Judith DonatusThe number of students in most Nigerian universities engaging in business has been rising in recent times. This is a trend where many students combine their academics with side hustles just to make ends meet.
As the economic situation in the country continues to depreciate, many students are trying to find ways to cope with rising needs. As the prices of food items, tuition fees, books, house rents, etc. increase, students have sought other means to meet up with these expenses. The most common means is ‘side hustle.’
Join our WhatsApp ChannelA side hustle is a job that brings in extra income. It could be a business or a salary job. The major kinds of side hustles that can be found in school areas are catering, laundry, hair making, make-up artistry, housing agents, etc. Some students also engage in doing assignments, projects, term papers, and filling workbooks for others to gain extra income, to supplement the ones given to them by their parents or guardians.
However, many students who engage in side hustles find it difficult and stressful to combine it with academics. According to Miss Praise Obadike, a 300-level student of the Department of Mass Communication, University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), combining academics and business has not been so difficult for her due to the kind of business she engages in, which is bead-making. “Where I find it difficult is when I have to go to the market to get the materials for my business, especially when my client needs it urgently.”
She further stated that having many orders from clients at the same time, with those orders clashing with her academic activities has been a challenge for her, as she had to forfeit one at the expense of the other. “Sometimes, I even have to miss my classes, just to make sure I’m able to deliver,” she stated.
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Miss Obadike recounted that the most stressful part of her business is having to do deliveries through ware bills, especially those far from her immediate environment. She also explained that having to create content is also stressful and time-consuming. “Sometimes it takes away your sleep, your reading time, your personal time.
“Content is the real deal. It is a real market. Trying to create contents, figuring out the next creative thing to do to improve your sales, and to get people to patronize you can be very time-consuming,” she lamented.
She confessed that she sacrificed some of her classes for her business. “That money is very important. This is because we need money to run our lives… My business has not caused me poor performance in my academics, but my academics have caused me poor performance in my business because sometimes I have to meet up with my academics, which is the primary reason I am in school. This sometimes sets me back in my business.
Miss Ruth Akuma, a 300-level student, who runs a catering business called ‘Olivia’s Kitchen’, explained that when she first started the business it was very difficult and stressful as she usually made her dishes whenever she got orders. She, however, found her way around it by working only on weekends.
Miss Akuma also complained that going to the market to get materials and food items for her business is also very stressful. “It has not been easy, because sometimes I had to skip my reading time just to make money, which is why I started the business in the first place,” she said.
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She admitted that combining business with academics does affect her academics but she tries her best to meet up.
Miss Onyinyechi Ibeh, another student of the Department of Mass Communication, also stated that in order to meet up with her academics, she had to put her business on hold. Miss Ibeh also claimed that she knew some of her classmates who literally abandoned their academics and focused on their business but in her case, she abandoned her business for a while to focus on her academics.
Some students however believe that to succeed you must learn to sacrifice a lot. Some believe that combining business with academics is not a big challenge if one can work hard, and sacrifice sleep and pleasure.
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Speaking on students’ side hustles in school, Dr Elike Ike, a lecturer at UNN, noted that given the current economic situation, side hustle is almost inevitable. He argued that modern society has so much financial hardship that many students have to engage in side hustle to earn extra money. “Some students even go as far as enrolling in full or part-time jobs,” he added.
For him, a side hustle also has its effects on students’ academics but not in all cases. “I have seen students who give their hundred per cent in school and also in their business,” he further explained.
According to him, what differentiates these students from others is the extra effort they put into their academics. They tend to work overtime and sacrifice their leisure time to meet up with their academics. He noted that side hustle can be a way for students to gain experience in business management, entrepreneurship, financial management and time management.
While noting that a student’s academic performance would suffer if he or she gives most of their attention to their business, he advised that they should learn to apply time and financial management to succeed in both their businesses and academics.
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