A Week In The Life Of A Class Rep
MONDAY
I set my alarm for 6 am on most days, but of course, it’s an exercise in futility. Simi calls me by 5:58 am (I don’t know why I still bother setting alarms). It’s urgent. Her house is far from school and she wants to know if classes will hold, she doesn’t want to waste her time and energy. I tell her what I already said the day before — Torts will be holding. Yes, I know it didn’t hold last week but the lecturer is coming today. I complete my morning routine; pray and get dressed before I look through the million and one messages on my phone. I’m not surprised to see that other people have texted me about the class. I decide to make a general announcement on the group chat instead of replying to their messages. Where would I even start from?
I text the Criminal law lecturer to confirm if the 11:00 am class will hold. She doesn’t reply, but I have to leave my hostel. I have an 8:00 am class and it’s already 7:30 am. Once I get to the faculty, I rush to get the microphone. If it’s a good day, I can leave the class 30 minutes after, but most of the time, I have to wait longer than that to answer questions or complaints people have. Going home early in the mud.
TUESDAY
Today I argued with Simi. In my defence, I only slept for 4 hours the night before, plus, the lecturer spent 10 minutes telling me why it was inefficient for him to enter the class and be waiting for the microphone. I was annoyed, okay? Besides, Simi could have told me that she didn’t get to submit the assignment in a calmer way. Instead, she was literally yelling. Letting me know that it was unfair for me to just “submit the assignment whenever I liked” as if I hadn’t posted announcements about the assignment consistently for the past 2 weeks. I was angry. I might have raised my voice. I’ll still text her and apologize for shouting. It comes with the job. I have to maintain cordial relationships with everyone in the class. Besides, I don’t like losing my temper.
WEDNESDAY
Today, I got home by 6:00 pm. One of my classmates had a problem with her result. That’s another thing that surprised me since I became a class rep. Everyone believes I have the solution to any problem they have. It’s actually good for my confidence and lets me know that I’m doing a good job. It’s a sign that my people trust me. I do the work of a course advisor because I’m the first person they meet about these kinds of issues. Anyway, her test score wasn’t recorded so I had to meet the lecturer on her behalf. The lecturer wasn’t around, so I had to wait in school. When she finally came, I wasn’t allowed to see her. She told me to come back the next day. I wanted to cry, but it’s all in a day’s job.
THURSDAY
I woke up to a credit alert — I knew it was going to be a good day. Sometimes my classmates appreciate what I do by sending money, buying credit, or sending thoughtful messages. It always makes my day. It reminds me that the stress is worth it. I think my classmates forget that I’m also a student. Sure, I represent them to lecturers, but I really don’t have any special privileges. So, when I announced that our Criminal Law class would be held virtually even though it was a public holiday, and they told me to tell the lecturer that they weren’t interested, it made me laugh. I’m always the representative when it’s something no one wants to do. One time, a phone rang during Torts, and the lecturer walked out, I was the one that begged. I didn’t leave school till 7:00 pm that day — the lecturer refused to see me at first.
FRIDAY
Being a class rep has its perks. One thing is that other class reps are willing to help because they know how hard it is. Another thing no one tells you about being a class rep? You need to be very very patient. Did someone annoy you during fellowship? A bike man insulted you on your way to school? You can’t transfer your anger to other people. You can’t let it affect how your work. One time, my phone kept ringing past 9, and I already had a bad day. I didn’t feel like answering at all, but when I finally did, it was a lecturer calling to tell me that the class for next week wouldn’t hold.
SATURDAY
I started posting reminders about an online test we had scheduled for today at 6 am. I posted on my status and told other people to publicize it just so it would reach everyone. Still, someone called me to ask about the test when I had started writing mine even after all the reminders. That’s why I don’t use my phone to write tests. I met 200+ messages when I finally came online. Some people were asking for materials, some were complaining about not being able to write it and some people missed the test completely. Monday go long.
SUNDAY
As a rule, I don’t take any calls on Sunday mornings or in the afternoon. I need time to myself to recharge, and prepare for a new week. After church, I catch up on messages I may have missed during the week (but I never catch up on all of them if I’m being honest). But mostly, I rest. Body no be firewood. In the evening, I make a note of all the things I’ll have to do on Monday. And, like clockwork, someone calls me to ask me if Monday’s class will hold. It’s hard work being a class rep, but I like how responsible I’ve become because of it.
