[BrojidQ&A] ‘HOW DO I SURVIVE AS A POOR STUDENT?’

On one of those episodes of Moment of Blessing, a programme I present on Radio Nigeria Voice FM, someone asked me: “I am a poor student in school. I find it difficult to survive in school. Please what do I do?” The answer to his question is what I share on Student Groove this week.

 My story…

I wasn’t what you could call a poor student on campus as an undergraduate. My parents gave me enough money to take care of my feeding – three square meal daily. However, that money is not enough to meet my need to make contribution in my fellowship and help some who can hardly afford to feed. And to buy clothes for luxury was not considered at all. So literally, my money was shared!

So, I find myself in the situation of what you could call a poor student. I learnt how to manage; and I survived. I survived my living within my means, spending purely based on necessity; not to impress anybody and offered services in exchange for money.

Now, let’s me share with you with practical nuggets for survival

Don’t Let Your Poverty Weaken Your resolve to be Educated

One of the crucial things I like you to bear in mind is that you must not allow your poverty to weaken or kill your desire and resolve to get educated.

Education is so important that if I have the means, it’s the most important thing after having Jesus Christ; I can offer anybody I love.

No doubt, education is not just about the four walls of the university; but about your personal development in the course of your private studies and learning. However, I place particular emphasis on education gotten in a formal arrangement because in the course of your training, your character is refined and relevant attitudes and skills required for life work is acquired.

We have read stories of men who became very big in their life work without formal education and others who dropped out of school yet built big business but I still believe it’s still very important that you get educated; do your best to get it. Many people who dropped out of school, dropped into personal development and intensive private study.

Make do with the little You Have

I don’t know your exact financial state; but if you have anything at all, make do with it. Find out how to ensure that the little food stuff you have meets your feeding need while in school. Plan your spending so that the little money you have can sustain you in school. Don’t try to have everything you want now; plan and spend to have the basic things you need.

My sister, you don’t need to make the best of hairstyles. Pack your hair and carry yourself with dignity.

My brother, don’t try to impress any girl by buying what you don’t have. Sane girls like real men not pretenders! Be yourself; you will find someone who loves you for what you will surly become. In fact, free yourself of the expenses of  the upkeep of any girl. You need to mature financially to do that.

Spend to meet a Need; not Impress

It’s crucial that while you are in your phase of lean pocket, you spending is aimed at meeting a need; not impressing anybody or trying to live up to standards set by people with silly view of life. No matter what people expect you are worth, if you are not worth, then you are truly not worth it. If I haven’t learnt anything from my close to a decade of listening to Pastor Bankie, I have learnt that I truly don’t have any mate in this life.

My life is mine and the race set before me is personal not even twins-nal, if I were a twin. That’s why I implore you to follow God fully, executing the assignment He has committed in your hands, pending when He decides to change your phase to financial abundance.

Sunny Obazu Ojegbase once wore shoe with whole under but God has increased him and blessed him with abundance. He now owns a conglomerate. Pastor Bankie married his wife without a car and in a glorified one room apartment. Now he lives in a house and changes his wife’s care before she complains. God has increased him greatly.

Many great people we look up to today once lived in a phase of lean pocket. You and I are not the first! And we will eventually leave this phase. That’s why it’s not cool to try to impress anybody by spending on what we can hardly afford.

I like you to know that when you spend to impress, you live in lie. You even cut short help from people who may want to help you because you spend to give the impression that you have what you don’t have.

For more on this, see my post, Surviving Your Phase of Lean Pocket

Turn on Your Wealth Magnet

You have something you can do to get money. Dust it, refine it and package it and sell in your environment. You can be talents and be broke, if you don’t know how to turn on your wealth magnet. Your talent is a magnet for wealth. Just find out how to make it rain money for you.

Teach a lecturers kid and make get paid. Give tutorial and get paid. Teach someone how to get something done and get paid. Look for something you can do and get paid for doing it.

As an undergraduate the CEO, Chimex Vinlex Technologies, Chime Chinonso turned on his wealth magnet to survive as a student. He weathered his financial storms to graduate from school.

Next week, on BrojidMoney, I shall share with you how to turn on your wealth magnet. But you have a big opportunity to learn it by joining Clarkson Ikwunze at‪#‎TalentedButBroke 2016, this Saturday, 11^th June at Nathan Ejiogu Building, University of Nigeria Nsukka at 9.35am.