By: James Wakahiu
Worth Noting:
- The university don told the students to be ready to be transformed by first defining what they want to be by end of their studies. “Do not just think about your goal, write them down. List the great things that will happen once your transformation is complete that is, the person you will become by the end of your studies. This will be your source of motivation,” he said.
- Noting that personal transformation takes time and change does not overnight, Prof Daganyi called for patience. “Evaluate your performance every semester academic year and eventually you will see results at the end of your study period,” he advised the freshers.
First year students have been warned to be time conscious as they start earning marks towards degree awards from Year One not in Third or Fourth year.
MouNt Kenya University (MKU) Vice chancellor, Prof Deogratius Jaganyi says the former secondary school students often get confused by university life where there is no one to monitor them. “It is your personal responsibility to ensure you attend classes, you complete course work, sit and pass examinations every semester and, finally graduate on time,” he said.
Addressing new students at MKU last week, the vice-chancellor said students who loose focus end up taking too long to complete their studies. “Time management is life management. Start managing you time now and not tomorrow. Avoid distractions because it is important to focus on the goals not obstacles,” he said.
Daganyi told the freshers to become adept at managing difficult times “Challenges are part of life. As you begin your studentship, you will encounter difficult days and choices. Roger Crawford said that “Being challenged in life is inevitable, being defeated is optional,” he added in a speech read on his behalf by Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration, Planning and Institutional Advancement), Dr Peter Kirira.
The VC said worry has never accomplished anything. “When you face challenges, figure out how to climb it, go through it or work around It. Ladies and gentlemen, God gave us a powerful gift, “the power of choice”. You may have no power to control your external environment but one secret is everything changes when you change yourself. Make the right choices.
Welcoming the new students to MKU, the VC said it takes personal drive and personal leadership to take the transformational journey. “Ask yourself, how do I become competitive in the job market or in business world when I graduate? Most of the unique, good ideas flow internally and not externally. It is therefore, important to have own strategy on how to walk the journey of transformation,” he said.
The university don told the students to be ready to be transformed by first defining what they want to be by end of their studies. “Do not just think about your goal, write them down. List the great things that will happen once your transformation is complete that is, the person you will become by the end of your studies. This will be your source of motivation,” he said.
Noting that personal transformation takes time and change does not overnight, Prof Daganyi called for patience. “Evaluate your performance every semester academic year and eventually you will see results at the end of your study period,” he advised the freshers.
He told the students to relate well with fellow students and teaching staff as it is the only way to get an opportunity to learn from them. “Transformation involves learning new things. Learn from your lecturers and your fellow students,” he added.
The VC said students must be ready to experience discomfort. “In a race, one must get tired, sweat, sometimes fall short of breath and naturally you may want to quit. This a new environment you are not used to; you meet new people from different parts of the region, do things that you are not used and for sure this can be scary. Growth is always uncomfortable, you must embrace the discomfort because when you practice tolerating discomfort you gain self-confidence and eventually you will grow,” he said.
Jaganyi advised the students to make maximum use of all the resources provided, including rich academic faculty, state-of-art learning facilities and co-curricular facilities. “There is a great opportunity for you to succeed in academic, co-curricular activities and talent development; sports, film and creative and performing arts etc. focus to become an all rounded graduate,” he said.
Echoing the words of Jaggi Vasudev, Prof Jaganyi said: “Self-transformation is not just about changing yourself. It means shifting yourself to a completely new dimension of experience and perception”.
James Wakahiu