that you
try to attend all your lectures, seminars and tutorials as this will help you to
form an impression of the broader picture.
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Keep copies of all written work, back up your computer and keep the discs
in a safe place. Build yourself, not your resume. Many students will do
extracurricular or gain leadership positions just because they want to
impress future employers. However, if they focus more on developing
themselves as strong, well-rounded people, they will be far more
memorable in interviews and in the working world.
It was discovered that the Law of

Diminishing Marginal Returns applies to
your GPA, too: Of course, you should
maintain a respectable GPA, but know
that once you go blow 3.5, it matters less
and less. The difference between an A
and an A- is not worth you endlessly
poring over a textbook instead of
spending valuable time with friends or
working on extracurricular activities. The amount of energy needed to get
perfect grades could be put to better use.
Enjoy yourself, Its Your Time. You are not expected to carry books and
start reading on the first day of commencement. Enjoy yourself, make new
friends, if you are the type that likes girls, you will get a lot to mix with,
participate in the joy, let people know you. This is because your freshers
days are when you will have most time to enjoy, subsequent years might
not be so funny.
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Different sources revealed that what

one must put in his/her minds is that
the campuses collect numerous
students from different schools.
Therefore, coming from big schools
with good grades does not grantee a
person that he/she will be a star at
campus. Many students from such
schools have been seen reluctant
academically and they end up not
graduating. On the other hand
however, coming from poor schools does not mean that you are likely to
fail at campus. Therefore much effort is needed when doing revisions,
course works, tests and exams. That will earn you colorful grades at
campus. Pleases as you are starting your life at campus avoid yourself
from getting retakes. This will discourage you a lot.
Students become excited when they are admitted to different campuses.

During this period, they spend much on buying luxurious things forgetting
that where they have gone there is fire, which requires water to be
extinguished. The fire am talking about are the necessary expenses like
buying laptops, handouts and coursework expenses that require availability
of money. There are other expenses apart from the above and the
condition becomes more serious when a student is not to live with the
parents or guardians.
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THE LANGUAGE/TERMS USED BY CAMPUS STUDENTS AND

THEIR ORIGIN
Language use at campus among students is very confusing, interesting and

enjoyable. It is learned that there are various unique terms used by
campus students with different meanings. Majority of them have been
initiated by students and others by celebrities. From that point, many
names of places and other things have been twisted to sound differently.
Let us look at some of these terms and what they mean.
Congs: This term means congratulations. At different campuses, it is

learnt that when one is to congratulate a person he/she says "congs"
instead of congratulation. You may realize that congs comes from the word
congratulation so it is in brief.
Pic: This is originated from the word picture. In case a campus student is
to talk about pictures he may just say pics.
Kasanja/Kisanja: This is the common term used by campus students that

means retakes. Retakes have been exhaustively explained under the theme
Retaking Courses and Its Impacts.
Puma: This is a term used to mean the shoes for boys.

Kikumi-kikumi: This name is originated from a very local restaurant that
is located in the western part of Makerere campus. The meals from this
restaurant were organizes in a buffet format mimicking that of the large
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hotels. It is discovered that each type of food from this restaurants was
charges 100/= (kikumi). The more types of food one could add on the pale
the more 100/= (kikumi) was charged. From that point the restaurant
became to be known as Kikumi-kikumi. Originally, this area was called
Mukwenda Zone but this name changed an now is known as Kikumi-
kikumi.
Some names of different areas are twisted and pronounced by campussers
in the following ways;
Wandesi : Wandegeya
Bugosi : Bugoloobi
Nugasi : Naggulu
Bweyos : Bweyogerere etc
Weewe: This term is used to mobilize students to join a strike. It is

revealed that weewe expresses the un-certification of the students about
anything.
We goooo wego: This term is commonly used by supporters of Uganda
Crain (National Football Team). It was discovered that this slogan was
initiated by Makerere university students and it was used in deferent
occasions. Firstly, it is used to moral boost the students when striking and
it is also used when supporting the University football team in case of any
completion.
Hi: Because of time, campus students use "hi" to great each other. When a
person says hi another one replies hi!
Chick: This term is used by the campus students to mean a girl. Therfore,
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girls at campus are sometimes called chicks.

Boodabi: As it was noted earlier, campus students are good at twisting
the names of different objects. Boodabi is the term that means a
boodabooda. Therefore instead of saying am going to use a boodabooda
one may say am gona use a boodabi.
Sato: Campusers say Sato instead of Saturday.
Bats and bubs: This is the common term used at all campuses to mean
the buttocks of girls. In case one tries to explain the different features of a
campus girl, he or she may call bats to mean buttocks and bubs to mean
breasts!
Clibs: It was revealed that campus students use the name clib to mean
the room where a student resides. For that matter, stories like My clib,
Your Clib and others are very common. I one meets this he/she must not
be surprised.
Marrum, stone, Suit etc : The story of hating posho by high school
students does not end. To express this at campus, Marrum, stone, Suit
etc are the names used to mean posho.
Campus: Campus is the common term used by all campus students to
mean a University. Therefore, many students are seen stating that
"............am at campus........!.
Other terms are; Lib that means library, Lab that means laboratory, and
Guy that means a campus boy. In addition to the same, the term click s
used by campus students to mean a group or a discussion group. These
are the common statements that reveal this meaning very well. We have
our clik.........., That click is segregate, That click is strong etc. Finally, the
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term PC means a personal computer like laptops.

One may find out that there also other terms that have been not
mentioned since this language is like a growing organism.
CHANGES EXPERIENCED AFTER JOINING CAMPUS
It was discovered that there are a lot of things that

change tremendously when one joins campus. Some of
these changes are the terminologies experienced that
can be quit different from those found in high school.
At campus, educators are not called teachers as it is
the case with primary and secondary schools. At
campus Lecturers, Doctors and Professors are the
educators of students. Therefore, calling these people
teachers is a sign of demotion to them. They are
commonly called by their tittles and this makes them
happy. For this matter, only fresh students call them
teachers because they are not familiar with the
terminologies am talking about. Please be aware to
avoid the same mistakes.
Another change experienced at campus, is that

students are not studying in classes. The rooms where
studies are conducted are termed as lecture
rooms/theaters. They are assigned with different identifiers like L R 1A, LR
1B, LR 1C, and others. When these characters are indicated on the
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timetable they confuse freshers so much. Different universities have

different ways of identifying their lecture rooms.
At primary and secondary levels, the materials taught are categorized as

Subjects. For example, Mathematics, English, Geography and others. At
campus freshers are introduced to Course Unites. Course units are in
plenty at campus. Therefore, one course may cover 30 course units and
each has its weight.
Unlike the primary and high schools, universities are commonly head by
chancellors and lectors. On the side of government institutions, these
positions are termly where one has to serve for a given period. Guild
president is the top most students leader at the university level assisted by
Ministers, Guild Representatives, College Presidents and so on. Putting on
uniforms should be obvious known to all students that it is not common
among the campus students.
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QUALITIES THAT MAKE AN EFFECTIVE CAMPUS STUDENT
It was experienced that many scholars have

it that being an effective campus student
includes understanding the need to balance
all aspects of learning. Along with acquiring
knowledge in the classroom, the campus life
is a critical transition from adolescence to
adulthood. Learning how to balance school,
work and personal time, make adult
decisions and manage finances is part of the
educational experience. Successful campus
students normally share several common characteristics as seen below.
Self-Disciplined
Self-discipline is critical to keeping up with good performance and other life

demands. During a serious discussion with campus students, it was noted
that self-disciplined students show up to class regularly and punctually, pay
attention and take notes during class, study, prepare well for exams and
seek out lecturers for assistance as needed. All of these contribute to
stronger class performance and effective learning. Additionally, self-
discipline helps in scheduling and time management to optimize
performance at work and in other activities and relationships coinciding
with the educational experience. Self-disciplined students rarely engage in
destructive strikes that may result into their expulsion.
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Engagement
Effective campus students get engaged in their education. In lectures, they

participate regularly in academic discussions, interact with other students
in team activities and projects, take notes and ask questions on confusing
topics. Students may be asked to work on an ethical case in a management
class, for instance. Engaged students share their experiences and insights
and listen to those of others before moving forward on a decision. They
also keep schedules of tests, projects and other high-priority activities, and
they maintain a list of what to-do that helps them optimize time
management while at campus.
Persistent
Campus is a two- to four-year commitment that have ups and downs in

both academics and social experiences. Making a habit of dropping classes
when you get one bad grade or feeling dejected when projects do not go
well is not effective. Basing on that idea, continuing students claim that
successful students take the opportunity to learn what mistakes they make
on tests and projects to avoid them in the future. They also take advantage
of tutoring services and other academic support services, which are often
available, to improve study habits and test skills.
Thorough
Lectures at universities typically emphasize production, performance and

results more than effort. Consistency in attendance and work completion
are important. Delivering high-quality course work, projects and earning
high grades are what makes you a top student. Editing and reviewing
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papers to avoid simple grammatical and spelling errors are habits of

effective students. Completing all required elements on course work,
projects and then finding opportunities to go above and beyond help
students earn good grades and stand out from peers.
Organized
Students often balance school with work, family and personal time. To
effectively navigate each area of life, you need good organizational skills.
Good students, commonly keep daily and weekly calendars that include
days and times for lecturers tests, exams, project deadlines as well as
scheduled study time. Closely related, good students possess the discipline
to generally stick to their schedules and avoid the regular calls from friends
for parties and social outings.
THE COMMON CHALLENGES FACED BY FRESH STUDENTS AT

CAMPUS
The biggest percentage of the fresh
students is expected to be confused
when time comes to locate different
facilities at campus. Freshers should be
aware that all the people who went
through camps life faced this
challenge. Locating where to study
from, the lecture rooms, libraries and
laboratories is challenging to the fresh
students. This situation is very
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common at Universities with very big land coverage accompanied by many

and big buildings. There some students may even find themselves
attending the lectures that they should not attend to. To solve this,
information sources highlighted that one should report to the campus
before the commencement of the lectures and get familiar with the place.
This may partly solves confusion.
Freshers week is a daunting time and as such it is pretty much a free-for-

all for thieves as students wander around. Make sure you shut your
windows and lock your doors before you go out. It gets crowded at the
freshers fair, so use closable bags and keep valuables out of sight. If
moving away from campus, plan your routes and avoid the more dodgy
parts of town.
The food is not like home cooking. Students

can gain weight during the first year eating
too much fat, starch and junk food. Most
students complain about the food. One of
the students noted that if one is not
satisfied with the food provided from the
halls of residence, restaurants and hostels is
free to find where better services are
delivered than striking and spoiling the
university property.
Some students become homesick, missing their family, friends, and pets.
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They miss their old routines and structures.
The work assigned to by lecturers sometimes is hard and some students

may experience their first low grades. Most students have done well in high
school. Some high school courses are not as demanding as campus.
Therefore a student has to learn about a particular lecturers expectations
and style of grading.
Self-motivation among students is challenging. Continuing students

experienced that many fresh students may weight for a person to tell them
what to do which is totally not the case with campus life. The noted that
there is no one around to force the student to study, to go for lectures, or
to get a good nights sleeps. Students have to create a structure that works
for them. Time management is a skill that can be learned or improved
through work with the campus.
Some lecturers may not be as exciting and challenging as students thought

they would be. While some are interesting lecturers, some are not. Some
lead discussion classes and expect students to do a good deal of the
talking. This may challenge quieter students but as time goes on they
become used.
Some students may have trouble with reading and writing assignments.
The level of writing required may be higher and in greater quantity than
what was expected. Some students need extra tutoring in writing,
grammar, spelling, etc. This may be impossible due to time factor. Some
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readings may be more complex and difficult than expected too.

