Okay… Before you even start your preparation for orientation camp , you have to set your mind on what to expect , what to buy , things not to take and all but most importantly you need to know some important info about camp. Nysc Orientation Camp is a once in a life opportunity . its a time you really meet different kind of individuals most especially for the butty children and those who went to private university. You will meet , live and learn from strangers. At the end of the day, our experiences might be different but having a fore-knowledge of what to expect will reduce your “camp-shock.” For some this would be a 3 weeks to remember . Try to prepare well as much as you can for the 3 weeks of camp life:
NUMBER 1: HAVE ENOUGH CASH FOR SPENDING. Yes o . everything in camp is about money . You pay to charge phones , pay to wash , some pay to eat (mammi). pay to even use clean toilets. So just try o and have enough cash.But having experienced being broke (you might not get an ATM to withdraw money), I’ll say please bring pocket money… But also learn to budget. Don’t spend extravagantly… Be very frugal in your spending. Don’t buy everything you see… Also don’t allow camp photographers take pictures of you randomly- of course unless it is part of your plan. Be kind to others but also ensure you are not careless with your spending. NUMBER 2: THE TOILETS & BATHROOMS These is another aspect to prepare for. Most camps if not all do not have good toilets and bathrooms. Some people have to bath outside , some in the bush and like i said in number 1 if you have money you could pay around to use a clean one . Just do not expect to see a good one . Some people have to wake up as early as 3 am to have their bath .
NUMBER 3: SECURITY Security should be your watch word right from the first minute you step into camp till after you step out of camp. You don’t know the kind of human beings you would mix up with. Just try as much as possible to have a kind of safe lock for your bags. Most importantly you don’t have to show off or flaunt what you have then you are calling the petty thieves to come collect what they want. Note that nothing is too small to be stolen o!. Be very careful with your belongings… For example, don’t leave your phone or purse on your bed and turn away for a minute. Don’t get me wrong, the camp is pretty safe. But some cases of theft were reported in my hostel as well as others. There are no locks on hostel doors so everyone including non-corpers (e.g. women who hawk goods) have access to these hostels. So, ensure you up your skills in keeping your things safe.
NUMBER 4 :KITCHEN FOOD I never ate camp food for once ,i only used my kitchen card to collect bread once. It all depends on you ,Some corpers are ‘allergic’ to eating from camp kitchen so they end up spending a huge part of their pocket-money in ‘Mami market.’ The government paid loads to ensure you have three square meal per day. Don’t miss the opportunity to use your meal ticket. Okay, they don’t cook the best meal. But trust me, it is not that bad. You can complement what the kitchen provide with fruits from Mammi market.
NUMBER 5 : BE SOCIAL Make friends , no one is an island . Camp is an opportunity for you to make friends .Camp life is pretty stressful. Being around the right people or having the right people around you will help you stay sane. But don’t be too desperate about making friends that you land in the wrong company. Try to have fun… and relax. Don’t complain too much. Moaning and depressing murmurings will leave you exhausted. Avoid depressing conversations if possible.
NUMBER 6 : EXPECT THE WORST Do not got to camp expecting everything to be as you planned or have been told. Things change . So the best advice i can give you is just to expect the worst.
NUMBER 7: MAMMY MARKET Almighty Mammy market is the happening place in camp. It is the spot where things are sold on camp. And yes, things are very expensive there. The traders/retailers there blame the inflation in the market on camp officials. They say they were charged mercilessly for their rented space. So corpers bear the burden. To avoid being exploited in this market, try as much as you can to come with all the things you need . The traders know that you don’t have any other choice than o buy it there. In mammy is where you have different canteens and restaurants and bars. Some corpers resume their early in the morning and close with them at night sef .lol. Its just the happening place in camp .There is no camp without mammy market.
NUMBER 8: RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES In every camp there are various worship groups but the only recognized ones by the NYSC officials are the NCCF (National christian corpers fellowship) and MCAN (Muslim corpers association of Nigeria) . There are also Winners christian fellowship , Catholic fellowship , Believers world and even deeper life fellowship. Actually due to the various activities in camp one may even not attend there religious activities but that’s no excuse o.There are also other activities competing for attention. Not to forget how tiring waking up early for all those activities can be. But try to maintain a healthy time for devotion. Attend the (NCCF), Catholic or Muslim fellowship where applicable… Don’t neglect your faith. Fellowship with brethren revitalizes.
NUMBER 9: BE ACTIVE Do not just go to camp and warm he bench or beds ,participate in events and activities in your various platoons where possible. There game teams like football , volleyball etc. for both male and female. There are also other competitions like miss nysc, other beauty pageants, Mr macho , Mr nysc, drama presentations , talent hunts and much more . Try as much as you can to be active on camp… Volunteer to serve in the different groups- Nigeria red cross, OBS, man o’ war, etc. When in your platoon, also try as much as you can to participate in the group activities. All the team dynamics is part of the learning process. Active participation is not necessarily to get cheap recognition… Or massage your ego. It is just that there is no need to tiptoe through camp… You won’t have the experience twice. Some of the seminars are annoying or a time-waster but try as much as you can not to stay idle…listen up anyway. Maximize all learning avenues. ( I was not ultra-active but I did try to at least participate in some activities).
 NUMBER 10: FINALLY, Congratulations on reading all the tips i have written above. I hope you’ve gained something . Well finally just go to camp open-minded to camp , I’ll advise that you take your time to actually allow yourself experience the uniqueness of the place you are posted to and the people you’ll meet as well. Try not to judge everyone and everything at first contact. No amount of experience-sharing can replace your own unique experience while on camp. So don’t box yourself in. Go to orientation camp and rock the phase!!
DON’T FORGET TO READ THE HAND-BOOKS YOU’LL BE GIVEN DURING REGISTRATION. As irrelevant as the small booklets might look, reading them will save you a lot of headache . Bonus: Learn from the challenges you’ll face. Embrace camp life with a thankful heart. Stay positive even when it seems you have no reason to.

By Akaawase Bernard Teryima (marine engineering graduate)