First Class Orientation; a welcome to AAUN

Before coming to AAUN, I have always had the intention of studying abroad to have an American Education. This was my desire since being a high school student. There is no doubt that AAUN has enabled me to achieve this. I got to know about the school one thursday afternoon in July 2005, as I read an article about the school on Punch newspaper. Though I was already in a Nigerian University studying mechanical Engineering, I immediately made up my mind that I was going to attend this school. I read about the facilities the school has and the vission and mission of the school. On visiting the school's website the day after, I immediately downloaded the application form and started my application process.

Dr Cherry Pavlick was the first person to interview me while looking through my documents ( during the registration process of the orientation). Standing at her back is Professor Kah, the dean of the school of informatioin technology.

I was driven most by two things. First was the fact that the school has Information Technology; my desired course of study from birth. So, I knew it was going to be a dream come through for me. Although many of my friends and relations (parents and Uncles) never saw the need of me leaving my 200 level Mechanincal Engineering in a Federal Nigerian University, but I was convinced that it was the desired change I had seek all my life.

The second was my desire for having a (modern day) world class university in West Africa. The website of the University says it is going to be the first of its kind in the Sub-Saharah Africa. This has been my quest and I had been (am still) thinking of building one in Nigeria (in the future). I was then so curious to see how the first modern world class University in Sub-Saharah Africa is being built and to contribute my quota towards the project."What is it like to be taught by "up-to-date" world class faculty with modern facilities?", I had always immagined. How would the school be viewed as one situated in the midst of an already decayed educational system? It would be a total new begining for Nigeria and the African continent in general. At last we would have a world class university that can compete favourably with its counterparts in other parts of the world.

On thursday the 8th of September, 2005 saw my coming into the AAUN campus to be welcomed by the most hospitable set of community I have ever come across all my life; the AAUN community. The orientation was the first meaningful one I had and it seems it was going to go on and on. Starting with the President's babeque dinner so rich and spendid, the memories of the FIRST CLASS OF THE AAUN FRESHMAN STUDENT'S ORIENTATION can't be wiped so easily. The orientation came to a climax with a movie in the eve of sunday 11th. Then it was time to get started.

A time to Prepare for the first class (lecture)! That was surpose to be it, after a student have got his books and time table, but I never realized this before then, as being the trick for college survival (preparing before class) and I was so tired that the next thing I did after the movie was to go to bed and wake up by 7 o'clock the following morning. My first class was statistics but I ended up having it as the course that bored me the most in the school. Other courses were just great.

My western civilization course is about the course that excited me the most. The Professor, Bill Hanseen is extremely wonderful. He is nothing but the down to earth professor being very diplomatic and charismatic in his teaching style (though it is typical for all my Professors). By the way, I didn't tell you something that astonished me during the orientatioin. The manner in which my professors were/are modest and very active, unlike my former school. My professors and the deans where all engaged in the orientation that welcomed us to the school. I observe on so many occasions, my professors and even the deans having to move (arrange) chairs, for us to sit. I also remember how they had been active in ensuring that we all (130 students in the fall semester) got registered and get our identity card a day before the start of classes. A math placement test was done a day prior to this registration and the result of this was used in determine which maths class a student should best fit into so that every one move at his own pace. I will not stop talking about that first class orientation.