Assignments may require several readings and much more time than
students allot. Therefore making very many inquiries from friends who may
have understood what to do might be useful. No man is an island please
get ready for this.
There are a lot of things to figure out such as which courses to take, who
to get to know and where to go for this or that.
A lot of energy goes into trying to make sense
of the new environment. Students may feel
confused and bewildered from time to time.
Please be decisive about what courses are to
be done and concentrate on them.
There is a challenge of getting used to different

titles, slogans, vocabularies and rituals that are
new and unique to fresh students. Concepts such as deans, principals,
convocations and others may be new to them. What do students call their
professors? Dr.? Ms.? Mr.? They need to ask before making enormous
mistakes. Some campus rituals may feel strange. In response to this
situation, time becomes the healer and students just get used and end up
collecting themselves.
Students dress differently than in high school. Some have body piercings
and decorated hair. As their adolescents explore their identity, they may
look radically different during the first vacation or two homes. This is the
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kind of freedom found at campus but it is competitive and expensive

especially on the girls side. Please decorate the brain more through
reading you will get what you want.
There are so many choices that the student can be overwhelmed and may
not complete projects and tasks. There are so many clubs, organizations,
activities, courses, lectures, sports practices, and concerns that it is
sometimes hard to decide what to go to. Conversely, studies show that
judicious active involvement can help students make better use of their
time and increase the quality of their work. Some students dont get
enough sleep and get sick because they are committed to too many groups
and/or projects. Balancing time is the key.
There is some promiscuous behavior and some drug use. Students have to
mature, make responsible choices, and be aware that others may not
engage in the most constructive behaviors. Sometimes roommates want to
bring their partners into the room. Some students may even talk like
everyone else is doing it. Keep in mind that this is their perception rather
than the reality.
Roommates often have different lifestyles, values, and ways of doing

things. A roommate can be particular, messy, reliable, unreliable, assertive,
helpful, noisy, confused and difficult to live with. Some students find it
challenging to live with a new person. For others, it is easy and friendships
emerge. It is claimed that if students calls home to complain about their
roommates problems, they are encouraged first to work things out.
19
Students may need to talk about switching roommates if the situation

becomes intolerable for example, if a roommate is abusive.
20
STUDENTS LEADERSHIP
It is believed that majority of good

leaders we have in the country were
shaped by different campuses. These
include the Presidents, Members of
Parliament, Chair Persons and so many
others. Sometimes, being in a position
of leadership can be a scary thought. It
is reported that leadership comes with a
lot of responsibilities and hard work.
Despite sounding scary, seeking and
maintaining a leadership position at
campus can be one of the greatest things one can do to grow personally,
professionally and academically. One of the students leaders noted that I
have had the opportunity to engage in various leadership and I have
managed to learn a lot which am sharing with you now. Stating this, he
was elaborating the benefits and pitfalls of leadership at campus. He said
he was determined that after graduation he will compete at the national
level as a member of parliament, chair person or any other position that
may be worthy his ability. To prove his statements, many students leaders
after completing campus they join such politics at national level.
All students are free to participate in leadership at campus irrespective of

their year of study, age, colour, tribe and the course taken. Therefore,
21
from different universities one may aspire as; a gild president, Gild
Representative Councilor (GRC), College president, or class representative.
THE RELEVANCY OF COMPUTERS AT CAMPUS

In 1983 student computer users were mainly science and engineering
professionals. In 1998 all students needed access to computers to succeed
in schools regardless of their professions. The intervening years have
witnessed the growth of computer use in word processing, data analysis,
and presentations. The explosion of the Internet and its centrality as an
information resource has made education very easy.
Students from different institutions now use computers to complete

assignments, to communicate with administrators and other students and
to research subject matter using online databases and Web resources.
Students critique each others work and communicate with experts at
remote sites by means of online discussion sessions. Many textbooks now
come with companion tutorials, which are computer-based. Therefore,
students are advised to be with their personal computers to avoid
inconveniences.
Beyond their capability to enhance instruction and research, computers can

make participation in campus life more convenient by providing Web-based
services and easy access to information. The universities offer online ride-
share boards, classified announcements, electronic services for finding
academic materials, and other applications geared toward social needs. It
22
is assumed that the price of computers is challenging to some students but

when aiming at success one would improvise for one.
ATTENDING LECTURES
You have probably heard that
there are several ways of
learning, and while reading or
doing might be the preferred
methods for many students,
listening is another important
way of learning material. One
reason students think lectures
are boring is because they
require concentration, but
learning to concentrate and
learning through concentration are very valuable skills that serve in ones
studies and career.
It is reveled from different sources that one of the reasons that many
students skip lectures is because they feel that they are a waste of time.
But lectures can actually save you time and serve as a map for all
assignments and exams. It is confirmed that a good lecturer will signpost
your way with key terms, definitions, examples, and short cuts. Therefore,
pay attention to how your lecturer presents information and take good
notes. Does the professor get excited about a certain subject? Does he or
she tell you when something will or will not be on the tests? Does your
23
lecturer repeat terms or ideas frequently? All these things can guide your
studies and save time when it comes to revision and assignments.
But remember that lectures

are more than just the sum
of their slides. It is
established that one of the
biggest reasons to attend
lectures is that the lecturer
will present information
that is neither outlined on
the slides nor covered in
course material anything Lecture in progress
from important facts or tips to changes in the dates of the assignments or
exams. Lectures are not just about the person standing in front of the
class. If you do not attend lectures, you will not have the chance to ask
questions (or hear the questions other students ask,) and you will not be
able to interact with others in your course. Lecturers and professors may
be the 'experts,' but you will be surprised at how much you can learn from
your classmates.
So, go to your lectures and ask questions. Speak up if you do not

understand something, participate in discussions, and do not be afraid to
talk to your professor, your lecturer, or the other students after lecture.
Please pay attention to more than just the lecture material. Did your
lecturer mention a website, event, or company in passing that sparked
24
your interest? Make a note and follow up on it after lecture you are taking
this course because the subject interests you and chances are that there
are aspects of the field you have never considered. Therefore, lectures are
valuable, so if you must skip do it for a good reason.
THE EFFORT NEEDED AT CAMPUS
Some join campus with a mentality that there is no need of reading a lot.
Please you are deceived. This must be done from the commencement of
the semester until it ends. For that matter, there are a number of different
techniques that can help you revise and each individual is different. To find
what works for you, try out some of the convenient techniques below as
suggested and it may make all the difference between getting your
25
expected grades and exceeding them.
Balance your time between each course unit efficiently. If you have revised
properly you should be able to take regular breaks from revision. There is
an article published by Gem Royston-Claire in 2015 where it was noted
that too much revision is actually counter-productive. Instead of having to
revise lots and lots of text, summarize your notes further and further until
you can whittle them down into key words you can place on cue cards or
mind maps. You could do this by subject, topic, theme or module
Gem Royston-Claire pointed out that one must read the set readings or
texts. Read study notes and authors comments on certain topics. Read
around the topics. If you have a set of text to read, read it more than once
and make notes of key moments or examples to use in your exam.
However in this article, Gim does not encourage reading and understanding
the subject content.
Therefore, do not just memorize your notes. Demonstrate your knowledge

and understanding of a topic. Be individual stand out from the crowd. Make
sure you state your argument in your introduction and be consistent. Once
confident with the content of each subject, make essay plans and sit past
exam papers to test yourself. Leave plenty of time to revise before your
exams. Do not cram the night before. Divide your time effectively. Revisit
information. Have time to practice past exam papers. Sit past exam papers
as if they are the real things. Practice making quick essay plans and time
yourself when writing the essay.
Do the work and it will pay off. Do not think of exams as a chore, if you
26
work hard and revise properly you will see that exams are your chance to
"show off" to the examiners and your fellows.
HOW TO DEAL WITH YOUR COURSE WORKS (RESEARCH)
It was discovered that a lot of pleasure is

experienced when dealing with course works at
campus. This causes stress and some students
lose their weights! At high school level,
assignments/ activities / exercises/ home
works are just handwritten on papers and hand
delivered to the teacher for marking without
any serious research conducted. This is not the
case with campus life. At campus, the introduction of Information and
Communication Technologies (ICTs) has changed everything done.
Therefore students submit their course works after making through
research on Internet and sometimes using library publications. The sources
of work done are cited as references. This work is then processed using
Computer Application Software like Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel,
Microsoft Power Point and others. Processing this work involves typing and
editing. For students who have their personal computers they do this on
their own. Others who do not have computers, they take their handwritten
work to different printaries for typing. These printaries are strategically
spread in different campus premises and the places around campuses.
After proving the completion of the work by students (owners of the work),
it is printed on the fine duplicating papers.
27
The submission of the course works is done in two ways; submitting hard
copies (on papers) and submitting soft copies online. After printing, the
students submit their hard copies to the class representatives. The class
coordinator prepares a list where one registers after submission. This is to
acknowledge the receipt of the work. In case someones work gets lost, the
register is the first referencing point to prove whether that person really
submitted the work being claimed for.
Another alternative, which confuses fresh students so much, is online work

submission. Many of them pointed out that here students must have
created online personal accounts to be used when submitting their work.
The common accounts used are Gmail, Yahoo accounts and Watsapp.
NB; only soft copies are subjected to online submission. Remember that
online submission is done using computers, tablets and smart phones when
connected to Internet. In case students understand online submission,
their work becomes easy. This is because one can submit his or her work
from different geographical locations and distances. Online work
submission also helps the students who may not have time to physically
hand deriver the hard copies to the lecturers or any dedicated person like
custodians and class representatives. Those who do not have computers
can visit Internet Cafes. The cafe attendants also give students proper
guidance about opening accounts and sending work for marking.
Online submission is cost effective but it is limited by power surge and poor
Internet connection. Contrary to submitting printed copies, with online
28
submission work goes direct to the lecturers. Therefore this makes campus
life a virtual reality.
WHAT MAKES COURSE WORKS HARD?

