Brand collaborates with FATSSSA to host symposium on “Balancing Academic Life with Skills and Talents

 

By, Olatoye Temiloluwa 

A student entrepreneur, Mr Adeniji Fifehanmi  collaborated  with the Faculty of the Social Sciences to organize a symposium tagged “Balancing Academic Life with Skills & Talents “ which was held at the Faculty of the Social Sciences LLT  in the University of Ibadan on the 23rd of August, 2024.  

The event had four speakers who were invited to educate the audience on how to manage and sustain academic life and other skills & talents simultaneously.  

 

The event which was stated to start at 11:30 am officially began at 1:30pm. The host of the Symposium, Mr Adeniyi Fifehanmi, a Final year student of the Department of Political Science took to the stage to welcome the available speakers .  

 

The first speaker was Mr Ibrahim Adebayo, the owner of Password TV. He gave insight on how to get content ideas and how to get gadgets to create content. He spoke about retention, in his words, “Not all adverts need to make sales”.  

“Money is not the first thing you need, determination is what drives a content creator”  

He mentioned that the “imposter syndrome”  which translates to self-doubt and not believing in oneself is a limiting factor.  

He also added the importance of a “content bank” which he uses to draft content ideas .  

 

He encouraged content creators in the audience to ensure that no week goes by without them creating content.  

“Consistency is an important feature that separates you from other content creators”, he enlightened.  

It was an interactive session as Mr Ibrahim carried the audience along, entertained their questions and listened to their contributions throughout his speech.  

 

Professor Aiyede, a highly esteemed lecturer in the Department of Political Science was called up to give his speech which was themed “The importance of academics and how it will help students in and out of the school “  

 

He mentioned the Skill of Creativity which entails discovering your talent and applying them in a targeted way.  

The Professor identified another skill, “Time Management” which is essential for students to adjust to new challenges, meet deadlines and be productive.  

 

“These skills come to play when dealing with life problems , the Economic, Political and Social ideas adopted in school will be on your mind and facilitate your decisions “ , he added. 

He spoke about resourcefulness, the ability of students to source for employment, to acquire remote jobs even before graduating from the University.  

 

Professor Aiyede encouraged the audience to take advantage of extracurricular activities which are opportunities that exist on campus for important reasons.  

He also discussed the importance of problem-solving skills which every student should have to acquire their life ambitions and to contribute positively to society.  

 

He spoke about organizations that train students on these skills which can be acquired by undergraduates in universities all over the world. These foundations provide scholarships and support for students.  

 

The third speaker was introduced on stage in person of Miss Jose Oluwakunmi, a final year student of the Department of Communication and Language Arts who is a Real estate Consultant and additionally, a Content creator,  to enlighten the audience about how she has been able to balance school with her work and tips to improve on both.  

 

She stated the essence of priority  and time -management.  She said her priority is her academics.  

Miss Kunmi said she has been able to effectively maximize her time in order to attend classes and also be available for her 9-5 work everyday and still create contents.  

 

She advised that students should not put school on hold but take a break if their business gets overwhelmed.  

Her ongoing speech was interrupted by a young man who burst in, cursing at another student in the audience. The young man was quickly removed from the Symposium grounds by the Faculty excos. 

 

Miss Kunmi continued with her speech and spoke about the importance of setting goals  

as this will drive passion in business and academics.  

She rounded up by encouraging students not to be shy about advertising their business and to be unapologetic about owning a business.  

 

The final speaker was welcomed upstage to talk about “the benefits of networking with people who share the same skill set and talents , and how it can be of help”  

The speaker was Mr oluwatobilola Olubanjo, an Alumni of the department of Sociology famously known as “World of UITES” .  

 

He spoke about having “a state of equilibrium” between  academics and business/job . He mentioned the undeniable importance to be able to multitask as a person.  

 

“To excel after school, you have to be competitive, you need to be more equipped” he stated.  

He believes people need to channel corresponding energy to every activity they are involved in .  

Mr Oluwatobiloba’s view of equal multitasking disagrees with Miss Kunmi’s idea of prioritizing activities.  

 

He encouraged students that might not graduate with first class or second class upper to not give up as there are chances for them out there and the high possibility of excellence.  

He encouraged students to study hard, and pass exams but still be stuffed about life to spike success.  

 

He then proceeded to do a giveaway by randomly selecting members of the audience and giving them a packaged envelope of monetary gifts.  

 

Next up was the Q&A session from the audience to the speakers.  

Following that, prizes were shared among students who could answer certain questions asked by Fifehanmi, the Host.  

 

A little over 60 people were in attendance  . 

The event was sponsored by Infinix, Foodbolt, Curl Clothing  and Fifehanmi, the brand.  

More gifts were distributed and the event was drawn to a close at 4:00 pm.