One of the watershed turning points in the life of every young person is their transition from Senior High to tertiary school. As is the case for everyone aspiring to go to university, one sees ahead of them, not only an opportunity to pursue their educational and, by extension, career goals; but also, the rare opportunity to create life-enriching memories, grab life-changing opportunities, and make life-long friendships.
One difficulty most of us faced and that most of you will likely face, is making a choice of which university to enroll in. As you mull over it, poring over the several admission letters you have at the table from various institutions, and vacillating between the upsides and downsides of one choice or the other; here is why, with firsthand experience, I think you should pick the University of Ghana.
1. It is the premier university in Ghana
I mean, when people talk about universities in Ghana, one of the first things you’ll hear about UG if not the first is the fact that it is the first University to have come into existence in Ghana. It’s first to all and second to none. UG came into existence at a time when there was no university on the shores of Ghana. There was a time there was UG and none other. To say it was one out of many is an understatement: It was one and alone. In fact, the establishment of the University of Ghana in 1948, marked the advent of University education in Ghana in the truest sense of the word. And years on, it would stand tall among Universities in Africa.
How it matters to you as a student?
Well, it matters. History matters, does it? It gives a sense of pride to, as I know it, many students, including myself. Naturally, we all pride ourselves in belonging to the best, the first, the premier, the one out of many, the numero uno, mention it. Legonites are believed to be too-knowing. I think we merit it. Our university was here before any other came. All other universities in Ghana are probably new-comers. So they gotta sit their asses down for us to show them around, Innit? Lol.
The pride it gives to belong to the University of Ghana community and the accompanying confidence it imposes on a person is enough a reason to cherry-pick the University of Ghana as the next rung on your academic ladder to step on.
2. Academic excellence
Contrary to popular belief that Legon is only a place for chilling and party going, it is an institution known for high academic excellence. From the arts to the sciences. Students and alumni dispensed by UG have a track record of reaching for more and achieving great heights while in and out of school. Whether it is in the corporate world, the health sector, politics, the creative art industry, or enterprise. These feats are not coincidentally achieved. They are the results of a well-tailored curriculum to prepare students for the job market. They are also the results of the availability of resourceful and hardworking lectures coupled with – what will bring me to my next point – a conducive environment for teaching and learning.
Conducive environment for teaching and learning
I decided to lace this point with academic excellence because the former is at the core of the latter. The role a study environment plays in preparing a student academically cannot be overemphasized.
The quietest place you can be in Accra is arguably the Legon campus. From the halls of residence to lecture rooms/halls, quietness is quite assured. This helps students to concentrate at any moment of the day no matter where they find themselves on campus. Except that there are some exemptions: Vandals and the Okpo mates, the fiercest rivals on campus, as their traditions demand, sing, dance, and beat drums during their ‘morale’ sessions during weekends in their halls – respectively Commonwealth and Mensah Sarbah. You expect some noise too during hall weeks of all other halls. Anyhow, those are the fun parts you will not be bothered by. And they happen in the residence. It is deaf quiet on campus where actual teaching and learning happen.
Facilities
Aside from the serene environment the university campus assures, there are enough facilities to aid students in learning and conducting research on any subject. Each and every hall of residence and the on-campus hostel has a reading room and in some cases a library where students can go to learn. Most of the departments and faculties have their own libraries, too. For the general student population, there is almighty and well furnished Balme Library, the main and biggest library on campus. The faculty of law has a library where students have access to law reports. And there is the City Campus library where students on the City Campus of UG get to use. For students who like to read overnight, there is a 24-hour reading room at Balme Library which is suitable for them.
It’s safe to say that everywhere on campus is a conducive place one can just sit and read. One easily sees a gaggle of students on campus huddled on a bench under a tree or sitting on a plinth studying in groups or chattering and whiling away time.
3. Extracurricular activities
We’ve all come to be aware of the necessity of engaging in activities outside our regular academic works. Not only do they develop us, but they also open doors for more opportunities for us, in and out of school. It is important to note that universities abroad consider extracurricular engagements when assessing applicants for admission. If you want to further your education someday abroad, it’s in your own interest to get occupied with non-curricular activities in the cause of your study.
There’s a gazillion of activities for UG students to explore. From sports, religious associations, departmental clubs, music and dancing clubs to almost everything anyone may be interested in. They’re innumerable. They are open for all students to join. Look for them if you come to UG, and join the ones you’ll be interested in. As many as possible. In my experience, the longer you stay here, the more things catch your interest. Good thing is, there is absolutely no one stopping you from going for any of them. You should know that for some of them though, there’ll be requirements for you to meet before joining. To join the UG Arabic Club, you must definitely be a student of Arabic. That notwithstanding, there’s a lot of clubs and societies which transcend the program one offers. Or the faith one subscribes to. Find them. Join them. Learn. Help. And have fun!
Volunteerism
Aside from clubs and societies such as the University of Ghana Debate Society that students can join to directly improve themselves, there are opportunities for students to render unpaid services for students’ welfare, help others generally, or champion a specific cause. The campus radio that is largely run by students is one such avenue students get to volunteer in the form of presenters, reporters, newscasters, writers, or what have you. They open for applications every year and recruit students from all levels to volunteer with them. Through the training given by the outfit, many students have found their way to reputable TV/radio stations to pursue their career goals in the media. Some students join entities like Rotary Clubs, AIESEC, and many others, as volunteers.