First and foremost, facts from different
sources show that most students do not
do their work in time. It is complained
that students hide their work up to
when the period close to the deadline
reaches. At that time, they fidget with
work in the short time and sometimes
they fail to complete it. Therefore such
people submit half barked work!
Secondly, some students who do not conduct exhaustive research still

produce poor quality work. In addition to that, course works are done in
groups of 5-10 members. Commonly very few members in such groups
have the zeal to work on their course works with interest. The rest are
reluctant or parasitic or contribute money for typing and printing. Some
totally do not participate any more but they just come in to sign and to
verify if their names, registration numbers and students numbers are
correctly included on the cover page before the submission.
Submitting online and processing work using computer application software

is very hard to those who do not have computer skills. Sometimes students
are piled with a lot of course work from different lecturers. This makes
29
them overwhelmed. The time given to students to complete the course

works may also be straining hence making students have sleepless nights.
In conclusion, hard work pays. All of the marks accumulated from course
works and tests are added to the final examination marks to compile/
compute the grades for a student. It is important to participate fully in the
course work, do your work in time, be interactive and always aim higher.
Therefore, do your course work comprehensively.
30
SELF CONDUCT AT CAMPUS (DRESSING, CLUBBING AND

COUPLING)
There are no rules on how someone
shouldn't look... Let it be hair,
makeup, clothe e.t.c Wear what you
are confident in and slay them....
Basing on this argument raised by
campus girls, when it comes to
The campus designs

campusers dressing code, the
university is a great time to explore their look and try out different styles.
Looking and more importantly, feeling good is essential. Campusers say
that the first impressions are key and what they wear can give a big
indication as to who they are. Therefore students make the university very
clourful and interesting.
31
Residents around the campuses in Uganda say that

the future of fashion cant be predicted given the
fact that the number of campus girls posing for
nude photos is growing. The dressing code at
campus is optional. For that matter, campus
students are free to put on what makes them
comfortable. Students say that if you like what you
wear, then wear what you like. Basing on their
arguments therefore, one would not term dressing
code at campus as indecent dressing because
decency and indecency are relative matters. This is
based on the fact that all campuses admit people
of different cultures, ethnicities and beliefs.
Therefore, it is clearly observed that campus

dresses are getting more abbreviated, tighter,
more transparent and generally more revealing.
Necklines are getting lower, blouses are getting smaller and waistlines of
trousers are getting lower by the day. Residents noted that the short,
clothes worn by our youth, particularly females are getting more daring
with some bordering on the provocative.
It is revealed that the different designs of the clothings put on by campus

students are initiated by different celebrities like musicians, boxers, and
film stars. Other designeds are coped from western culture that are
published in different magazines. This is very common among student in
The abbreviated
dresses
32
most of the universities. A visit to some campuses revealed how scantily

and provocatively dressed some of the students could be. A majority of the
students in their efforts to follow the latest fashion trend, they end up
dressing in tight-fitting trousers or short skirts and tops, which show off
part of their navels and upper body!
The beater communities have also leant that another funny bit about some
campus girls is the way they leave home
well knowing what kind of skirt they are
wearing and understand they have to take
a taxi or bodaboda to campus but still
ignore that and spend the entire day of 24
hours pulling the skirt down as if they
didnt know that it is short.
It was further leant that some universities

limit or control the dressing code of their
students. In Islamic institutions female
students ought to wear a hijab to cover all
the body parts except the hands, face and
feet. This is done to preserve their religious sects.
On the side of the lawyers the dressing code is different. They commonly
put on suites as one of the tools to shape them towards their carrier
development.
Interestingly, most calls urging students to dress in
33
a particular manner has nothing to do with improving the quality of

academic standards but is based on religious, moral and ethical grounds.
Therefore in public universities, skin-tight clothes, low-cut blouses mini-skirts and
dresses with long slits are the designs that are commonly preferred by girls. Boys prefer
jeantrousers and easy T-shirts.
However, on the girls side indecent dressing is blamed for sexual causing harassment,
rape, and spread of HIV and disintegration of family values.
On the side of the boys, they are free stylers. They put on jean and gentle
trousers. It is interesting that one may use one pair of trousers for a full
week when changing the shirts and T-shirts only! These trousers are dry
cleaned daily to maintain smartness. However, there are some other boys
who buy trousers in plenty. The only challenge to them is washing. For
those who are endowed with money they can give their clothes out to the
local ladies to wash them.
By observation particularly, Health scientists are trained in the white
gowns. These gowns have created uniformity among them. The gowns
also cover up the indecent dressing that have been highlighted above.
34
CLUBBING AT CAMPUS
Everyone wants
to party, at
least every
campus student
with something
called a life.
But most
campusers
enjoy taking a
groove at clubs where they are assured of shaking it with fellow
campusers.
Concerning clubbing, there are two major characteristics of the average

campuser; brokenness and love for partying. These two are a terrible pair
because it is almost impossible for one to sustain a party-animal life style
while broke. Most of the clubs around Kampala were wise enough to figure
this out, hence coming up with the great campus night.
They set aside a particular night of the week when campusers have free
entrance to the clubs, the only requirement being a campus ID. While
there, campusers enjoy drinks at discounted prices since there usually is a
beer promoting the night.
35
Very many men meet campus girls in clubs and they shower them with
wine and bears accompanied by chicken. Club marketeers Guys knocking
at hostel and hall doors asking students, especially girls to go for campus
nights is no longer shocking!!! Thanks to the steadily increasing number of
club marketeers for this matter. Majority of these are students contracted
by club owners to make sure that clubs are packed to capacity during
campus nights. Club marketeers agree that campus night has saved many
campus students who cannot afford club fees. It was revealed that Clubs
get full because of campus students. So campus night is a great idea, it is
said. Marketeers make a sizeable amount of money from making sure that
clubs are packed to capacity during campus nights. They also enjoy
privileges like receiving VIP passes to clubs, special drinks at times and are
also paid a certain amount of money per night depending on their
negotiations.
36
Hostel shuttles and the Clubs on a campus night, they carry two or three
rounds of students as it is confermed by the drivers of one of the hostel
shuttles which are well known for taking students for campus nights. Clubs
have taken it upon themselves to provide free transport for the students.
The girls are asked to dress in the 3S format; Skimpy, Sexy and Smart. In
this regard campus girls dress less & leaving many men pocketing! This
attracts non-campus customers especially men to fill these clubs when
targeting to dance and drink with gorgeous modeling girls. Some get
partners from there. Others get diseases and others just enjoy their lives.
More girls are taken because it is believed that when girls are in clubs,
people buy booze. Therefore, when offering transport, boys are at times
charged a negotiable fee to make sure that less board. While in club, the
usual craziness like getting drunk, people getting horny especially freshers,
takes over, one of the students noted. The classiest campus nights are
held at different clubs like Silk (every Tuesday) and Venom (Wednesday),
while the not-so-classy ones (trying to be polite here) are held at
Dolphins(Wednesday), Mangerez (Friday). Club Rouges campus night is on
Monday, Ten-Over-Ten on Wednesday, while Amnesias is on Friday. Silk
receives the biggest number of revelers though Amnesia is the most
popular among students. Rouge is also working to revamp its campus
nights. Less known clubs like Mangerez, Club Galaxy (former basement),
and Explorer on Entebbe Road, are also gaining momentum on the already
crowded club scene. Students have diverging views about which club is the
most fun campus night and many are hesitant to say which is the most
37
fun. Therefore it is better to first take a step to campus nights to make a

decision about which club may be the best. Enjoy responsibly.
THE CAMPUS BEACH TIME
Many different beach parties are organized by

different campuses and colleges to make students
enjoy their campus time. For this matter, campuses
make good arrangements to take fresh students to
the beaches for swimming, sand bathing, volleyball
and other recreation
activities. The
interested students
normally pay a
specified fee to
facilitate transport and other accompaniments.
We normally have our annual beach festival at
Hero Beach where different campusers meet in
November. One of the students noted. It was
also asserted that when they get there
students booze, couples swim, some take
muchomo and roasted chicken becomes the order of the day. There are
students who take themselves to different beaches on a personal basis
every week. Others are taken by their boyfriends, sugar-daddies, families
and the groups formed at campus. Therefore, basing on that argument,
38
students must strike a balance between this sweet life stile and academic
work.
COUPLING AT CAMPUS
It is stated by many
learners that the
University being the
highest level of learning in
academic environment,
many students find it more
convenient to get marriage
partners at this stage. Many call it the elite world, where some succeed yet
others fall victim of failure.
This may be caused by poor grades or due to some uncertain conditions

such as sickness or failure to rise tuition funds or loving clubbing more than
books, anyway that is called the university study or campus life.
Coupling at campus is very confusing because of different forces that make

students make a lot of mistakes. In order for the students to achieve their
expectations, relationships are fueled by different needs. Lets look at a
story that was published in campus times.
Today, some parents encourage their own daughters and sons to get
marriage partners from wherever they study from.
39
Like my aunt once commented, you will never get someone to love you
when you get out. and if there are any chances, they are slim; like 1%
out, the people you get out will be average not of your class.
I believe this is told to a number of girls like myself, and because of this
mentality, many university girls are becoming weekend wives to their
fellow students. Others have gone ahead to become second wives to
already married men. One of the campus girl noted.
Either for financial support or for purposes of having a man whom the
friends can tag her name with. This has encouraged cross generation sex
and also led to a good number of challenges. Particularly, this has led to an
increase in the transmission of diseases such as STDS and HIV/AIDS.
For good results some students have gone ahead to sleep with their
lecturers to excel in their courses. This looks like bribing; but in real sense
it is a sexual relationship.
Some girls go ahead to get pregnant thinking this will secure themselves in
homes and hearts of their so called husbands to be which sometimes
turns out to be the worst mistake. Forgetting that a few of these boys
soon to become men are so timid to reap what they sowed; thinking God
who created Eve and Adam made a mistake.
As a result many ladies decide to abort leading to loss of lives or related
40
complications. Others are forced into early marriages because of their

pregnancies.
Some students especially girls go ahead to sell their bodies for material
things such as money, gadgets among others.
For some university boys are like dogs; moving from one girl to another
and some do one night sta
nd and buying of prostitutes to satisfy their sexual desires.
Although making love outside wedlock is condemned, many students go

ahead to taste the forbidden fruit in secrecy and the ones involved keep it
a top secret.
This was extracted from Campus Times by Brenda Nnansamba - Jul 8,

