Maravilla Bakery and Confectioneries; AAUN First Class Student Project

It was gonna be fun. So held the opinion of some students. I was really wondering what fun it was, running a business. It wasn't going to be the first time of runing a business. The businees was really not totally devoid of fun any way because the business plan presentation was really interesting.

I was in group 14 and our business plan was to have a super store and sell provissional items as well as snacks for the AAUN community. I decided that we name our business JOFA. C. which was the initials of our first name: Justice, Omorx, Farouq, Abu and Chuckwononso, but some members siad it was kinda

too weak and suggested De-Bean. So, we accepted and did made our presentation. The Grill and Maravilla were the best ideas and got chosen. So every other group were disolved and its members attached to one of these two groups. I was, do I say lucky (not at all actually or maybe - still thinking) to be in the bread group (Maravilla Bakery and Confectionaries).

In the following week, the executives were elected. I thought hard whether to contest or not. I eventually contested on making up my mind to do so, basically because I like participating actively in any activity (school and student led). Although I had the premonition that it was somewhat not going to be that easy, I never realize that it would be that very very difficulty for a student project especially as we lack experience in the field.

I proceeded into action after being elected as the V.p. of marketing together with Aishat Ramalan who got the same voting points as I did. We had seven students who volunteered to work in my department. We allocated positions

to everyone and then formed our organisation chart. Then we designed the questionaira for the market research, since publicity was in my department and made estimate of everything we would need and forward it to the finiance department. Soon, our company got registered with the corporate affairs unit of the ministry of commerce and we went into action.

I'm afraid I'm not going to give you the details of Maravilla Company here. Maybe in another Post. But believe me that the course consumed more than the required 9 hours a week for most students especially for key officers like myself and in fact, I had to dedicate myself to the business when I found that it was going to sink into problems. I did this, however, because I had dropped all my courses and deffered my studentship.

But I must say that the maravilla company really enabled me to learn a lot. I was able to learn how a business operate, how to take and delegate

resposibility, make market research (primary) know why business fail, make effective power point presentation, how market forces (dd and ss) and competors affect a business.

me, fueling the oven with gas (i.e. diesel)

Some say I spent too much time in the company and would not imagine why I should when I dont benefit anything. Well, that's true but you should believe that at times, the foolishness can be a great wisdom.

At the end of the semester, there was an award nite, held in memory of the four business. Here is a short video click of the pictures of that day.

Awake, Sleeping Souls in Africa

Sleeping souls in Africa,
Oh, sleeping souls.
Wake up because the time has come!
the time which was envisioned by many
many who never knew how or when it would arrive. The time that actully slept but was thought dead or on exile.
The time that sees a rebirth of a different pedagogy (An American Styled) in higher education in Africa.

Why do you behave like a typical African?
One whose “capacity for deliberate pessimism about new projects, policies or programs often overtakes his capability for spontaneous optimism.”
One who sees only the hole in a doughnut?
Strive to be an optimist who sees the whole of a doughnut. Make a conscious move towards opening your eyes so that you can see the “timeless options and opportunities” that AAUN is offering to Africa.

You had all thought it would be an impossible task because of the very short interval.
I heard lots of you say and wonder: “how can a school open a year after the lay of its foundation stone”?
you further imagined that it was “yet not just any kind of school, but an institution of higher education that claims to be an arrow head of excellence in Africa.”

That is sheer day dream from any supporter of such an idea, you all thought.
I quite remember that day when one of you said it was foolish for me to leave my formal school (a Nigerian university), for this school you say was “yet to be born.”
But I put it to you this day that on the 12th of September, 2005, lectures started for the inaugural freshman class.

I challenge you right now to go for a tour of the school’s temporary campus, its facilities as well as the 500 hectares construction site.
I assure you that you would be marveled at the constructions at the permanent campus.

Why should you doubt the reality of a modern day world class University in Nigeria, when it is under the supervision of the American University of Washington?
With a free laptop computer and 24 hours internet facilities for all students
Or do you think it would be an elephant project?

Wake up, sleeping souls and if you find it hard to do, maybe you could go and see a doctor. Accept it or not: the only thing that is constant in the universe is change but when we refuse to change along with the times then it would imply that we are sleeping and might soon become dead;
one characteristic of the dead man is that he cannot participate in the existing world - that which a sleeping person can't do either.

So, if you refuse to change along with the times, to adjust yourself accordingly by being updated in the latest issues of the day, and accepting the reality of it, then you are sleeping and heading to the world of the dead.

I urge you to wake up right now to see the things that exist in the real world here in AAUN. You can do this consciously, and only if you realize that you have actually been sleeping.

Dash into the world of information!
Read papers and go to the website of the ABTI-American University of Nigeria at http://www.abti-american.edu.ng/ to see the mission and vision of the school and how fast it is achieving this.
“Perhaps, the worst thing that can happen to someone is to exist in the limbo of ignorance.”

So, you sleeping soul,
Wake up from your slumber!
Wake up from your dead world!
And you would be glad that you did,
Because your life would never remain the same.

I urge you once more that you arise now from your slumber because the era of procrastination has long been buried. The Calling Bell says:
Now is the time.
“The AAUN project must never be weighed down by negative thinking nor encumbered by any prejudice. It is a legacy started, which shall be sustained until the mission is accomplished and the founder’s vision becomes fully realized”.

Long live the Abti_American University of Nigeria
Long live the Founder

Concrete and Abstract Learning Styles

I now know my learning style and it is helping me to learn effectively.
Do you know yours?

1. When you have difficult time understanding how something workds, it helps most if you can
a) see how it works several times
or
b) take time to think the process through and analyze it.

2. When I learn somethink new, I am more interested in
a) the facts about it
or
b) the principles behind

3. If you kept a journal or diary, it would most likely contain entries about
a)what happens t me each day
or
b) the insights and ideas that occur to me each day

4. I prefer television news prolgrams that
a) summarize events through film footage and factual description
or
b) deal with the issues behind the events

5. IF I were an author, I would most likely write
a) bilgraphies or how-to books
or
b) novels or poetry

6. I pride myself on myu ability to
a) remember numbers and facts
or
b) see how ideas are related

7. When I read a story or watch a film, I prefer on with a plot that is
a) clear and direct
or
b) intricate and complex

If you have more a's, you are a concrete learner
but if you have more b's then you are an abstract learner

Adapted from Successful College Writing by Kathleen T. McWhorter

My Freshman Year was Battle against two Devils

I know it was goiong to be unique in someway, but I never thought it was going to be exactly like one of the world class universities in the states. I read its mission and vission, they were all superb, but I wondered if it wasn't with a view to attracting students.

Rigorous academics; this was one devil which every student fought with. But I had another devil (personal) that kept slapping me on my face each time I sat down to do my assignment. You so concerned like the Samuels, two of whom you can see in the above picture, Nousheen and Naima, may be you can contact me.