PREPARING FOR THE NYSC ORIENTATION CAMP

The NYSC Orientation Course exercise is once in a lifetime hence adequate preparation and information should be gathered and make use of so as to have a befitting moment in camp. Are you ready for this ride? Let’s go!

I guess you’ve already seen what you will be going with to the camp.  Once you receive your call up letter, it is advisable to appear in camp on the opening day or the next day. When you arrive there; you must be stopped in the security post at the gate to check your belongings to see if you have any of the banned items e.g. barbing clipper, clipper, steel spoon, knife, fork, plate, cup, pot etc and any steel material or object. The reason for this seizure is that in case of eventuality corps members may use it for fighting and hence injure their fellow. That’s why I advise you from the items listed to go with rubber/plastic food flask or cooler, spoon etc. and their likes. Upon completion of the Orientation Course whatever was seized from you will be returned to you. 

Immediately you will be directed to the hostel registration stand where you will be registered to get a room in the Hostel. Note that you may be plus or minus 20 persons in a room. So, since you are new to each other; you must adequately secure your belongings; your padlock(s) can work a great deal here for you. Once you secure your bed; you guys can immediately contribute to buy a bigger padlock to lock the general door only if it has no key; since all your belongings needed to be secured. But security is a joint effort of the roommate. 

 

As you move to the registration all, be reminded to go along with your documents e.g. call up letter, original school result, school ID, passports etc. You may be ask to queue by your geo-political zones e.g. North-Central, South-East, South-South, South-West etc. This may vary camp to camp. I guess the essence of this is for effective operation and orderliness. Note that geographical zone is not for your state of origin but the location of your school. Please respect yourself while in queue to avoid your first embarrassment. The registration process is divided into four stages:

Ø Collection of Call-up

Ø Verification of Call-up

Ø Citation of Result and ID (School)

Ø Online Registration

1.     Collection of Call-up: Once you are called out from the queue; you will be directed to another queue where you would collect the detached copy of your call up letter. You would notice that your call-up letter was detached, so here you will be given the detached copy. To the next stage…

2.     Verification of Call-up: Here you will submit both copies of call-up letter for verification. It is done passing it under a mercury light to view the security code which will prove its authenticity. You need not panic if you give them what was given to you.

3.     Citation of School Result and ID: Since forgery is almost everywhere; this section will check the genuity of your result. Please ensure there are no errors in your names and grade because they may have it and variance “may” not be condoled. In case you are a victim of error. They may understand; but always avoid it.

4.     Online Registration: This is the last stage of your registration process. It is in this stage you will be registered online into the State NYSC Data Base. Upon completion, you will be given a state code e.g.  For Kano: KN/13A/0011, Enugu: EN/13A/0224, Lagos: LA/13A/1228. From the last digit you will know your platoon (I will talk about it later).  Question to be asked here include: your full name, call up number, school, course of study etc. A slip will be given to you to immediately report at your platoon. It mostly ranges from 1-10; while it may vary from camp to camp e.g. Katsina had 13 platoons in Batch C 2012.

Being in a platoon is no difference from being in a group like those your Group A,B,C … stuff while running as assignment, project or group work in school; you work together as a team and accept success and failures in activities together.

You will see your platoon officials who will instruct you to register your name with them upon such; you will be given your NYSC Kit and registration materials. Please pay attention here because I’m going to be releasing secrets that will help you. 

Registration Materials: A file with your State code containing forms, NYSC ID etc will be given to you to appropriately fill. Directives on how to fill it will be given to you. Ask questions where necessary to avoid mistakes. Don’t be too full of yourself to ask question. Remember the camp is not a place of “ITK” I Too Know. This where your stapler, glue and correcting fluid will work a great deal for you. Don’t be surprise to a pin may cost you N20, count the number of stable and calculate your bill...? Photocopies of your credentials you may use all through may not be more than three (3) each. Though carrying excess is advisable because it will cost more there. 

NYSC KIT: The following will be given to you; crested vest, cap, belt, uniform (khaki), a pair of jungle boot, a pair of sneaker (canvass), 2 pair of socks, 2 T-shirts and 2 shorts. Note that you may be given over-size or under-size. In the case where your own doesn’t match you; you can ask for a change, in the case where it’s not possible; you can exchange with a fellow corps member who is in similar need. As I write this article, my sneaker is still unused because of oversize. Most times you may not like the T-shirts and shorts that would be given you. This is where the ones you brought will help you a great deal. Try to get an NYSC belt because you may not like theirs. An advice from experience: if you are slim fitting your uniform, don’t overdo it; don’t cut the length to your normal height or length because if you do – after washing it, it will definitely shrink. So don’t cut or slim fit to your normal size before washing so that you don’t regret it. A free advice!!! To be forewarned is to be forearmed. 

FOOD: Upon registration, a meal ticket (card) will be issued to you for your meal. I must confess here that the meal can’t be compared to when you are at home. You will be 3 times daily. But friend; you’ve got to adjust o. Some persons that went to the camp with enough money will bullshit the meal and face “mammy market” where things are kind of cost. At the long run, you see them coming to queue up for the same food they rejected because their money is up. Some may continue and even become debtors and use their allowance to upset their debts. So you know how to go about it. Sometimes they cook good food but not all times. This is where your beverages will help you a great deal. Imagine receiving watery tea and bread for breakfast? Don’t ignore it. Collect it and simply add your tea, milk etc. to make it rich to your taste. Imagine on a Sunday, normally where we expect to eat rice and chicken, guess what? We were given rice and a tiny reflection of chicken, a fellow corps member called it “a thought of chicken” This varies in camps anyway. Let’s move on to other things. 

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT SERVICE (CDS): During your service year; you will be required to participate in CDS. This is done every Thursday in your PPA (Place of Primary Assignment) in the camp, organization like: Millennium Development Goals MDG, Road Safety, EFCC, HIV, NEMA, NDLEA – Drug Free Club, Red Cross, Skill Acquisition, Drama Group, Brigade etc.  You will be trained by personnel from these groups. So prepare your mind and know the one you would be. Its essence is to train you to train others else you will be trained by your fellow corps member. Remember this is a humanitarian service you will be rendering during your service year.

PARADE:  All through your camping period, you will be made to wear your white t-shirts and shorts all through the three (3) weeks except Fridays and Sundays for Muslims and Christians respectively you are allowed to be on mufti. You’ll be wake up early hours say 4-5am for parade that involves drills, matching etc. trust me you can do it. You will be appearing on parade ground by platoon. Trust me this is just to select the best guys who can match very well. At the long run, you guys will be separated during parade time. Anyway the choice is yours.

NYSC ANTHEM: Make sure you learn it very well even the national anthem (both stanza). Funny enough, not all graduates can accurately recite the national item. Please prospective corps members should represent us (your school) well o.

Youth obey the clarion call, let us lift our nation high, under the sun or in the rain, with dedication and selflessness, Nigeria is ours Nigeria we serve!

Guess I have spoken much? I stop here! I hope you find this resourceful and helpful. Feel free to leave a comment and you will be replied or use the “contact us” page. Like us on facebook: www.facebook.com/motivationcommunity  or search for: Staymotivated247 God bless you and have a nice time in camp. Watch out for more exciting articles!