2015
Sugar daddies to pick campus students from there residencies is very

common. It is established that campus girls call there fiancies (sugar
daddies) "Kinnyo" a term that they use to mean a person whom they love
with an intention of getting money! According to the sources, a very sharp
girl can be with more than five lovers on addition to the one she studies
with at campus. Through interracting with different campus girls, it is
discovered that when saving names of these KINNYOs, campus girls are
claver. They do this in a very tricky way that may not make other to know
about it. One student mentioned that one can save them as Kinnyo 1,
41
Kinnyo 2, Kinnyo 3, Kinnyo 4 etc! This confuse these people from knowing
what could be the right names of the people (KINNYOs).
Another girl explained that the best way to save names in the phone to
confuse people is by selecting a letter/letter that must start on each name
of the person saved. Let us look at these names as she was elaborating
more; Kenneth, John, Clavour, Edmond, Paul, Jimmy, and Godfrey.
According to her, if these names are to be saved in the phone, girls can
save them as K2ckenneth, K2cjohn, K2cclavour, K2cedmond, K2cpaul,
K2cjimmy, And K2cgodfrey. When one of them calls, other people cannot
interpreted these names! This means that by using this system a girl can
date boys who are good friends and one can hardly get to know the others
even if they call on the girl's phone in his presence. Some girls save phone
numbers without names and others neither save these numbers nor the
names. But all of this culminates into hypocrisy.
On the other side of the coin however, as far as relationship is concerned,

it is further discovered that some campus boys can also get multiple girl
friends. But on their side, the more the girls accumulated, the more
expenses incurred. When boy date girls some of these costs intimidate
them and they end up dropping them. This is the gap that is commonly
utilized by sugar daddies.
42
RELIGIONISM AT CAMPUS
There are different beliefs that
are experienced at different
universities and if one is
inconsistent enough, he/she
may change while at campus
several times. For example
some students enter the
campus gates as Catholics and
they come out as Seventh day Adventists. The information obtained from
different students shows that this is driven by different forces including
peer pleasure, evangelism, need for miraculous life, need for money,
socialization and so many others. There are some campuses where there is
one belief that is allowed. This is based on the fact that these universities
are founded by a particular religion. Examples of such institutions include
Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU), Bugema University and Uganda
Christian University (UCU). It is important to note that these universities
are not selective when it comes to admitting students. All students of
different religions are allowed to study from there. The administrators do
not change these students but some change themselves after realizing the
values of that religion found at campus. Others stay in their original
religions though they are not allowed to practice them within the premises
on these campuses.
43
The institutions that are established on the religious basis students dress in
relation to these beliefs. For this matter, Moslems put on Sharias and long
skirts. Other religions also try to enforce their values
Come to public universities where all religions are practiced. There are
some groups of people who are seen voluntarily preaching the gospel to
the campus students. Majority of these people are saved. They are good at
perishing other religions saying that are godly but not Godly. A student of
Social Science at Makerere University said. Therefore, a lot of converts
have been obtained through evangelism. The saveds have a big number of
followers who are seen praying loudly during lunchtime and at night up to
morning. These are called Lunch hours and Over nights respectively.
It is reported that some religions centrally

organize their praying time following their
traditional times and the days. Moslems pray on
Friday, seventh day Adventists pray on Saturday,
Catholics, Protestants on Sunday accompanied by
the born again Christians who are ever praying at
all times. Therefore, with no doubt, different
religions/beliefs are respected at campus to shape
God fearing people.
44
STUDENTS FEEDING AT CAMPUS

Sleep. Eat. Study. That is the life of a
typical campus student though not
particularly in that order. Students from
Mbarara University confirm that when the
situation is overwhelming them there are
only three ways to survive. Take Bushera
for breakfast. Have kikomando during
lunch then The revenge with a rolex in the evening. This is the exact idea
that is found from other campuses. Some students live to eat, while others
eat to live. Therefore it is a clear argument that campus life may be the
most interesting moment in everybodys life but this may not be the case
when it comes to feeding. Basing on that argument, life in
campus/university gives students limited options when it comes to dietary
choices. This problem is not new in universities though it has been
escalated by the rising cost of living.
Most interesting to point out is that campus students spend the little they
have going for campus parties, buying designer clothes and latest gadgets-
Sambusas
Kikomando Rolex
they forget to include meals in their budgets. This is common among the
freshers who might have not experienced the campus life. This, therefore,
45
causes them to hustle out during meal- time throughout the whole
semester. To cement the same issue, it is discovered that students live on
constrained food budgets simply because they allocate less on food and
high on others. So, students are seen opting for the famous Rolex,
kikomando, chips, or molokony for lunch or supper.
The worrying part for campusers is the condition in which these eats are
prepared. Slums are very dusty places and if you move through them you
will witness how they are flooded with people preparing eats on both sides
of the dusty streets. Though such conditions are dangerous to health,
campus students (intellectuals) are seen buying them with ease (no
alternative)! Some are classy especially like the deep fried chicken and
cassava which look maroon simply because they are dipped in food color.
Rolexes and kikomandos are highly consumed by these university students

as well. The highest percentage of students at campus feast on these eats
not considering much of the fact whether the food preparation
environment is even clean or not. On the other hand, these students are
not blamed because looking for a clean food vender around may be a tag
of war to them. If they find one, the food sold there tends to be very
expensive. However, a few well off students enjoy their meals decently
through the semester from the good restaurants pooling money from their
parents and guardians. Others are funded by their sugar daddies to
different big hotels. Believe me majority of the graduates from our
universities have experienced that.
46
STUDENTS RESIDENCE
It is learnt that the rooms where campus students reside are commonly
termed by campusers as "CLIBS". Students claim that one of the most
time-consuming decisions confusing fresh students at campus is deciding
where one is going to live. This comes in the minds of those who are not to
live at their parental homes. By coincidence, that time comes when new
students are joining the university and when the continuing students are
resuming their studies. Inevitably, it is a competition between price and
comfort for most students. Many try to find a happy medium between the
two but after making a lot of inquiries.
Some students get accommodations from their halls of attachment. When

an inquiry was made, students noted that they are provided with food,
power and other privileges from these halls. However, the biggest number
of students looks for accommodation from outside the campuses premises.
To fill this puzzle, there are both and expensive different hostels and
rentals (clibes) that are strategically built around the campuses. So
immediately after getting admitted freshers are advised to move around
and get rooms (clibes) as early as possible. They are quite expensive but
you have to cop up with the situation. This must be noted that living in a
building that is close to the university is the most convenient one for a
learner. In case one is privileged to live in the university halls of residence
that chance must be utilized because all students are yarning for them due
to their convenience.
47
Hostel life comes with responsibility, which ideally comes with maturity. If
there is no clear evolution path to adulthood, then hostel life provides it for
campus students. It is described that one really learns how to make
personal decisions, manage ones life and maintain a budget. A student
gets to interact with different people, gets on the road to self-development
and learns the art of being independent.
It was discovered that a lot of services are offered by the campus hostels
too and one of the services offered is transporting students. One might find
that every hostel outside the university possesses a shuttle that transports
students to and from campus for easy time management. These shuttles
are mainly buses and minibuses. Since they serve days and nights,
majority of them are aged characterized by rusting, worn-out tires and torn
seats. All of these characteristics do not stop them from currying students
to and from campus.When it rains heavily that is when one realizes the
value of these shuttles. These shuttles are all codenamed with the
registered names of the hostels they come from. During a clear
investigation, these names were identified as powerful advertisement tools
used to popularize these hostels.
For the mummies boys and the daddies girls, hostel life is challenging if
not stressing. For those who traverse district after district, it is a whole new
chapter in life being miles away from home. Hostel life comes with keeping
up with the trends, putting up appearances and living in a boxed life. You
cannot be expected to wear the same dress-top week in, week out, you
just feel pressured to do all that it takes to keep re-stocking your
wardrope. Information from different sources indicates that fresh students
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must be aware that you also have to face up with different characters, as
roommates come in all fashions. To some, it is that unhygienic roommate,
to others it is that an angel. Remember that there are other super religious
roommates who keep reciting Bible verses to the nagging of her
roommates. Then you have that annoying neighbour. Others are egocentric
twerps who play loud music or worse when their girlfriends are also
around, there are always loud irritable sounds going through the corridors.
As the semester begins, everyone prides in a fat wallet and fast food
joints are the orders of the day. But a good stay in a hostel also teaches
one, that cooking from the hostel is cheaper in the long run. According to
the comments made by continuing students, food joints around universities
offer weekly, monthly and semester feeding packages based on the menu
and the frequency of meals.
Many parents would wish not to read this, it is said that "but hostel can
also be the devils den of all sorts". There is more that goes on behind
hostel gates and inside curtains of hostel rooms among students yet
hearsay to the rest of the world. Should this document display all? This is a
very hard question to be answered by..................!!!!
It is stated that weekend wives in campus speak refers to female students

who take on marital duties over the weekend at their boyfriends
residences. In real sense, facts indicate that students wind up the week in
the company of their lovers taking care of each others needs.
This trend is popular among finalists who are unsuspecting high school
girls from neighbouring high schools and the naive first year students. One
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noted that The mere sight of empty wine bottles, television set, woolen
carpet and wardrobe makes them think I am a wealthy guy from an
affluent background, unaware that it took me three years to accumulate
this property. This makes these young girls to surrender themselves to
such boys.
Then, there is that co-habiting couple. Itis also learnt that co-habiting
couples are students who take the courage to live like husband and wife
with in hostel rooms or rentals. The couple rents a single clib as it is
termed, well furnished and complete with a double bed. The girl plays the
role of typical housewife taking care of general house duties while the boy
is expected to cater for the luxuries, make up and food. It is discovered
that the nonworking co-habiting couples pool resources from their parents
to finance this lifestyle.
Sources still indicated that majority of these relationships are carried on

