A must know about NYSC Orientation camp

Congratulations to have successfully graduated from your respective higher institutions. This is another bridge you need to cross before you go into the labour market.

The service is not as sweet as you have been assuming it to be, you have to prepare your mind towards serving your father land like a SERVANT.

Rules and regulations in the camp are very huge and cumbersome, failure to abide by them is the beginning of problem with NYSC.

You will wake up as early as 4:30 to prepare for parade and be forced to go to bed by 10pm and at times, you will be woken for emergency alert in the middle of the night.

You will be restricted to just white on white like "white fowl" that the soldiers will call it, but might be allowed to wear any outfit on Sundays(depending on the state).

Depending on the season you are mobilized for service (rainy/sunny/harmattan) you must be prepared for the weather. In the raining or harmattan season you should go with white cardigan to curb the cold or else, you are on your own.

You shouldn't expect quality and large quantity of food since you are not in your father's house but in your father's land. It is advisable you are financially prepared to an everage extent so as to patronize those in the mammi market especially if you are the type that is somehow selective when it comes to food. If you are not financially capable you can manage the food NYSC will provide like i did too! mind you it's just for 21days.

You will be forced by the soldiers to do things you are not used to but you have no choice than to do them, in NYSC the common slang is "NO OPTION". Be prepared to squat, jump, jug, run etc.

For those who are religious, not too worry, NYSC has 3 major religious groups in the orientation camp which you can attend or if you wish you may decide not to be part of any.

For the writers, footballers, dancers, volleyball players, drummers, modellers etc. You will be allowed to showcase your talents also.

One of the most important sections of the NYSC is the lecture you must attend on daily basis. Thought in some states if not all states, the lecture is always boring which you might have hit your head with the next person behind you in the same condition as you before you realise you have slept. There is also a programme called skills acquisition and entrepreneurship development (SAED) which all corp members must partake in.

Don't expect a very clean toilet or bathroom since it is not meant for a family, remember that corpers came from different backgrounds.

You will partake in cooking in the hot kitchen and cleaning of the orientation camp. Man 'o' war drills are also there for you to partake in. Click here for example. 

If you want to satisfy your stomach in whatever way since you are not allowed to cook on your own, the mammi market is opened when parades and lectures are over every blessed day.
For football lovers you can also watch ball in the mammi market provided it is not parade or lecture period. But one thing you must know about mammi is that whatever they sell there is costlier than when you are outside the camp since they know you don't have option.

Things might be so frustrating if you forget any major material for service at home especially when you come from a far distance.

The orientation camp is a good place to make new friends who can even help you in the nearest future, so be wise and make smart choices.

Don't be surprised if you are later posted to an interior part of the states you've been posted to. The major duty in the NYSC scheme is teaching. You will be posted to Secondary school, primary school (private, missionary or government owned), universities, Polytechnics and local government. If you are lucky you can be posted to bigger organizations. You might be lucky and be posted to a place of primary assignment where you will be paid.

Once again congratulations and i wish you a successful service year!