My NYSC Diary (1): What I took away from orientation camp

By Agbejule Tioluwanimi

“Camp will take your spark.” “Going to camp is the worst decision you can ever make.” These were some of the things people said in their NYSC vlogs while I scrolled on TikTok. I found very few people with anything positive to say.

A few days before I left for camp, I promised myself I would regain my spark. I had stayed at home for a while, tried different things from the comfort of my room, and somehow lost interest in a lot of things, even people. It was like I had forgotten how to live. I also told myself I was going to enjoy camp no matter what happened. And when I say enjoy, I don’t mean the lousy kind of fun. Fun to me was meeting new people, having conversations, studying people, and taking part in activities I would shy away from on a normal day.

NYSC sent me to Edo State for the three-week camp, which I found really weird. I’ve never had to travel far in my life, and now I was going on a five-hour journey. I dreaded it because I hate sitting in a bus for long. I think motion sickness is what they call it, though I wouldn’t really say I have it. Maybe when I get my own car, I’ll check whether the problem is me or the means of transportation.

Getting to camp, the first week was frustrating, and I think I understand the people who say all the bad things about it. But I still don’t think one week is enough to judge the whole experience. I cried on the morning of the second day. I was irritated that I hadn’t been able to complete my registration on the first day, and I was coming to terms with the fact that I’d be waking up at that hour for the next three weeks. I wiped my tears and faced reality.

Most people said terrible things about parade, like it was a death sentence. Because of that, I quickly joined the Red Cross to avoid it, thinking it was the better option. Now I recommend parade. It was actually more fun than I thought, and I think it’s better than the Red Cross. As a Red Crosser, you stand at the back of the parading line in case somebody falls or there’s an accident. The funny thing is that in both cases you’re standing on the parade ground under the sun. The only difference is that the person parading is moving their legs and hands. The sweet part of the Red Cross is that you get to help people who can’t help themselves at that moment and give them tender care. Still, I took parading seriously too, and I really had fun doing it.

Changing bunks was one of the best things that happened to me in camp. Where I moved to had a better energy than where I stayed before. The people beside me and above me were very accommodating, and they made things less stressful in their own little way. That’s where I made friends with Yemisi (my day one), Dorcas, Esther, Erowo, Tolu and Ayo. Having people who will wake you up when the bugle blows, or when the soldiers start blowing whistles in your ears just as your sleep is getting deep, is something you should never take for granted.

The morning meditation was both interesting and annoying. They blew the bugle at 4:30 a.m., we went outside, and then we waited about thirty minutes before anything started. The part I enjoyed was the praise and worship. The part I found funny, but not funny at the same time, was that Nigeria “sleeps” by 6 p.m. and “wakes” by 6 a.m. When the bugle is blown at those hours, everyone is expected to stand till the end of the sound. What do you mean Nigeria sleeps before me and wakes two hours after I do?

I made friends, but most of them weren’t in my platoon. I was in Platoon 7, but I found Platoon 3 more lively and spent most of the social nights there. Social night was the other thing I found both entertaining and annoying. NYSC camp is the first place I’ve seen people forced to attend a social activity. The parts I enjoyed were the “Big, Bold and Beautiful” night and the welcome party. They were fun, but just not my vibe.

What stressed me out most were the SAED (Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development) classes, which lasted five hours. It was a lot, and it was compulsory. Trust me, you’ll sleep through half of the class, because I did. But I’d advise you to listen to the important lectures, because you’ll need some of that information outside camp.

There were days I just looked at everybody from a distance and thought about how different we all were, from different backgrounds, bound by the khaki. I found the white-on-white dressing funny. A young CEO or a rich man’s son or daughter is wearing the same outfit as you, and you might never know, because everyone looks the same.

Somehow I did make friends, which was part of my plan before coming to camp. I wouldn’t really say I got my spark back, but I was sure that relating with people outside my comfort zone would help, and it really did. I took pictures with strangers, spoke to people and asked them questions. I played a game during one Red Cross hangout.

I didn’t attend the camp carnival because I didn’t have the strength to stand in the sun, so I hung out with my new friends instead. I met some people just two days before camp ended, and at some point I felt so alive. I laughed, made jokes, took beautiful pictures with people and enjoyed myself in my own little way.

Camp became more interesting in the last week. I also tried some of the food sold in the market, and I ate a lot of suya. At some point I wished they would extend camp by one week. I felt like I still had things left to do.

But now I’m back home, and if there’s one thing God taught me during those three weeks, it’s to create happiness even in chaos. I remember my registration day. I was so tired after collecting my khaki, and when I took it to the market tailors, they quoted ridiculous prices just to make it fit. I paid in anger and went to get food, and on my way to get water, my food spilled. It was such a frustrating day that I started regretting registering for NYSC in the first place. But it taught me that things do get better, because it did get better.

In little ways, God showed me he was with me even when I thought he wasn’t speaking. And somehow those 21 days in camp were the best. If I had something to say to people who haven’t registered or been mobilized yet, it would be this: camp is bittersweet, but you get to create the sweet part yourself. You’ll meet different people, talk to them, laugh and build lasting relationships. So live it like a vacation you paid for with your hard-earned money. You’d definitely want to enjoy it because you paid for it. Put that same energy into your camp experience, and you’ll definitely love it. Create and live your own experience, don’t let people do it for you.

Overall, I’m happy I met these people: Yemisi, Dorcas, Femi, Alice, Esther, Mayowa, Peter, Ayoola, Tolu, Ayomide, Taiwo, Marissa, Lara, Ore, Delight, Tobi, Pamilerin, Erowo, and other sweet people I can’t remember for now. They made my camp experience worth it, and I’m grateful to have met them.