Sports
Tell you what, Ivy League, with its fanciness and prestige, first came about as a group association of eight highly competitive athletic colleges in the world. You might think that it is for their excellence in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, or Mathematics (STEAM). But no it is for excellence in sports. To date, these eight schools top rankings of the world’s top universities in any regard. All of this is to tell you about the importance of sports to universities and university students. There is no doubt that no matter the sports we interest in, they are important to our growth both as individuals and as institutions. Maybe we should consider STEAMS – adding sports to the most important disciplines of academia – instead of just STEAM. Just because sports are inexorable.
The University of Ghana Sports Directorate has been working very hard to keep UG’s tall standing in the area of sports. There is a well-equipped gymnasium that students can patronize at competitive rates. Around the gym, there is a very exciting swimming pull and students are able to take voluntary graded courses in swimming. Also, the University of Ghana stadium is under construction and no university has it in Ghana. Basketball courts are scattered in halls of residence while there is a number of football pitches around. There’re cricketers, racists, cyclists, swimmers, tennis players, footballers, and so on. And UG is unmatched when it comes to the laurels we have as a school from external tourneys. And the good news: with the right skill set, any student can undertake a trial to be on any team for any sport on campus.
4. High achieving students and alumni
As with any institution, people get inspired by their mates and what they achieve. It is encouraging to note that the fact that one sees their mate achieve high heights sends the message across to them that they too can achieve the same, should they work for it. It is ditto for people who see themselves in a place where some great people once were. The feeling is that with the right amount of effort, they too will grow to be where their seniors are.
High achieving students
At the University of Ghana, there is always news coming through of a student or students achieving a feat enviable to all. Just a day ago, a student of UG, Wesoamo Zampare, was adjudged the best public speaker in the just ended Pan African University Debate Championship. A great achievement. The current National Public Speaking champion is a UG student also by the name, Maureen Kyere who doubles as the president of the debate society.
Well, that’s not all, we can boast of the current public speaking champion of the World University Debate Championship in the person of Apreku Agyepong. The person who handed over the baton to him as a champion is now an alumnus of UG: Jeremiah Sekyi. The coach of the society is currently away in the UK studying as a Chevening Scholar. And Jeremiah is on his way to China to join the 2020 class of Schwarzman Scholars. All of these people are members of the society I am ever proud to be part of, the University of Ghana Debate Society.
The list of achievements in the debate society alone is unending, let alone the entire school. But chances are, you have come across headlines that talk about winning UG students. Come and see with your eyes. Who knows, you might become the next achiever, just like Wesoamo, who before entering level 200, has won the title of Africa’s best public speaker. You can imagine what’s ahead of her in the next three years of her study at UG.
High achieving alumni
Needless to say, the journey of achievement is a continuing one even out of school. They say rising stars need no intro. Yes, winning students are definitely winning alumni. The testaments of this cannot be counted. Let me summarize this. You definitely know that I cannot count all past UG students and tell you what their achievements are. So let’s talk about the obvious ones. Presidents Mills, Mahama, and Akufo Addo are alumni of the University of Ghana. Vice president Amissah Arthur is a UG alumnus. Speaker of Parliament, Mike Oquaye, is also an alumnus. Other notable alumni of UG are Gloria Akuffo, the Attorney General, and Kwasi Anin-Yeboah, the Chief Justice. In the area of Science, UG can boast of a NASA astronaut, Christina Kock, who spent a record-breaking 328 days in space.
At UG, any student who walks into a political science class, find themselves exactly where the speaker of parliament was years ago. For any students who sit at the law faculty taking lessons in law, they occupy a space once occupied by the attorney general. Studying Economics in UG is more like studying what has made the president of Ghana. And if you study Engineering or Physics, Christina Kock, has a message for you: That you too can fly into space.
If such a community of students and alumni doesn’t inspire you to come to UG, I don’t know what will.
5. Opportunities
Just as America touts itself as the land of opportunities, I think UG can tout itself also as the university of opportunities. As a fresher, when you talk to students and alumni, your ears will be drummed with words about opportunities. One thing, though, is there is an opportunity, another thing is being prepared for the same and being able to recognize opportunity if there is any.
Many students have through the activities they engage in, had the opportunity to travel abroad, for fellowships, competitions, short training, and what have you. The school also affords its students, exchange programs in their partner universities across over 24 countries in the world. Including countries in North America, Europe, and Asia. If you work hard enough and pay attention, there are opportunities abound for you as a UG student.
Internally the school itself affords students, some juicy opportunities: best-performing language students get the opportunity to go for a year-long study abroad in countries respective of the languages they offer. Arabic students, for example, go to Egypt, Russian students go to Russia and Chinese students get to go to China for the year abroad programs. Students who qualify for the program get full sponsorship from the school and government including monthly stipends. The school also supports students to represent the school in international competitions. The Hult Prize, WUDC, and PAUDC are among such competitions the school sponsors students to partake in.
6. Fun making
This is the juiciest part. At least, what Legon is famous or, depending on how you see it, notorious for – chilling and partying. There is so much fun to have on campus. And to be objective, so many vices to indulge in. Nobody enjoins anyone to do anything, you do what you know is good for you. It is absolutely your prerogative to choose your friends and indulge in any activity. There is so much freedom here, and, nobody stops anybody from anything. The best advice you will get here is, stay responsible. More like drink responsibly.
Just like in Harvard, one may or may not decide to go for lectures and nobody gives a hoot. You will study voluntarily because you know you have to. If not what is the essence of being in university. So it all boils down to responsibility.
Also, the beauty of UG is that any type of personality is in Legon. Whether a party going one, a churchy one, or a studious one, everyone has a place here. So I can assure you that, no matter who you are across the spectrum, there are your likes here, and you will meet them just soon as you join the community and love them.
And remember, while at UG, the whole of Accra is here for you to go around and have fun in it.
