First year students at Makerere University have shared mixed experiences almost two weeks after they reported for the 2018/2019 academic year.

The new academic year opened on August 4 for the fresh-year students followed by continuing students a week later. The first week was characterized by orientation programs organized by different colleges, schools and departments as well as a general orientation meeting with the Student guild representatives and members of the administration.

 The orientation activities are part of the university culture meant to help new students settle in effortlessly. This, however, was not helpful to all the new students as some missed on some of the activities and had to find their way around the 300-acre campus.

Owing to this, many students have found themselves getting lost in corridors, sitting in wrong colleges, and even some girls entering boys’ halls of residence unawares. Namuganda Ritta Suzan, a student of Arts in Arts, said she found herself lingering around the College of natural sciences, because she had no idea where the college of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) is.

Mastering the geography of Makerere University has always been a challenge for fresh students. The main University campus sits on approximately 300 acres of land, with numerous buildings and other features, some of which are not properly mapped.

Jay Kawombe, a fresh student doing Social Sciences, also says she found difficulty in movement, but thanks to the receptive and polite students at Makerere, she managed to figure her way through. Her excitement to be independent is very evident through her talking. ”My parents were always skeptical about letting me out, but now that I’m on campus, I can’t wait to go out with my friends,” an excited Kawombe said.

A security personnel who participated in organizing orientation activities told this writer that some of the fresh students shunned the activities. Preferring to speak anonymously, the security officer further said the confusion is brought about because of misinformation by the continuing students, that orientation week programs are pointless. “The numbers we saw for most of the orientation programs were few,” he said.  He further added that these students ought to be ready to take advice so as to avoid getting off track during their stay in the university.

Some of the continuing students we spoke to declined to talk about the misinformation about orientation, only choosing to wish their fresh colleagues a nice stay at campus.

“I wish them the very best, they must work hard and seek God. When you have God, you have wisdom,” said Kitiibwa Isaac Sebuyira, a third year student of Forestry.

Sydney Vianney Kizito, a second year student advised the fresh students to enjoy their stay in the university responsibly, and that in whatever they do, they should never forget what brought them to school.

Teddy Nakitto, a secretary to the Dean of Students advised the students to be focused from the word go.

Much as there are ambivalent feelings among the students, the general feeling is that they will have a memorable stay at the university, and that in the end, they will make the people who sacrificed much for them to be here proud.