MAKING HEALTHY AND INFLUENTIAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH COURSEMATES IN HIGHER INSTITUTION AS A NIGERIAN STUDENT

By Promise Odejide 

One of the most important aspects of being a student in a higher institution is the ability to form and maintain healthy and influential relationships with your coursemates. These are the people who share your academic interests, goals, and challenges. They can also become your friends, mentors, collaborators, and supporters. Having good relationships with your coursemates can benefit you in many ways, such as:

📌 Enhancing your learning experience: You can learn from each other's perspectives, insights, and feedback. You can also exchange ideas, resources, and information that can help you with your studies. You can also form study groups, peer tutoring, or project teams that can improve your academic performance and skills.

📌Expanding your network: You can build connections that can open up opportunities for your future career or further education. You can also access different communities, organizations, and events that can enrich your personal and professional development.

📌 Boosting your well-being: You can find emotional and social support from your coursemates who understand what you are going through. You can also have fun, relax, and enjoy your student life with them. You can also develop positive traits such as empathy, respect, trust, and cooperation that can enhance your interpersonal skills.

However, making healthy and influential relationships with your coursemates is not always easy. It requires effort, commitment, and communication. Here are some tips on how to do it:

📌 Be proactive: Don't wait for others to approach you. Take the initiative to introduce yourself, start a conversation, or invite someone to join you for a coffee or a study session. Show interest in others and be friendly and respectful.

📌 Be open-minded: Don't judge others based on their appearance, background, or opinions. Be willing to listen to different viewpoints and perspectives. Appreciate the diversity and uniqueness of your coursemates. Learn from their experiences and cultures.

📌 Be supportive: Don't compete or compare yourself with others. Instead, celebrate their achievements and encourage their efforts. Offer help when needed and ask for help when you need it. Share your challenges and successes with them. Be honest and trustworthy.

📌 Be respectful: Don't gossip or spread rumors about others. Don't interrupt or dominate the conversation. Don't criticize or belittle others. Instead, give constructive feedback and compliments. Acknowledge their contributions and opinions. Apologize when you make a mistake or hurt someone's feelings.

📌 Be consistent: Don't be a fair-weather friend who only shows up when things are good. Be there for your coursemates through thick and thin. Keep in touch with them regularly and follow up on their progress and well-being. Show that you care about them and value their friendship.

The story of a prominent author in Nigeria, he had a good relationship with his coursemates, then in higher institution. Wole Soyinka, the Nobel laureate in literature, He attended Government College in Ibadan, where he met other talented writers such as Christopher Okigbo, John Pepper Clark, Elechi Amadi, Gabriel Okara, Chukwuemeka Ike, Chinua Achebe, among others. They formed a literary group called the Mbari Club, which became a platform for promoting African literature and arts.

Soyinka maintained his friendship with his coursemates throughout his life, even when they faced political and personal difficulties. He dedicated his Nobel Prize acceptance speech in 1986 to his friend Okigbo, who died in the Nigerian Civil War in 1967. He also paid tribute to his friend Achebe, who died in 2013, by writing a poem titled "A Tribute to Chinua Achebe".

Soyinka's example shows how having healthy and influential relationships with your coursemates can enrich your life and career as a student and beyond.