from high school while others graduate from the weekend-wife stage.
Some couples are course mates. Because of the costs involved and needed
to keep up appearances as happy-well-todo couple, it was revealed that
cohabiting couples rash to distasteful rental premises in slums
surrounding the campuses. For example, like Kireka and Banda, Nagguru
and , Kikoni, Katanga and KikumiKikumi are popular living areas for
coupling student.
Then there are the call-girl type who has mastered the art of detoothing
and siphoning money out of older men sugar-daddies. These are picked
up on Friday evenings and only return on Mondays with hangovers. Some
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of these girls boyfriends are the men who park those expensive fuel
guzzlers. It was further discovered that behind the closed doors of the
hostels, are students engaged in drugs and smoking cigarettes. At the
balcony, they will stand, jabbering about something mushy like soccer,
glasses of gin nestled in their hands, and cigarettes sticking between their
lips. Then the whole alley reeks, on the smoke. Where do they get money
to facilitate this kind of life?..............could it be tuition or the money
pooled from the caretakers?................
Some hostels have tried to implement rules to the core. But one of the
managers at these hostels who preferred anonymity says, When you
become strict, students begin avoiding your hostel, its not good for
business.
There another type of the students who walkup early morning and prepare
themselves for lectures and library services. These may not be seen at
their hostels from 08:00am to 12:00am. They are commonly termed as
book-worms. However, there are other people who stay in these hostels
when they are totally not students. They rent these rooms as a base where
to live while working sometimes they aim at taping girls or boys!
Some students stay at their parental homes in case they are near the
campuses. Students who reside at their parental homes are free from this
lifestyle. However they are not exposed to self-independence since it has
its benefits. Staying at their parental homes does not necessarily free them
from problems. Traveling daily is cumbersome to them because some may
even not be given enough transport by the parents. To solve these
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challenges, it was discovered that some impatient girls date bodaboda

men, taxi drivers and other men who belong to the same category as an
attempt to get free lifts. Problems associated with these types of men they
date are really challenging. One may even not graduate due to lack of
focus. There are some students who are given everything but they still
date such mane focusing on gains not losses. Other girls narrowly escape
to be victims of this pit. They endure with all the situation comes across
until they finish their studies.
On the side of the boys who reside at their parental homes, they are seen
enduring with all situations until they complete. However both boys and
girls who live at their homes during campus time they lack concentration.
These people say that a lot of time is dedication to housework forgetting
the academic work that must be fulfilled. Sometimes they report to lectures
very late.
Therefore my dear reader I have tried to give you a hint about what
happens in these hostels, halls of residence, rentals and parental homes.
The ball is in your hands to take a decision about where to reside and how
you can be favored to achieve your goals.
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WHAT HINDERS SUCCESS AT CAMPUS?
It was highlighted earlier that the number of

students being celebrated for admission is far
higher compared to that of graduation. This is
due to the failures by the students to
accomplish their courses in the specified period
provided by the university. This is caused by
different factors related to finance, work,
negligence, diseases and so many others.
It is revealed that many students start with

getting good grades in class. This is due to the
fact that majority of them may be having a lot of interest in revising,
attending lectures, doing course works and managing time. Sources show
that that excitement starts to reduce when the students start to getting
used to campus life. It is asserted by the continuing students that the
friendship obtained makes some students to start chilling forgetting their
primary cause. In second year, many students start to really enjoy the
campus where some dive a lot in books, in politics, coupling, clubbing and
some other socialization. This is where people start to loose their focus.
Grades start to shrink and raising them up again tends to be a tag of
war.At this same time retakes start to accumulate among different
students. In their final years, students again put a lot of effort in their
books aiming to graduate. This is because in case one gets retakes in the
final year, he/she may not graduate with his/her classmates.
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It is believed that campus students fail to perform well due to a variety of

reasons as it was noted earlier. Many of which are largely within the
control of the students. In some cases, the particular way a lecturer grades
can also impact a student. Some grade more heavily on homework, papers
and projects, while others put a lot of weight on tests. However, regardless
of the various assessment methods used, students can benefit by being
aware of common causes of class failure and success.
In some cases, students struggle to get out of their own way to achieve
the academic goals. However, poor study habits, lack of motivation and
poor preparation negatively impact student performance. In supplement to
that, students also face more indirect conflicts derived from finances and
family support.
Assuming a student is unable to pay for or finance his/her education,

financial problems can still impede success. Under this case, some students
do not buy necessary resources because of the unfavorable costs. These
resources include computers, books, handouts and so many others. They
may invest millions in paying tuition, renting rooms and buying food.
Limited finances can affect a student's ability to budget for academic
materials that are necessary for his or her success. Consequently, the
student may end up failing. Therefore, for those of you who are funded by
your parents, guardians and sponsors please be economical, committed
and focused. Do not spend on buying luxuries if you are not sure of
continuous funding. Save money to cover all the necessary requirements.
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Even with financial means and family support, students may struggle with
personal drive and poor study habits. New campus students may not have
developed adequate study and work habits during high school. To succeed
by performance, you normally have to schedule regular reading, study and
work time. Poor test taking and a lack of confidence on tests and exams
are also common issues. Students often have access to school academic
support services and instructor help, but they need self-motivation to take
advantage of these resources.
Along with poor study habits, some students generally do not show up to
class consistently. Even when they do attend, they are not always ready to
learn and perform. Along with an attitude to learn and effective listening
skills, prepared students read the material before class, ask questions, take
organized notes and participate in class and small-group discussions. Many
campus students argue that disengagement in classes leads to students
being out of the loop, missing important instructions and failing to learn
content. There are many other factors and some others are pointed out
under the matters related to retakes.
RETAKING COURSES AND ITS IMPACTS

As one joins the university particularly in Uganda, with all the excitement of
escaping the high school craze, they can only wish for the best in all they
are pursuing. However, this wish can be shuttered by a number of things.
Evidently is the accumulation of retakes. According to the arguments
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obtained from students, retakes accumulate at a higher speed when one

fails to prepare for all assessments like course works, tests, presentations
and exams. However, some examination scripts get lost from the
examiners offices causing some students to retake papers. This is unfair
because retakes fails a student to graduate.
Once one gets a retake, the news spread like a bush fire to the whole
course-mates. Students from different institutions invented different
slogans or terms that mean retakes. Some of them are a missed call, or a
kisanja. In some universities where term system is, students who fail a
paper are given a supplementary exam before the beginning of the
academic year and when they fail, they are made to repeat the year.
A retake retards one academically and the unfortunate bit is the envy of a
graduation upon seeing your classmates graduate. In the different
universities, one cannot escape the scorn from their classmates in case of
getting a retake. The retake system at the different universities is more or
less the same.
Most students complain about strictness from the lecturers, an example as

one complains that she was mismatched. How could she get me a 47%,
its so annoying she laments after failing to get a pass mark in changing
patterns in another one said that when she saw her name on the notice
board bearing 48% in the course unit called Land use and Development,
she could not believe it, it was like getting up from one of those scary
dreams, she grieves.
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The lectures on the other hand think otherwise. They complain that the
students carelessness; their continuous low attendance of lectures and
misinterpretation of the questions during exams are major problems that
lead to low marks. It is acknowledged that in critical cases involving extra
class, anyone can get a retake because of the lecturers failure to record
their marks; thus leading to missing marks. Therefore, campusers are ever
praying to God not to miss their marks. Even if one would get a retake, if
the marks were missed he may think that might have passed. The retake is
a common scenario at the university but one can avoid it. There are some
cost free precautionary measures that one can consider to avoid the retake
embarrassment.
It is argued by continuing students that most students tend to lag behind

in all they do, but to be able to keep track with your academics, you will
need to report to class during the first weeks of opening of the academic
year. This does not only help you to sort out yourself for the start but it
helps you not to miss out on any important information.
By experience, students retake Course Units after failing during the First
Assessment and offerthem again in order to obtain at least the Pass Mark
set by the university. This pass mark is commonly (50%). Some students
may willingly retake a Course Unit and offer it again in order to improve
their Pass Grade(s) if the Pass Grade(s) got at the first assessment were
low. It is a practice that a student who fails to attain higher marks after
retaking to improve, the examination results of the first sitting are recorded
on the transcript and not recorded as Retake. Where a student misses to
sit examinations for justified reasons; the grades obtained after sitting
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examination are not also recorded as a retake because the candidate is

sitting the examinations for the first attempt.
While retaking a Course or Courses, a student is advised to attend all the

prescribed lectures/ tutorials/Clinicals/Practicals/Fieldwork in the Course or
Courses; Satisfy all the requirements for the Coursework Component in the
Course or Courses; and Sit for the University Examinations in the Course or
Courses.
Students are still encouraged not to accumulate much Retake Courses at a

time. This is because they are hard to do at the same time when they are
dealing with the fresh courses that also need time and effort. Students are
required to register for retakes course(s) first before registering for new
courses offered in that semester and the retake courses should fit into the
approved normal load to avoid time table class.
It is very unfortunate that whenever a Course has been retaken, the

Academic Transcript indicates so accordingly. This becomes a boomerang
when it comes to looking for jobs. Many employers may take this as a
condition that one to get a job from their organizations he must be free
from any retakes.
Retakes cause some costs to occur where retakers pay a distinct tuition
fees for the Course to be retaken. Besides, such students also pay the re-
examination fees per Course retaken as well as the Registration Fees.
Different campuses have different policies related to charges imposed on
retakers.
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Therefore, many students may have thought that the discussions ended in
high school but no, the discussions are as vital and help you to catch up
with whatever you missed during classes. You should endeavor to form a
study group. Communication is a very important tool in our lives, make
sure you inform the lecturers in case you are not feeling well or in case of
tuition; this could help than keeping silent. Remember to do your course
work on time; usually, a two weeks deadline is given, and comply with the
lecturers requirements. You could also look through the course outline to
help you read a head, and during exams, check for the timetables, venues,
time allocated for each paper and the number of questions you are to
attempt, this can save you from getting low marks. All in all, balance your
social and academic life and remember to desist from missing classes.
DEAD YEARS AT CAMPUS

