Campus Life.

The Battle Between Dreams and Distractions 

by Joseph Owino Adongon,

 Freedom, self-expression, and good grades were everything I thought university life would encompass at first. However, after spending a few days on campus, I understood that the independence was driven by fun but had strings attached that could make you or break you. I witnessed students with promising prospects succumb to dreadful vices, all while others were visibly struggling to find the balance between their academics and social life. While a few students were able to stay on the right track, a large chunk of the student population was unfortunately lured into a life-altering trap. 

During my first year, I had a course mate named Mike from Kericho who was quite shy, polite, and had big dreams. He was, as expected, a straight-A student,  and classmate’s favorite due to his reasoning, and everyone envisioned him becoming a successful journalist. In the beginning, he was very self-regulated; he would wake up early to attend class, spent long hours in the library, and even took it upon himself to make sure I was studying. However, when he started going out with some showy friends, this all changed. They taught him how to party, drink, and eventually do drugs. At first, he did not want to accept these habits, but with time, he caved. Eventually, he stopped showing up to class, drank every night, and spent his school fees on his new lifestyle. I remember late nights when he would stumble into our bedroom at dawn, reeking of alcohol, grumbling about "living life." By second year, he had completely lost his way. The last I heard, he had dropped out of school, and his dreams of becoming a journalist were a distant memory.

Grace, who was the most well-disciplined student I ever came across, was always dressed well, focused, and set on succeeding. But financial difficulties dealt her a huge blow. From a poor background, she found it difficult to compete with the extravagant lifestyles of some of her classmates. Over time, she started dating older men, or 'sponsors,' as they came to be known popularly, who paid her, provided her with designer items, and showered her with luxuries. She would initially justify it to herself as if she was doing it to survive. But soon, she became trapped in a cycle that was hard to escape. I would see her battle with guilt and stress several times, sitting alone in the cafeteria, staring blankly at her phone. The energetic, ambitious Grace, I had come to know was no more. By third year, she had fallen behind with some courses, and the sparkle in her eyes had faded.

The majority of the students fall prey to these pressures because of the desire to belong, financial difficulties, or a need to escape the pressure of school. The desire to keep up with the lifestyles of others around them impressive attire, high-end gadgets, and luxurious living, compels the students into making horribly desperate choices. Others become desperate in their quest for alternative survival means, either in the form of questionable relationships, reckless spending, or risky activities. Their fear of losing out and assumption of an effortless existence have the tendency to blur their sense, and they fall into a loop that is difficult to escape.

With all of these stressor, school stress, financial stress, peer pressure, mental illness is a huge problem. I have seen students battle depression and anxiety, but since there is such a stigma around mental illness, many of them keep it inside. Some drink, use drugs, or get in abusive relationships as a means of coping, instead of seeking help. I have a friend who was always smiling, always joking. No one knew that he was struggling with depression until one time, he fainted in class. That was when we realized how much he had been suffering quietly.

Despite all these issues, I have also seen students who overcome such pressures. I have learned that the right choice, the right friends, and focus are what it takes to survive campus life. Universities also need to do their part by providing more mentor ship programs, mental health support, and funding for struggling students.

College life is all about choices, and every decision shapes our future. Sticking to our beliefs is the key to success.