My first month at Ashesi University- Maame Sarpomaa ‘27
“Maame Sarpomaa Takes Over Berekuso!” That's what I thought the second my parents' car pulled into the driveway on move-in day. Yes, I've been to boarding school, so this wouldn't be my first rodeo away from home. However, this felt different. It's been a month since I've been on the hill, and looking back at the chaos that was my first week, I know I'm in for a ride.
Move-in was a breeze. I signed in, got my tag for the week, and went to my hostel. I had arrived. I'm finally in my first year!
Nobody had to tell us how well thought out our orientation schedule was; we could tell. From the debate challenge to the session on fire drills, every activity brought us together as a class while teaching us valuable lessons. Shouts of surprise filled the room on our first day as we learned about some of the norms at Ashesi. We would pay a fine if we ever came late to any sessions that week. Alongside several others, I found myself paying the fine in my second session for the day. I guess it's safe to say Ashesi will take some getting used to. It was a funny experience that taught us one lesson: lateness is not tolerated at Ashesi University.
I cannot tell you how I got to Norton Motulsky Hall thirty minutes early on the second day of orientation, but here I was. And from the small number of available seats from thirty minutes to time, everyone else had got the memo. We were put in teams labelled with colours, and I found myself in the best one (if I do say so myself), the light green team. That's where I met most of my current friends on campus. We were not the most agile or the highest in energy. But we still had a lot of fun, even as we watched our marshmallow building collapse during the marshmallow challenge.
As an extrovert, making friends is something I naturally find joy in. For me, it's an opportunity to experience the multifaceted beauty of people. So here I was, full of excitement and ready to meet everyone. I moved from person to person, introducing myself. I played guessing games with people, trying to guess their favourite colours as conversation starters. Odd as it may seem, this strategy has gotten me some exceptional friends very early at Ashesi.
Did I mention that I got interviewed by the University communications team for an Instagram reel and made known my unquenching love for plantain and the weird combinations I consume it in? Let's say it shocked everyone, and I don't know if I will ever live that down.
Orientation was not all fun and games. It was also serious business. We had the opportunity to meet with some of our faculty, and most of us were relieved to hear that we didn’t have to necessarily declare a major in our first year. Coming straight from high school to college already felt like a rude awakening, and I needed a bit more time to make additional life-shaping decisions. During the faculty session, I also realised that multiple measures had been put in in place to ensure no student is left behind. The thought of being in a school filled with academic brilliance was intimidating, but by the end of orientation week, I realised that maybe it was not so bad.
Now that all is said and done, I wouldn't mind experiencing orientation week all over again in a constant loop. The lessons learned and the laughs shared are second to none. I'm excited about my first-year journey at Ashesi. So come along with me, grab a chair, some popcorn, and most importantly, some confetti because these are about to be my best years yet!