Its never a guarantee that ones journey of education will always be a
continuous or straight one. There can be a time where one is prompted to
withdraw temporarily from the studies so as to purse some other thing that
may seem more important at that particular moment, or to re-organize
financial resources.
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If you find yourself in a situation where you need to apply for a dead year;
there are actually very many things you need to consider and some have
been discussed here. Basing on the perspective of very many university
students, a dead year is not something most students would wish for.
However, Lack of enough money, Sickness, Job responsibilities, Pregnancy,
Crime, Family crisis, Drug dependency, Lack of interest in studies, death of
the sponsors and so many others are articulated factors that may create
fertile grounds for dead year.
It was found out that one thing you should know is that many students
should never jump out of their studies without a reasonable excuse. Lack
of money and sickness are justifiable but it is said that lack of interest in
studies and pregnancy are just signs of irresponsibility and lack of
motivation in what one is studying. If you are the type of person who has
to temporarily quit studies because your hobby is eating you up; you will
want to think twice.
People will tell you a lot of things. They will say your part-time job is more
important than your degree. Dont care all people are screwed. You go to
campus to get a degree. Even if you start to earn a billion bucks while still
in your second year this should never make you to count zero on your
course. Counting on your hobby or talent is some kind of gambling. You
cant be sure that if you release your hip-hop album you will soon hit the
Ugandan music market. If youre a programmer, dont suck on your
Computer Science degree because you cant be sure that mobile app youre
writing will get a million downloads and make you stinking-rich. Students
are advised never to ask for a dead year with a purpose of getting more
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time to concentrate on developing their talents. They may get

disappointed. This is Uganda and not USA. The Bill-Gates stories are cool,
but keep in mind you will be more comfortable working on your interests
when you already have a degree in your bag.
STRIKING AT CAMPUS
Fresh students have been hearing about strikes at campuses before
joining. This chapter has been opened for you. Get ready to go through
this condition. Some have been asking for the reasons that lead to
breakout of strikes at campus. There those who are interested to
experience strikes but engage in them knowing that they have a lot of
consequences to you. Interestingly, some students noted that it doesnt
matter what the reason is. Majority of the students first strike then think of
the reason for the strike later. That is the life at campus.
Categorically, there are three different classes of people who commonly

engage in strikes at different universities. These people include the
lecturers, non-teaching staff and students. The strikes led by lecturers and
non-teaching staff are commonly sit down strikes. Majority of the sit down
strikes are caused by monetary factors. These factors include; delaying
salary payments, incentives and salary increment. During these kinds of
strikes people report to work but do not deriver service to their clients.
However, if the concerned people do not sort out the causes, they result
into students strikes. The students (clients)therefore start to demand for
the services they paid for through striking.
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Student strikes are brutal and violent. They can destroy different properties
beyond repair. For example glasses are broken from different buildings,
security light are destroy, holes are dug in the roads, branches of trees are
broken and university vehicles are destroyed or burnt. This situation is
common among public universities where response to grievances has to
follow protocol (decision making is slow).
When striking, some students carry dust bins and break them from the
compounds and gardens causing rubbish to be spread hence making the
environment dirty /polluted. Sometimes students carry car tires and heavy
logs and they use petrol to put them on fire amidst the roads. In
supplement to that, heavy stones are rolled and put in the pathways to
sabotage the movement of people especially the police vehicles.
There are very many factors that lead to students strikes. These factors
include;
Fees increment
Lecturers missing lectures
Poor feeding
Delaying to release examination results
Highly congested time table
Poor sanitation at campus
Power surge
Poor internet connections
Expulsion of students leaders and so many others
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Students normally declare the day of striking incase their problems are not
worked on. By experience, it was found out that some students are not
interested in strikes. Such students do not appear at campus during such
days. When these students report to campus during strikes, they are
forcefully engaged in striking. In case you are resistant to engage, they can
beat you beyond repair. If you are a girl they undress you on top of
beating.
The areas around campus are ever on tension during students strikes
because theyinvadethem violently. While striking, students destroy
shops,small-scale business and cause traffic jam as it was noted by the
residents from Kikumikikumi. In fact when these busies are invaded,
robbing of different merchandise takes place. For example, soda, breads,
bugs, money, bears, chapaties, beans, chips and food from restaurants are
all taken or destroyed. This causes losses to the infamous business
peoplewho establish themselves around campuses for survival.
It is reported that from Makerere, if you hear (weewe) get to know that
the place is on fire. In response to that situation, police becomes busy
extinguishing the fire set by the strikers. The police uses tear gas and
bullets to cool the situation. Some students get injured during the
stampede where some are wounded by bullets. Stones injure some in an
attempt to ravage the police.
One of the students leaders says that the factory that the manufactures
tear gas has been on market. It should produce more because the
situation is just worsening. Some times students are seen taking petitions
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that highlight/articulate their grievances to the speaker of parliament

whenever the administrations fail to work on them.
During striking, student put on the official academic undergraduate gowns

for easy identification. Forsome campuses that do not have these gowns
they do it without uniformity. Surprisingly, when there are official
ceremonies very few students put on such gowns! Therefore, the typical
leaders of students strikes at campuses are the students grievances fueled
by administrations and then fired by the students leaders.
Conclusively, during strikes students are not studying and certain projects
cannot proceed as scheduled, all of which comes with a cost to both
individual students, the university as a whole and business people.
SAFETY AT CAMPUS
Because of work, family life, class availability and busy schedule of most
campus students, many end up taking evening classes. While night classes
are taken for convenience purposes, they do create an added danger that
students must take seriously. Every day, assault, theft, rape, madder and
other crimes are reported on campuses across the country. While crimes
occur at all times of the day, nighttime adds an extra degree of risk that
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requires added precaution. Use the following night safety ideas and tips to
protect yourself when you are at campus.
WHAT TO BE DONE
Every student should be aware of the safety resources available on
their campus. Remember that your tuition pays for many services
that your campus wants you to utilize.
Use hostel shuttles to drive you to your hostel at night.
Know emergency campus phone numbers and the locations of safety
departments in case of emergencies.
Learn how to defend yourself.
Always let someone know where you are going, your expected travel
time, and how long you plan to be in that location.
Plan your travel route ahead of time before you leave. By knowing
exactly where you are going you will reduce your travel time and will
appear more confident which ultimately lowers your chances of
becoming a crime victim.
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Always have your keys in your hand to allow quick entry into your
room or car.
Always have someone, or a group of people that you trust to travel
with at night. There truly is safety in numbers, especially at night.
Always walk in well-lit, highly visible areas.
Stay in familiar areas and avoid shortcuts when possible.
Never leave valuable items in your car in open view.
Park in well-lit areas. This is an important step to remember
throughout the day. It is easy to forget to park in unsafe areas
during the day, but always try to see if the area will be safe for you
to return to at night.
Always make note of where you park so that you can easily locate
your car.
FEES PAYMENT AT CAMPUS
This point
confuses a lot of
fresh students.
Please you should first analyze the
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university fees policy before making mistakes. It is found out that many
people who are ever congesting the campus premises and take away
money from students are too clever. Please take care of the people who
ask to assist you in the process of banking/paying the school fees
Lutakome Anode (not the real name) says.
He added on that even though that person is putting on big rosaries

pretending to be Godly those are the tricks of conmen. One person noted
that these people commonly ask to help student when paying fees through
banking. Instead of depositing that money on the university fees collection
accounts they may intentionally deposit them on their personal accounts.
When he was a first year student, the author witnessed many students
who were cheated in the same way. This also became a driving fact to
document the campus life as a tool to exhaustively make fresh students
aware of such pitfalls. Please fresh students you are encouraged not to pay
any money to a person by cash. All the university's payment transactions
are made from the banks. This argument was discovered from many
informants during the author's survey. To avoid inconveniences, students
assert that paying tuition in time is very important irrespective of the
different fees payment policies put across by different universities.
It is a big outcry from different parents, students, businessmen etc that

some students divert tuition payments to other dealings like sports betting.
Betting may not be bad provided one is using reserved money. Focusing on
an article written by Vivian Agaba published by New Vision on 26th
November 2015 students fail to graduate because of misallocating tuition
fees to other businesses. Godfrey (note the exact name) noted that
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students from some institutions fail to graduate and they are reportedly
gamble their tuition money. It is such recklessness that the Principal of one
of the institutes is talking about. He said that students who misuse their
fees normally bargain with the administrators to allow them into
examination rooms. He adds on those students also divert their fees into
buying alcohol. At the beginning of the exams, we had a big number of
students who had not cleared their dues and this took us sometime to clear
them. It is not because their caretakers did not give them the tuition
(fees). They are given tuition but some students invest it in sports betting,
gambling, alcohol and relationships.
In another article written by Innocent Anguyo3rd May 2014, it was

emphasized that students divert their tuition to betting. It was pointed out
that most of the students who owe money to universities are given tuition
fees by their parents but prefer to gamble it, as opposed to remitting it to
the institutions. It is confirmed again that some of these students use their
fees for gambling, lose it and then fail to pay the universities. How do you
receive a service you have not paid for? Gambling, especially sports
betting are popular among University students. Along few miters away
from these campuses there are different sports betting companies.
According to the key informants from different sources it is argued that in
plans of the betting companies, target customers are the students. They
also assert that their largest customer base comprises students. thereofre,
in responce to these castomers sprotsbating esterblish their outlates near
to different campuces to ease their access to these clients.
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Sports betting is very addictive.Once you have started winning some small
money, you will always want to win more, subsequently losing all your
money in further attempts. As much as we tell the students not bet using
their fees, they always tell us to mind our business, said one of the
university officials when was addressing the public on a radio station.
Although sports betting has been bolded in this situation, there are other
factors that consume students tuition. These include thieve as they were
highlighted before, relationships where student use tuition to excite their
fiances, alcoholism, clubbing and others.
STUDENTS REUNION CLUBS AND ASSOCIATIONS
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Clubs and associations are a big part of campus life! An association can be
a group of students organized with a similar interest for a social, literary,
athletic, political, cultural or other common purpose; while an organization
can also be a group of students organized for and acting toward a
particular cause. Students have the opportunity and choose to join these
groups for many reasons including: pursuit of individual interests; career
networking opportunities; social friendship; and political activisms. Most
colleges and universities in Uganda have a variety of associations at
different levels. These include Baganda Nkobazambogo, Bamasaba, Basoga
Nseeteand so many others. These clubs are formed basing on the
ethnicity, some on the line of profession and others are based on the
different high schools where old girls and boys meet for reunion. All
students should be strongly encouraged to pursue club and organizational
membership opportunities to help them enrich their campus experience.
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Attending campus brings many new aspects and transitions in a students

life, including a new level of independence and responsibility. Depending
on where you decide to attend school, you may find that you must develop
new friendships and engage in a new social atmosphere as you work
toward your career goals. Many students find this task easier to embark
upon through joining clubs and organizations that fit their individual
interests, needs, and goals. A specific club or organization may satisfy
several aspects of interest for a student, such as networking to find to
learn more about an academic related subject matter and the opportunity
to socialize and meet new people. Students have a variety of purposes for
joining clubs and organizations including:
Networking Opportunities: Networking provides a student with the

opportunity to meet other students and professionals with common goals
and interest. Additionally, students can receive information and resources
that support their current and future interests and goals. For example,
many student-led professional organizations provide networking
opportunities by hosting events that invite those whom are established
within the career or industry which they are pursuing.
Social Opportunities: Many clubs and organizations are formed based on

leisure and recreational interest. Students may wish to pursue membership
in these types of clubs for personal enjoyment, as well as an opportunity to
meet people with the same interest. For example, many schools have
external sports teams that compete regularly; as well as clubs that are
based upon commonalities, such as culture or religion.
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Personal Development: Joining student clubs and organizations give

students the opportunity to meet a diverse population of people that allow
students to expand their thinking and interest. It encourages personal
development through communication and exploration of different interest.
Leadership Skills: Joining a club or organization allows studentsto

develop leadership skills within an environment of their peers. You will be
able to learn from fellow students and establish your leadership abilities
through planning and implementing different activities and events
organized by the associations. Being a first year does not mean that you
cannot be a leader. All students have equal opportunities so it is better to
utilize them for your benefit.
Organization and Management Skills: You can gain valuable

experience in the execution of procedures and policies by your involvement
in clubs and organizations. Colleges and Universities establish
organizational rules and procedures, which must be adhered by all clubs
and organizations that want to operate on campus. These systems can
help you to understand the organizational structure and helps to build
these vital skills.
HOW MANY STUDENT CLUBS OR ORGANIZATIONS SHOULD YOU

