Settling In, Starting Classes, and Building Skills: My First Trimester at the African Leadership University!

Written by: Blessing Akpan

This week marks four months since I gave up on my four-year degree course in Nigeria, having completed three years, to pursue an Entrepreneurship degree in Rwanda on a partial scholarship. While some might have seen this as an irrational decision and a terrible risk, I do not regret anything.

It has been an incredible four months already, and as someone who loves reflections and engages in them, I choose to let you all in on this particular one.

As a first-year student at the African Leadership University in Kigali, Rwanda, I rounded off my first trimester this month, and it’s been a rollercoaster ride of trying to settle in, adjusting, and facing a different model of study entirely.

For this reflection, I am going to be sharing my experiences spanning from school life, which will involve the activities I was engaged in, a few achievements, lessons learned, what I love about the learning model here and My life outside school, which will revolve around my schedule when I am not studying.

Are you ready? Let’s go!

My life in school

Settling In

I arrived in Kigali on the 2nd of January and resumed my matriculation processes a few days later. It was an interesting exercise, although, at a point, I was scared that I would be told I had missed a document and needed to go through extra hassles, which was the case for some people. Luckily, my extra attention to detail succeeded.

Getting my study permit was also a work in the park. I applied sometime in January and received an email 24 hours later that my visa was ready. Coming from a country where you must go through many struggles before getting a registration done, this was a considerable flex.

The orientation period was exceptionally intriguing, mainly because fellow students were the ones who handled most of the sessions — they were detailed, practical, and very friendly. Relating with them built up more excitement and reduced the tension.

We also had the Ikaze (welcome) ceremony. One of the activities I enjoyed the most during the ceremony was the “initiation” process, where some faculty members, enrolled students, and members of the Student Representative Council (S.R.C.) stood at the entrance of the Social Commons building to welcome us in. It was symbolic for me, and I felt so at home.

Starting Classes

I remember attending my first E-lab (Entrepreneurial Leaders’ Action Lab) class and how overwhelming yet exciting it was. I loved that we were few in the class, had a projector, and our facilitator was very particular about every student. Because I am introverted, I was not sure I would fit in. But before the end of the first few weeks, I was already taking part in role-playing and leading my E-lab Think tank — TEAM LACA.

I had classes at least three times every week, and they were all fascinating, and I would usually leave energized. We also had foundation courses we took, which were self-paced and self-directed. There were fifteen micro-courses that revolved around critical topics and soft skills that every young person has to acquire. One of the things I did right was finish the fifteen courses within two weeks. What motivated me to be very proactive in taking the micro-courses was that I hate being bundled down by deadlines, and finishing it earlier was a way to give time for other activities. Besides, the courses were too interesting to procrastinate on them.

We wrapped it up with the final summative, which was also a lot, but I finished it and aced it to the best of my ability.

ALU’s mode of study is experiential. We needed to participate in 7–8 challenges for our E-lab course. All of them helped us face real-life problems, tackle them, and helped us build critical skills. Our Wicked problem was in Art Education. It was demanding, but we pulled through. Here is the portfolio website we built for our team, showcasing all our activities.

My Life Outside of School

Although there have been several out-of-campus activities, including house parties, birthday celebrations, and pool parties, I, unfortunately, did not attend any of them. I did sign up for one, but unfortunately, I slept through the time when the bus was supposed to arrive. Well, I think I accepted an invitation for a game night, but I slept all through — shocker, right?

Parties aren’t my thing anyway, as the noise disturbs me greatly. I also have a slight issue being in crowded places for more than an hour, except in a corporate setting. Sometimes, I wish I could be more outdoorsy, but maybe I need someone to drag me out. However, I did visit a few places for site-seeing and meetings and I had a swell time.

On a different note, I have been trying to learn Kinyarwanda — the official Language of Rwandans, which will make my life easier. Unfortunately, I got the worst haircut ever because the barber didn’t understand what I was explaining, even though I showed him a picture. Thankfully, the ALU language cards given to us during matriculation have been helpful, and I can now say words like “How are you,” “Good morning,” “Good afternoon,” “Thank you,” “How much,” etc.

Living in a new country has also exposed me to different cultural norms. For instance, I’ve noticed that ketchup and mayonnaise are used in virtually every dish, and I’ve even started doing the same. Also, houses rarely have ceilings or standing fans, probably due to the cold weather. I also want to add that I find the way the indigenes stare quite intriguing. Lastly, Kigali feels so safe even at night. One could be found at 1:00am outside and it is very normal.

Opportunities and Achievements

I’ve had the privilege of participating in various activities since I resumed studies and I have had a couple of achievements too:

1. I went on an industry tour to Nyamirambo Women’s Centre and learned about what women are doing. Through the Nyamirambo Women’s Centre, over 5,000 women around the local community have been trained in handcrafting and employed to improve their livelihood. The most fantastic aspect of listening to the growth story is how this initiative is helping women develop basic numeracy and literacy.
2. During interaction with the project manager — Ms. Mary, I realized that doing good could be challenging, but if you work with the right people, the process could be much easier.

3. Additionally, I was selected to participate in the Empowered Leaders’ Training Program organized by LYF Leads Africa, and I rounded off the training with an internship opportunity with the organization. I remember while in the cause of the interview, my interviewer suddenly paused and said, “By the way, you are hired.” That was my best moment!

