Being and Doing: a Higher-Ed Journey

“The school environment is conducive for learning and national integration, in the sense that students come from all part of Nigeria so I have the opportunity to mix with other tribes, ethnic groups and learn about their customs or traditions in interaction with them.” -Sr. Elizabeth

At Veritas University in Nigeria, we attended lectures after the completion of registration formalities. The first thing I missed dearly was the Skype/cast-o-matic screen greetings from our online professors. I remember that we were always welcomed, and we got an introduction to what the semester would look like. It was most helpful to get a bit of what to expect from the new course we were about to embark on. Well gradually, without the planned introduction, I began to adjust and to settle down./p>

Being there is life-giving

Meeting my colleagues on the discussion board every week has taught me a way of BEING, that is, being present and taking part in other people’s lives. Now I am sitting next to my classmates, sharing more physical contact, listening attentively to the lecturers and taking notes for future references. The experience is never the same, for now I have to combine being with doing. I have to be present to my classmates in a different way, I have to do things differently. Thank God for the orientation and training that I have received from HESA program.

My educational experience has taught me many things:

• what it means to follow instructions
• to understand an assignment first before working on it
• to give credibility to my work
• to speak clearly so that my readers can understand my work (Thanks to Prof. Deborah)
• to understand the importance of referencing citations and quotes.
• to mention the names of authors, dates of publication, and the article or journal to avoid plagiarism (thanks to Prof. Obioma and Sister Pat).
• to use APA style in writing my articles and journals.

Doing right is life-building

I am lucky I have had a solid foundation as well past participation in the seminars/workshops organized by Sister Clementina Obembe and Sister Clare Adelakun. These helped me understand what it means to be a HESA student: to be an ambassador of honesty, punctuality, good behavior, truthfulness and accountability. All these virtues I have to inculcate into my “DOING”:

• to stand out as a good example for all other students to emulate.
• to be example of good time management by being at the lecture hall on time and submitting assignments on time.
• to dress appropriately, following the dress code of the university
• to be concerned about people around me, both staff and students.

Now that I have just finished my first semester exams, I understand more about the thin line between “Being and Doing”, between active participation and passive participation.  I have come to realize that BEING is “life- giving”. You get to observe others and yourself. It helps you to improve, while DOING is “life- building “. It is enriching, captivating, interactive and rewarding.

I always asks the Lord that in my Being and Doing, that I always respect humanity, that I always tread gently in approaching other people’s” Holy Ground” and accord them due understanding, listening, affirmation and support.

I appreciate the HESA program that gave me the opportunity of being and doing among youth (whom I love so much to work with), to bring back some of our lost values and ethics, to help re-orient all I will meet to their duties to mother earth, to one another, to self and to God In summary I offer this helpful mnemonic device:

B     –     Begin

E     –     Every

I      –      Interaction with

N     –     New

G     –     Gentleness

D    –     Do

O    –     Offer

I    –        Individuals

N    –     New opportunities and kind

G    –     Gestures

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