JOIN?
Determining the amount of student clubs and organizations that you should
join is an individual choice. There is no written rule for the optimal number
of clubs and organizations one should join. Being an optional case, some
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students end up not joining any organization. This is not good because
such people may miss the good moments at campus. Therefore, prior to
making this decision, you should establish a list of your personal and career
interests, as well as your academic goals. It is a good idea to visit different
clubs before joining them. This may enable you to find out if that is a right
group to join depending on your set interests.
You should research about their history; and compare their mission and
goals to those on your list. It is important to remember that your
membership and level of involvement should be dependent upon your
course load and personal responsibilities. For instance, you may have the
time to join several organizations during your first year in college; but
during your second year, you may have added responsibilities like a part-
time job. This may limit your ability to participate in extra-curricular
activities. Students are often expected to join clubs that represent the
profession or industry of their career pursuits, in order to gain career
knowledge and increase networking opportunities. Some students have
gained life-long friendships; provided public service; and received
networking opportunities by pledging unions and fraternities that have
established Alumni groups. It is important to prioritize and compare when
selecting clubs and organizations to join.
WHAT ARE THE GENERAL TYPES OF CAMPUS CLUBS AND

ASSOCIATIONS?
Many campuses have a large variety of campus clubs and

organizations. Students can also establish new organizations that are not
73
present on their campus if they desire. You will find out that many schools
have memberships that are represented by the following types of clubs and
organizations.
Academic: Academic students associations and organizations can be

represented in many ways. Some clubs may function for a particular
purpose, such as the Academic Quiz Team. Academic clubs may have
student membership with interest in a particular field or industry, such as
medicine, law, engineering, statistics and so many others.
Cultural: These associations represent

people from all over the world and
promote an awareness of cultural
diversity on campus. These
organizations are not limited to
including only those from a particular
culture; however they do provide an opportunity for those from the same
ethnicity, culture, and/or nation to develop link. For example we have
Baganda Nkobazambogo, Bamasaba, Basoganseete and so many others.
Faith-Based: These types of clubs and associationsusually include those

of the same faith or religion that wish to gather for various purposes. They
can be represented by different purposes such as a gospel choir or a
religious faith club.
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SPORTS CLUBS
These associations are bonded by the interest of different kinds of sports

who are available at the university. The different sports activities
discovered from various campuses include swimming, Football, Athletics,
Wood-ball, Baseball, Basketball, Tennis, Rugby, Netball and so many
others. There are other groups that are formed basing on the foreign
football teams students support. These include Manchester United, Arsenal,
Liver-Pool and so many others. The governing body for these clubs is led
outside of the universities and they have no affiliation with the university
sports teams. Teams are usually organized within a league system that
organizes and regulates the competition. However, e-sports consume a lot
of students time and some forget their primary cause at campus.
Political: These associations include group of students that are affiliated

to particular political parties, ideologies, or like to engage in civic
discussion. The political parties that are well known at the national level
are the same that are experienced at campus. These include NRM, FDC, DP
and so many others. Therefore, students are subdivided according to which
75
party they support and they exhibit a lot of solidarity during elections and
campaigns. However, the biggest percentage of the students is non-
partisans (independent).
Charity Service associations: These organizations function primarily to

provide service to those who have needs that are not being met. Students
support individuals within communities in need of various services such as
financial assistance, tutoring, and respite care; as well as providing services
to the community, such as planting gardens and renovating
homes. Students can work within organizations that have been established
solely at the college or university or they may work with national agencies.
Therefore, there are many aspects of college life, including the option to
join campus associations and organizations. You may choose to affiliate to
these groups for professional and personal reasons. There are a variety of
clubs and associations that exist on college campuses including religious,
honorary, civic, sports, professional, and recreational aspects.
There are many considerations when deciding which associations/club to

join, including your professional goals and personal interests as highlighted
before. It is important to remember the reasons for joining clubs and
organizations. There are expectations and responsibilities associated with
membership. Benefits of these affiliations are professional networking,
socializing, and the ability to develop organizational skills. Additionally,
many of these clubs and organizations have alumni organizations that are
available to join after campus. When considering these options, remember
that clubs and organizations are extra-curricular activities and they are
76
secondary to your academic and professional goals! Membership in clubs

and organizations should be considered as an extension of your college
experience.
COMMUNICATION AT CAMPUS
It was argued that if one has never seen a society

with effective communication, campuses are the best
grounds for this experience. Campusers reportedly
invest a lot in communication to the extent that all of
them make sure that they own phones.
They take another step to open up accounts on social media. Some

lecturers enforce the accounts opening to be used as a means of sharing
the reading materials and other information required. To make this
effective, campusers buy very expensive phones& tablets that are wide like
a book! These gadgets are connected to Internet and a lot of applications
are installed on them. On the side of the girls,
a person without a smart phone looks
backward, poor and primitive! This creates a
stiff competition among students.
The common social media used in

communication are Facebook,
Watsapp, estagram and others. Therefore,
whenever students are free, they resort on
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watsapping and Facebooking. Different groups are created on social

medias for sharing information. These groups are created on different basis
that is to say, classes, associations, hostels, sports etc. One of the students
noted that communication at campus is easy due to use of these social
medias. Time tables are shared easily, lecture notes, discussions, research
and so many other categories of academic information.
It is reported that at different campuses, singles and searching students

also create their groups with the aim of
escaping this pit! It is said that many students
get love partners from these platforms. Those
without these types of phones, they either use
college computer labs or Internet cafes to
facebook. When using social media, one person
said that a student can sit in one position from
morning up to evening communicating with
friends and posting different kinds of
information. The facts from different sources
noted that more time is given to Social Media communication than revising
books and executing course works/projects! Therefore, many people
complain that some students base on these platforms to post what they
termed as sluggish massages in audio, videos and images. However, it was
noted that some post sense as well. On the other side however these
communication tools have eased communication and entertainment among
the campus students.
78
One has to believe that students at different campuses come from different
ethnicities. Therefore in these multi-lingual societies, it is revealed that
students can communicate using the queens language (English). For this
matter, campusers speak English to the extent that one may think that
England has become closure to them! Some students also use their local
languages when they are with their fellow tribemates during their free
time. When you are to notice there some local languages that are
dominating the others. That means that those tribes have the biggest
percentage of students at campus. For that matter, there are some people
who may not even meet their fellows easily and their language is too rare.
But one must not get afraid of that provided English is available
communication is easy at campus.
INTERNSHIP OVERVIEW/INDUSTRIAL TRAINING
79
Internships are
professional training
experiences that give
students the
The internship
opportunity to gain time for
campus
practical experience
students
in a professional
environment. It is
the opportunity for a
student to take what
she/he has learned
in the classroom and
apply it in the real
world. Majority of
the courses offered at different universities/colleges have this program and
is mandatory to all students.
It is argued that prior to the college years, many young people get
employed as babysitters, shopkeepers, butchers, hawkers or yard workers,
but few have exposure to the professional office environment. Therefore,
the internship program organized by different campuses is the first
opportunity to know what it is like to work in an office, to learn how to
dress officially, perform in a professional manner, and to apply professional
skills and talents. It is a chance to develop communication and
interpersonal skills, to build the knowledge base about a specific field, and
80
to practice a higher level of responsibility and confidence.
It was noted by many continuing students that there are clear advantages
to having an internship under your belt, particularly in todays highly
competitive job market. Completing an internship not only bolsters
students resume, but allows them to acquire essential professional skills
that help them succeed in their career; gives them stronger credibility in a
job interview and gives students the opportunity to network and make
useful professional connections.
The daily work as an intern depends on the nature of your internship

organization, agency, or company. An internship likely involves a
combination of substantive and administrative duties. The daily internship
responsibilities commonly include: research, report writing, attending and
reporting on Congressional hearings, planning activities, policy analysis,
general administrative tasks, organizing events, or attending
meetings. Internees are probably not paid for their internship work. Paid
internships are rare in our economy, although some organizations may
offer a small stipend that covers their transportation to and from
work. What is earned commonly for internship work is college credit
(internship facilitation) in some institutions.
There are abundant internship opportunities in nonprofit organizations,

government agencies, arts and cultural organizations, and private
companies. Whatever your field of study is, there is sure to be an ideal
internship opportunity for you in this economy. Examples of possible
internship placement grounds are: schools, industries, universities,
81
Government ministries & agencies, media houses, banking institutions, and
on and on The possibilities are endless!
CHALLENGES FACED BY INTERNEES
The main challenge

faced by students
during this period is
looking for internship
placement. This is
related to looking for
a job. Many students
who do not have God
The internship time

fathers from different
institutions always
suffocate with looking
for a placement. One
third year student
mentioned that she dropped many internship application letters but many
organizations could not show any interest in her request. This girl said that
I experienced many corrupt officials who tried to promise me internship
placements on the condition of having sex with them. Others asked for
monetary bribes. Therefore this situation is almost similar to looking for
jobs!
After getting internship placement, many students complain that they
82
surface other challenges from the organizations where the opportunities