4. My Think Tank team — Leaders Advocating Change in Africa (L.A.C.A.) — emerged as the overall winner of the E-lab challenge, beating 41 other teams. It was an incredible experience, and I loved how the effort of my team members was instrumental to our success.

5. I participated in the World Creativity and Innovation Week Celebration as one of the organizing team members. I co-facilitated the innovation relay on the first day and served as the Master of Ceremony (MC) on the second day.

6. I was selected as a Student Ambassador, which means I’ll work closely with the ALU Recruitment Team to recruit new intakes and help answer any questions they may have concerning the learning model, application requirements, and what they need to settle into the institution.

7. Finally, I remember arriving Kigali with just $200 which wasn’t even mine. I had no Idea of how I was going to survive with no job and no money and yes, that was a big risk I took. However, what gave me so much confidence was the diverse marketable skillset I posses. I wasn’t even sure how the job market was here but I already made up my mind that I will make it work for me. The first week in Kigali, I got a job via Instagram. It was my first time being paid in USD and I loved it. After my contract ended, my employer recommended me to someone else. It might have been bumpy at some point, but the experiences built resilience in me. I tell myself. “Bee, you can thrive anywhere”

What I love about ALU’s learning model

1. At African Leadership University, there is no traditional examination. At the end of the term, the students are assessed by a series of self-reflection, team-based, and individual project presentations, primarily based on areas of interest as a budding entrepreneur, start-up founder, or someone who wants to build a career/skills for the workplace in a particular field.
2. I love that ALU prioritizes peer learning. We take part in almost all learning exercises as a group. There were Think tanks for the E-lab and Negpods for the just concluded trimester of the foundation course. Each group typically includes up to 7 persons and is usually very diverse in gender and nationality. This way, we bring different perspectives to each task. I love this because teamwork has helped refine my workplace ethics, communication, accountability, and leadership skills.
3. I also love that there are Learning Coaches for each student, who are very accessible. Booking office hours with a learning coach to discuss your learning progress is graded.
4. Classes could be quite demanding sometimes, but I love that it allows students to work part-time, and because the learning is remote after the first term, you can have a flexible study and work life. However, it depends on how you manage your time and creating a healthy balance.
5. I loved that the students were given more than one means of expression during the assessment. I could write an essay or make a video to present my research findings. Both carry the same marks.
6. Finally, I love the much attention ALU gives to research and proper citation/referencing. Within four months, I have developed the habit of always backing up my assumptions with relevant data and referencing materials that are not mine.

Lessons Learned

During my four months at ALU, I have learned a lot of valuable lessons:

1. I’ve come to understand that wanting something is not enough, and it needs to be accompanied by actions, or it will just remain a desire.
2. I’ve also learned not to limit myself to one career path too early. It is enriching when you explore other fields and learn a bit about everything. It’s been four months already at ALU, and I have been able to explore diverse opportunities.
3. I’ve also learned to embrace every phase of my life and never put my life on hold because things are not going well. Things will eventually be okay, but I will never get back the days I wasted doing nothing.
4. I’ve also learned to embrace myself and my uniqueness. When I got here, I found a lot of energetic individuals, and I felt that I would easily get lost in the crowd, but that was not so. It’s four months already, and I am happy I did not take up another identity just to fit in. I was able to access opportunities by being who I am.

As I move forward, my learning journey at ALU will be primarily remote, involving frequent travel to ALU hubs in other parts of Africa. I’ll engage with my peers through virtual live classes with my facilitators, taking self-paced micro-courses, and participating in internships. Although I’m still figuring out the details of the upcoming years at ALU, the unknown makes it so exciting.

Above all, I am committed to continuing my growth and development.

I want to give a big shout-out to my friends at ALU — Barrie, Chisom, Stella, Ayotunde, Divine, Stanley, Damilare, Chidera, and Joy, for being such a great support system throughout my first four months here.

To my support systems outside ALU — Hammed, Dami, my family, Elisha, Sifon, Patrick, and everyone who donated to my fundraiser when I needed support to make it to ALU, I wouldn’t have gotten in without your help. Thank you.

I’m also profoundly grateful for the guidance and wisdom of the ALU Faculty members who have had contact with and have offered tremendous help and guidance — my learning Coach, Ms. Doris, My E-lab facilitator, Ms. Audrine As well as Mrs. Ndinda, Mr. Eric, Mr. Keith, and Mr. Felix. You all inspired me to be more. Thank you.

I cannot wait to see what my remaining terms have in store. I am here for all of it. Here’s to doing hard things.

Learn more about Studying at ALU

About ALU student author:

Blessing Akpan is a dedicated educator with a passion for enhancing educational practices. She focuses on the intersection of project management techniques and technology with education. She is pursuing an Entrepreneurial Leadership degree at the African Leadership University.

Blessing derives immense satisfaction from sharing her knowledge and helping young people navigate life and career through mentorship and social media. She firmly believes that the world is filled with goodness in the form of people and that for this goodness to endure, we must all take actions that create a ripple effect in our communities. Whether by engaging in impactful projects, helping people find their way through informative content, or offering mentorship to younger generations, we all have a responsibility to contribute to a better world.