By Anaeto Maryann
I guess this is the part they don’t tell you before you collect that call-up letter.
This is the part that doesn’t come printed on the certificate.
This is the part that most NYSC orientation camp officials never talk about.
That one year can either build you or break you.
It can sharpen your future or scatter your entire direction.
And it will all depend on what you choose to do with it.
NYSC will take you to a place you’ve likely never been before. It will throw you into a new city, a new culture, a new environment, sometimes, far away from the people who know you, love you, correct you, or even hold you accountable.
You suddenly find yourself alone, and at first, it feels like freedom. You’re now getting paid monthly. You’re no longer asking Mum or Dad for money.
You have your “allawee” and you can spend it how you like. For some, that’s all the opportunity they ever recognize — a monthly pay and independence.
But can I tell you the truth?…
One year of NYSC can damage ten years of your life if you don’t wake up.
I’ve seen it. I’ve seen people go to serve and come back unrecognizable not because life was hard, but because they wasted the time and the opportunity.
They spent the entire year partying, jumping from one relationship to the next, clubbing every weekend, following the crowd, sleeping around, doing everything except the one thing they were supposed to do — grow.
No one told them the truth… That NYSC is not just a service year.
It’s a transitional moment.
It’s your final rehearsal before real life begins.
Yet I’ve also seen people take that one year and flip their whole life around.
They saved from their N33,000 (77,000) allowance every month.
They enrolled in online courses.
They learned new skills, graphics design, video editing, public speaking, photography, baking, tailoring, writing, digital marketing.
They networked with people they served with people who later connected them to life-changing opportunities.
They started small businesses during service and grew them so well that they never needed to apply for a 9–5 job after passing out.
So, while one person comes back from NYSC with nothing to show for it, another comes back with vision, plans, progress, discipline, and direction. The same 12 months, but completely different outcomes.
NYSC is not your destination. It’s your launchpad.
And let me remind you… Nobody is coming to save you.
If you spend one year wasting your time, please don’t be surprised when the following five years seem confusing, dry, and unproductive.
Use your NYSC year wisely. Start asking yourself the hard questions…
📌 What skill can I pick up during this one year?
📌 How can I save a portion of this allowance?
📌 Who am I meeting and building relationships with?
📌 What do I want to become after this year?
📌 What am I doing now to prepare for that future?
Don’t live carelessly because you think you’re just serving.
Some people served and that’s the last time they were ever useful to themselves.
Others served and became employers of labor within two years.
That one year can change your life. Or it can waste your life.
So, plan. Prepare. Don’t sleep through NYSC.
Don’t just collect certificates and post pictures in khaki.
Use this year to invest in your mind, grow your vision, and build your future.
Because once it’s over, real life begins.
And real life doesn’t care if you served in Lagos or Zamfara, it only cares if you served yourself well in that year.
Thanks for reading…..
© Anaeto Maryann is from Agulu, Anaocha LGA of Anambra State. She is a Mass Communication Graduate.