are attained. First and foremost, students complain that they are not paid
for the services offered while they are at their industrial training. Although
they are overloaded with work from such institutions, there is no any
monitory appreciations made for them. However, students must be aware
that being paid for industrial training if abnormal since they join these
institutions for study purpose. It's like the university admitting a student
and it start paying salary to him/her! If one has gotten a chance of being
paid during internship that must be as a special opportunity.
Worst of all, it is reported that girls are sexually harassed by the field
supervisors. In case they resist this, the supervisors may deny them good
recommendations and marks. Supervisors can also fail such students by
poorly branding them before the academic supervisors. This challenge
mainly affects girls. on the side of the boys it is very rare. Other challenges
are discrimination, misleading internees at work and so many others.
finally, report writing is stressful. Many students who are not familiar with
writing good essays, claim that they get challenged with report writing.
However much different institutions put across the guideline and
procedures to write these reports, students mentioned that many fail to
fulfill them. This is like an exam on its own and at the same time a
coursework. As a result of that, many campus students claim that they look
for the commercial report writers to do it on a negotiable payment. In
some incidents where some girls do not have money and at the same time
they are incapable of writing their reports, they end up
83
detoothing.....................etc to cover up this bridge. However, some write

reports on their own and they pass well others with average.
on the side of the boys, they can call home for money to facilitate the
commercial report writers or do it themselves. It was clearly discovered
that many working students just higher commercial report writers to do it
on their behalf.
GRADUATION
84
The joy of graduation
Students resume their excitement during graduation period. This is the

exact time when some remember to thank God whom they might have
forgotten for all of the years covered by the course! Reaching this time is
not easy at all. There are very many heddles one might have gone
through.
A person to see his or her name when is included on the graduation list is
of a great achievement. This is because many fail to reach this level
because of missing marks, retakes, dead years and other factors. However,
85
a third year student mentioned that something painful is the universities

mistake not to include the students name on the graduation list when he or
she has fulfilled all the requirements. This confuses students a lot including
the care takers.
After confirming that the graduation list is out, students start to struggle
with clearing. On the side of the institutions that are on a large scale,
clearing takes a lot of time. Although many students might have been
challenged with tuition fees, they try all means to settle the university
graduation fees after confirming that their names are on the graduation
lists.
It was experienced by the writers that students receive graduation books

and invitation cards with a lot of joy. Immediately after receiving this book,
students crosscheck to confirm their names. If they find that they are
clearly indicated, they jubilate highly. However, there are students who end
up not seeing their names in the graduation book. These shrink excessively
and they start to make follow-ups. Some follow-ups fail to produce good
results and these people end up not graduating. Students said that
explaining this to the serious parent is very hard. This is because parents
may think that it could be the students fault of missing exams, failing
exams or not paying the tuition fees given to them.
The successful students start to buy the graduation gown a week before
the official ceremony with a lot of excitements. Interestingly, some
students whose names might have missed in the graduation lists because
of retakes, missing marks, failure to fully attend the courses and eating
86
tuition can also buy the gowns deceiving that they are meant to graduate!
They go ahead to photocopy and alter the content of the graduation book.
They include their names on the list. However, apart from that duplicated
copy, other books remain with the original content without the names of
the defaulters. Such books are presented to the parents convincing them to
attend the graduation ceremonies. They also forge the invitation cards. The
most common Centre where these forgeries are made from is Nassa Road
where Printing campanies are in plenty.
Therefore these students convince their parents on false grounds and some
end up wasting their money to organize to the private graduation parties
from their respective homes!
HOW STUDENTS DECEIVE THEIR PARENTS AFTER FAILING TO

GRADUATE?
Many students who fail to graduate from different campuses are ever
deceiving their parents, guardians and sponsors through raising false
excuses. Many of them do not incriminate themselves that they might have
contributed to their failure to graduate. Therefore, they shift their blame to
the third party. The following are the different ways how students false
fully convince their parents.
87
Professor so and so deliberately lost my results because I refused to have

sex with him! The man is HIV positive so I was not ready to take a deadly
decision to do such an action. This is the reason why I have not graduated.
I passed all the papers but my name did not appear on the graduation list.
I tried to follow up and the university officials seldomly say that they are
working on it. At the end they failed to fulfill their what they say. This is
the reason why I have not graduated.
I failed to graduate because you did not but for me a laptop. Because of
this matter lecturers were not allowing us to attend their lectures without
having our personal computers. This is the reason why I have not
graduated.
I failed to graduate because you were not paying my tuition in time. The
victims of this saculstance were not allowed to use the campus facilities.
This is the reason why I have not graduated.
Those who might have been impregnated by their partners say I was raped
and I spent a lot of time treating myself. This is the reason why I have not
graduated.
88
RECOMMENDATIONS
To students
To achieve a success at campus, all students are recommended to do the

following basing on the arguments analyzed above.
Always do things in time (budget your time).

Attend all lectures
Ask questions ware you are not conversant
Teamwork is important
89
Read your books regularly

Ever do your own research
Budget for your expenditure (do not forget academic expenses).
When you are given tuition do not divert it to other business. Please
pay it to the university in time.
Avoid bad pears
Be a GOD fearing person
To parents, guardians and care takers
In order to properly pave students to success parents, guardians and care

takers are all encouraged to fulfill the following.
Pay fees in time

Always follow up the student's performance
Always encourage students to be hard working to attain success
Provide the requirements like food, books, papers, computers,
telephones, tablets (where necessary) and other personal
requirements to limit students from getting tempted to obtain such in
unreasonable means.
90
CONCLUSION
In a nutshell, a lot have been discussed in this campus information bank. It
has highlighted many benefits one may attain once he/she joins campus. It
has also articulated a lot of challenges that surface the campus students.
This book can serve as an eye opener to all fresh students to virtually see
what they are to surface at campus. It is thought that this can make
students ready for the new life at campus.
on the side of the parents, guardians and care takers this book has
revealed much about what happens inside the curtains of different
campuses. What there students go through and how they can help them in
91
this kind of situation. Different authorities may also benefit a lot in this
publications to find out how to fight some challenges faced by campus
students.
Whatever has been recommended is very important in addition to what is
recommended by other people who are exposed to this kind of life. Always
refer to this book in case of any challenge to find out an answer.
May god bless you al
92
GLOSSARY
Campus : A university, college or an institution of higher
learning
Campusers : The students at the university level
Freshers : The newly admitted University students
Hostels : A building where students reside
Lecturer : A professional person who teach university students
Lecture room : A room reserved for teaching students (class room)
Class representative: The students leader at the class level
Guild president : A student who heads all the students at the
university
Vice Chancellor : The head of the university
a
Pictorial
Other Sources
http://www.macalester.edu/parents/tipsforsuccess/25challenges/
https://www.suug.co.uk/pageassets/freshers2011/guides/SUUG_FRESHERS
_GUIDE_2011_WEB.pdf
http://www.monitor.co.ug/Magazines/Life/The-good--the-bad-and-ugly-of-
campus-hostel-life/689856-1966756-3cy5d3/index.html
http://www.newman.ac.uk/news/3399/how-to-revise-tips-and-techniques-
to-make-revision-easier
Read more at http://www.protection1.com/campus-safety/night-safety-
tips/#JgkF54cab5R61l5A.99
http://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1315976/students-warned-
gambling-tuition-fees#sthash.wJkTyGya.dpuf
http://leadershipmagazine.org/leader/?p=339
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GET ORIENTED TO CAMPUS LIFE: The Facts a Fresher Should Know

The facts a fresher must know

BRAM(Hon), Makerere University, Kampala

A Senior Research Assistant

Research Records and Archives Management Consultancy Solutions Ltd (RRACS)

BRAM(Hon), Makerere University, Kampala

Research Records and Archives Management Consultancy Solutions Ltd (RRACS)

Research Records and Archives Management Consultancy Solutions Ltd (RRACS)

Edmond Mulindwa & Jimmy Kikwata 2017

All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission

of this publication may be made without

a written permission from the authors.

No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced

or copied or transmitted without permission

Campus life involves attending university events, joining student groups,

presented basing on the experience of the writers.

We wish you the best

In my course of life, I cannot forget to thank my beloved Father and

Gratitude and thanks are extended to my brother and sisters namely;

over the years. Although different responsibilities and other inevitable

May the highly exulted God reward you abundantly!

STUDENTS RESIDENCE ....................................................................... 47

Congratulations to all of you who have been admitted by different

Many continuing students continue to assert that the strategy involved in

BE READY FOR CAMPUS

clear and straightforward system of calendar + tasks. Under calendar,

Attend lectures, You Paid For it and they

By experience, professors take a lot of pride in lecturing, and work hard to

Have a Study Strategy. In order to keep control of your commitments,

It was discovered that the Law of

Different sources revealed that what

Students become excited when they are admitted to different campuses.

THE LANGUAGE/TERMS USED BY CAMPUS STUDENTS AND

Language use at campus among students is very confusing, interesting and

Congs: This term means congratulations. At different campuses, it is

Kasanja/Kisanja: This is the common term used by campus students that

Puma: This is a term used to mean the shoes for boys.

Weewe: This term is used to mobilize students to join a strike. It is

girls at campus are sometimes called chicks.

term PC means a personal computer like laptops.

CHANGES EXPERIENCED AFTER JOINING CAMPUS

It was discovered that there are a lot of things that

Another change experienced at campus, is that

timetable they confuse freshers so much. Different universities have

At primary and secondary levels, the materials taught are categorized as

QUALITIES THAT MAKE AN EFFECTIVE CAMPUS STUDENT

It was experienced that many scholars have

Self-discipline is critical to keeping up with good performance and other life

Effective campus students get engaged in their education. In lectures, they

Campus is a two- to four-year commitment that have ups and downs in

Lectures at universities typically emphasize production, performance and

papers to avoid simple grammatical and spelling errors are habits of

THE COMMON CHALLENGES FACED BY FRESH STUDENTS AT

common at Universities with very big land coverage accompanied by many

Freshers week is a daunting time and as such it is pretty much a free-for-

The food is not like home cooking. Students

They miss their old routines and structures.

The work assigned to by lecturers sometimes is hard and some students

Self-motivation among students is challenging. Continuing students

Some lecturers may not be as exciting and challenging as students thought

readings may be more complex and difficult than expected too.

There is a challenge of getting used to different

kind of freedom found at campus but it is competitive and expensive

Roommates often have different lifestyles, values, and ways of doing

Campus Life by Mulindwa E. & Kikwata E.

Campus Life by Mulindwa E. & Kikwata E.