By Aliyya Hussain
Following Orire Agbaje’s appointment to the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Tax Club at the University of Ibadan gained significant attention at the beginning of the new academic session. It raises the question: Did students see the need to emulate her, or does the allure of organizational involvement prove so fulfilling that they should be compelled to join any available club?
Becoming a part of student organizations and actively engaging in their activities undoubtedly stands out as a crucial undertaking for students through their academic journey at the university. The timeless saying of not letting school pass through you but allowing yourself to pass through school remains a valuable piece of advice that can never be underrated. The average UI student’s schedule is heavily laden with attending classes, managing assignments and tests, and reaching weekly deadlines, all with the aim of procuring good grades and graduating with a graspable CGPA.
Students are always strongly encouraged to prioritize the paramount reason for their admission into universities and resist engaging in frivolous activities that would jeopardize their education. There is no doubt that with less or no aimless distractions and self-discipline, students should be able to navigate their academic responsibilities.
However, for a student to grasp the true significance of their university experience, they should focus not only on nurturing their academic success but also on other dimensions of their life, including physical well-being, social connections, and professional development. This calls for the need for skill development beyond the four walls of a classroom.
The University of Ibadan bubbles with hubs of diversity where there are varieties of interests and hobbies. Every student is entitled to having an enriching and transformative experience at the university, and there is no other way to go about it than to engage in extracurricular activities to experience a wholesome academic journey.
Joining student organizations is one decision that stands out. These organizations range from academic groups and religious associations to indigenous associations that hinge on a student’s inherent passions or nativity. At the University of Ibadan, several campus organizations are usually revealed to new students during orientations and welcome addresses.
As explicitly stated on the university’s official website in the column “Student Organizations and Publications”, “it is the policy of the university to encourage students who so desire to organize themselves into and join organizations which contribute to the academic, cultural, recreational, and social life of the university. For this reason, the university encourages a network of student-directed clubs and societies designed to provide education outside the classroom. There are numerous such student academic societies and activity clubs catering for a wide variety of interests, through which a student may manifest his or her feelings and attitudes and seek out relief from the purely academic life.”
While some of these organizations may be a subset of a larger community, some are just campus startups. Some of these organizations include SMPN Unibadan, Sigma Club, The Tax Club UI, ASIDO UI, AIESEC, UCJ UI, The Literary and Debating Society, UI (TLDS UI), Juniors Chambers International (JCI), Google Developers Students Club (GDSC), local press, and literary and debating organizations, to name a few. This is coupled with groups with members being from a particular state or town, e.g., FIBSU, Federal Ebonyi State Students, Federation of Ijesa Students Union, National Association of Abia State Students, and a lot more. For religious organizations, there are Adventist Student Fellowships, Ahmadiyya Muslim Student Association, Student Christian Movement of Nigeria, The Redeemed Christian Fellowship, Christ Ambassadors Students Outreach, Muslim Students Society of Nigeria U.I., e.t.c.
Joining clubs and organizations at the university should not be regarded as perfunctory but rather as a Rubicon to the other side of leadership, entrepreneurial greatness, and empowerment. A main reason a student can join any of the aforementioned organizations could be to fuel their passions. Joining a club solely for the sake of amusement can lead to exhaustion and minimal takeaways, especially if it doesn’t align with your genuine interests.
Another integral reason students should join organizations is to establish friendships and build networking opportunities. The pertinence of this reason cannot be overemphasized. Through building connections and improving one’s interpersonal communication skills, the chances of being exposed to empowering opportunities outside the school environment are guaranteed. This might come into play during events, sponsorships, or excursions by such organizations.
Busari Olamide, a 400l student of Communication and Language Arts, expatiated how joining The Tax Club, UI, has helped her networking and career navigation. “First, I got to meet and interact with students from various departments. (Law, Economics, Geography, Agricultural Economics, etc.) This has helped greatly with networking. Also, my experience in the club has helped me position myself for life after school, especially in the corporate world. The knowledge being shared, internships given, and certification courses are great pointers in this.”
Moreso, Olamitundun Omotunde, another 400l student, expressed how joining a religious organization has exposed him to more people and views. “I’ve been able to make friends with almost at least one person in all departments at this school. It helped with networking with different people from other departments and faculties, and I’ve been able to build a solid friendship with many of them. Being a part of a student fellowship has helped greatly with meeting many of my needs in school. My social needs, health needs, financial needs, academic needs, and many more I’ve been able to meet people who are able to mentor me in different spheres of life.”
Students should also join such organizations to have a positive impact on their personal growth. A study on the influence of involvement in clubs and organizations on the leadership development of students in the World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews expressed that students’ participation in clubs and organizations has a notable impact on their leadership development. In addition to fostering leadership skills, engaging in these activities also contributes to the enhancement of students’ communication and social abilities.
Olamitundun also stated how joining a religious organization impacted her personal growth: “Joining a student fellowship at UI has impacted me in many ways, much more than the expectations I had before joining. It has helped with my spiritual growth a lot because so many systems were put in place in the fellowship to help everyone grow in their spiritual life.”
Also, she discussed how her leadership skills have improved ever since she joined the fellowship: “Taking a leadership position in my student fellowship has helped me greatly to build my capacity in leadership, and it also helped me improve my people relations skills.” Olangunju Oluwayanmipe, a student of Classics, also asserted her reasons and experience for joining the Faculty Legislative Council of her Faculty. “Initially, it’s for my CV. It has also improved my decision-making skills, and being able to represent my department in faculty meetings has been a wholesome adventure.”
Participation in student organizations has its way of improving the academic life of a student through imbibing values learned from being a member of an organization. These may include adequate time management, organizational skills, a keen sense of responsibility, and the significance of being an efficient team member. These skills may be what set an academic trail for a student in the right order, i.e., getting an organized work schedule, being efficient in study groups, being open-minded, and thinking critically.
Grace Adepoju, a 300l student of psychology, explained how her experience in the Google Developers Students Club (GDSC) has shaped her career trail: “It has helped me to meet people; it has also helped me sharpen my skills; the meetings have become a learning resource for me; and what I learn is what can be said to be the foundation and basics of my career.” Furthermore, by becoming a part of school organizations, students inadvertently make community contributions through participation in volunteering and charity initiatives organized by these groups. Many of these student organizations focus on showcasing student-led projects and methods for giving back to the local community.
To sum it up, for university students, getting involved in organizations, goes beyond a mere hobby; it’s a path to personal development, community impact, and self-exploration. By exploring this network of possibilities, students can fully maximize their time during their academic years and chart a determined course toward a promising future.
OBAFEMI AWOLOWO HALL PRESS 
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