HOW YOU SHOULD SPEND YOUR TIME BEFORE NYSC

HOW YOU SHOULD SPEND YOUR TIME BEFORE NYSC

Just after you are done with your degree, you have written your final exams, defended your project and you are waiting for your call up letter from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), you find out that you are left with nothing to do and you are often anxious to be called for service.

The period between University and NYSC is always misinterpreted by most fresh graduates as a time to rest from all the stress and problems of the university, while this may be true, it might be bad if you can’t afford to provide for yourself an independent source of income.
Most of the times, it is often seen that the young graduates, fresh out of school waiting to go for  NYSC lack means of income, and often times lazy about with nothing to do. Eventually, they find themselves seeking for whom to borrow money from .This can be avoided if you set your goals right, manage your time well and plan your life properly. The following tips will guide you on how to spend your time productively.

1. Empower Yourself: Empowering yourself does not necessarily mean financial empowerment. Self-empowerment here means taking control of your life, setting goals and making positive choices. It also means discovering and knowing your strengths and weaknesses and believing in yourself. It is about looking at who you are and what you can do. It involves building confidence and developing strengths to set goals that are achievable so that you can fulfill your potentials. This will help you know what to do with your life. Have a vision of what you hope to be and start working on it.

2. Develop Your Talent: Yes, this is taking a step beyond empowering yourself. You have been able to take control of yourself, know your strengths and weaknesses, your abilities and your talents, it is time to build and develop those talents. God created every one of us with  distinctive attribute that differentiates us from others. Those things you do better, develop them and work on yourself to become a better person. Talents vary from one individual to another. These are God given endowments, abilities that set you apart and make you different from others. Discover where your passion lies. If you don’t discover and develop your talent, you might just be like others not being able to stand out.

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3. Get a Job: While you are waiting to be enrolled into the NYSC, instead of wasting  your time, talents and abilities and at the same time losing money that could have entered your wallet, you can look for any company or organization that can hire you for a short period before you are finally called up. This can help you save some reasonable amount of money. Don’t stay at home and expect manner to fall from heaven.

Do you know that this might help you when you are finally done with service? Yes! it might just help you to achieve the following:

(a) Have connections with people that can help you in the future.
(b) Boost your curriculum vitae.
(c) You can be retained by the company if you are good enough.
(d) Gain knowledge and experience which will be an added advantage, no knowledge is a waste.
Finally you will earn money at the same time.

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4. Start a Business: This is real; you can start up a business with a little capital. With careful planning, you can start up a business that will grow into something big. You might not need to start a brick and mortar business; you can do an online business. Sometimes you might be worried about how you are going to get capital to begin your business, don’t be discouraged. Let me make a few suggestions that can help you.
Write a business proposal to a business entrepreneur that can help you out. It is easier for people to help you set up a business that will continue to give you small pocket money every day.
You can also partner with any other entrepreneur who is in the same line of business as you until your business is set.

You will find out that you might become a millionaire in no time.

5. Acquire a Skill: you might just wonder why you need a skill when you probably have a degree and you might feel that you have no need for acquiring a new skill. Yes, having a degree is very good a thing but it should not be an end rather it should be a means to an end. I guess you have heard about not putting all your eggs in one basket. Look around you, how many graduates have you seen them roaming the street in search of white collar jobs? And they have degrees. Am not saying that will be your case, but you need to take steps to avoid being in the same shoes. Let me share this with you, I have a friend who graduated from the university of Uyo, while waiting to go for service he enrolled into one of the best fashion designing enterprise in Uyo, today he is very good and while serving, he is sowing and he is making good cash. Tell me that after he is done with NYSC and even if he does not find a job immediately that he will be stranded. There are other skills to acquire like hairdressing, catering, and so many others. Do these and thank me later.

6. Take Professional Courses: As I pointed out earlier, don’t limit yourself to only one degree because it might take you somewhere, but might not sustain you. There are many professional courses in Nigeria that can be done over a period of 3-6 months and you will be rewarded a certificate. Professional courses are recognized qualifications awarded by a professional body within a particular relevant industry. This will help you boost your chances of getting an employment. It will be an added advantage.

After knowing this, it is left for you to take the chance to make yourself a better person when you have the slightest opportunity. I have heard people regret that they did not do the right thing at the right time. Don’t wait until it is too late.