Food for thought

First of all, I will say welcome to all TOMER students and the first year students especially those studying in Turkish. Studying in Turkish isn’t easy with perseverance and determination you will overcome every obstacle. The language can be a barrier in the first two years but it’s not stoppage to your glory. During examination you will score low grades compare to Turkish students but don’t give up because there is sunshine to every weathered storm. Don’t use the phrase “ I cannot do it “ instead use the phrase “ I will try my best”. In university don’t compete with anyone but rather compete with the person you were yesterday always try to be better than the person you were yesterday. Forget about what you had or learnt in WASSEC because our education system is different from that of Turkey, the Turkish system is more memorization but there is one attribute which we Gambians possess, “the eagerness (bugayness) to achieve more. Nothing is impossible I once score 5% in a test in particular subject but guess what I score 95% in the final examination. Mingle with Turkish students that you think you can be symbiotic not the ones that will always ask you to go out with them to drink tea (cay), always be linking with lecturers especially lecturers that studied abroad because they know exactly how it feels to be a foreign student in a foreign country especially studying in a foreign language. Try to build connections with students, lectures, businessmen/women because you will need them after university life.

Secondly, to those studying ENGINEERING and MEDICAL fields I will always advice you to go home and do part of your internship(STAJ) there because its really advantageous, doing your internship at home helps to shape your focus on what to do next before and after graduation, it also helps you to know exactly what is needed at home. At the university we are taught with Turkish or European standard of measurements and specifications which if you want to apply that at home can be a little bit difficult or confusing but if you have done part of your internship at home it will really help you to understand exactly what you are doing or what you have done.

Finally, I want to advice my fellow comrades that home needs us but still don’t be in haste to go home. Grab all what you grab here because there are lots of academic opportunities here before going home, we all came here as a caterpillars but lets try to go home as a butterflies, for those doing Bachelors if you have the chance to masters I advice you to proceed with it. If had a hoe and a cutlass when you left home make sure that you return back home with a tractor and other advance machinery because the system really needs us.

Thank You
Engineer Lamin