My life after college by @wilosmith

I would lie if I say I've not thought about life after school. I'm excited and also scared at the same time. Would I get a job? How quickly? Where would I relocate to? (This is because I don't like the state I'm schooling at). Would I do my masters almost immediately?

I am a medical laboratory science student and currently in my penultimate year. Currently, I would say life after school is my greatest fear. We are the bedrock of medicine. We are the reason why your doctor would not give you the wrong medications, the reason why you won't die due to ignorance and we are also the reason why you'd know the cause of your sickness. In my school, It's believed that we are not as serious as others in the medical world but in my opinion, we are the most underrated. The problem is that it is doctors and nurses that handles the patients. It's not a big problem though, it's just something that puts us at the background of the medical world. It is what makes us unseen and unknown most if the times.

In the medical world, there is something we call housemanship or internship. It is still part of schooling though but not really because we get our certificates before it and we are also paid. It is the time allocated to practice what you did in the university for years. It is done immediately after five years of study in a university. It is done for a year and it is the first money I would earn courtesy of my certificate. The particular amount that I would earn is dependent on the hospital that I would do the internship at. Also, it 's not all hospitals that can take in interns.

I would definitely work with my certificate. Why would I not? My whole 5+ years due to ASUU. All the time spent, the lab postings, the struggles to get a bus and the expenses. I would not like to work for long in an average lab setting though, ie, working in a laboratory. That's so monotonous, stressful and the pay is also not worth it. I love something that would keep me on my toes, something exciting, performing new tasks, etc. I would mostly dive into medical journalism or medical research center later in my career.

I love writing and I think one of the best things is using what one loves to make money. During my internship, I would take a proper class on script writing. I have a flair for interesting realistic movies and Nollywood doesn't bring that to the table most of the times.. It is a pity that a lot of writers in Nigeria are very archaic and unrealistic. I mean, why does most Igbo movies have to revolve around looking for a good wife for the prince/King or why do they have to go to the evil forest? This is a misrepresentation of Igbo cultures to anyone who watches it. How many times do people really go to the stream these days? Who still wears that wrapper they tie on their waist? I am Igbo and that does not represent my culture, at least not where I am from.

I also love art masterpiece. Due to ASUU strike, I have had enough time on my hands. Therefore, I am currently learning photography and video-graphy. It's been very interesting and it's something I would also do after school as it is not just a hobby or pastime. A good camera is expensive so I've not gotten mine yet but I have been using my phone to snap and a relative's camera. Everyone should be able to express art in my opinion.

About my masters, I would not do it in Nigeria. I wrote in the previous paragraphs that we do internship. Immediately after internship, I would serve my country in NYSC. Then, from my service year, I would start applying for a fully-funded or semi-funded scholarship while saving up for the masters as a third option. Five years after graduation,I think I should be done or almost done with my masters.

I look forward to graduating even though I am scared of what the future has for me. The fear isn't as great as the excitement so I would take the bull by the horn.