by Alexander O. Onukwue

The average ASUU strike lasts at least four months. If you think about that, you would note that there is a lot one can do with that time other than whine about how Government has failed.

ASUU strike is a distraction to a student’s academic momentum, and an extension of the time it should require to get out of the Nigerian academic system that can feel sometimes like an unrewarding undertaking. At the same time, the opportunity of the few months away from school can be used to make up for the absence of vocational aptitude and entrepreneurial streetwise which is lacking in the educational curriculum.

In that light, this is not an advisory about what internships to seek out, only if such will provide one with hands-on skills and abilities that would make for an independent stream of income. So, for instance, you should not spend this time away from school working in a fast food chain, or teaching in a school. While these may be profitable, they are not the best use you could make with this time.

What every affected student should be looking out for within this period of the strike are opportunities to learn crafts that would grant them financial intelligence and independence, and below are some of the best one can find in any part of the country:

Laptop Repairs

There are no local stats on how lucrative this is, but when you think about the fact that nearly everyone in your circle owns a laptop, it should occur that there is a market for the repair business. It would not the fanciest engagement for an aspiring graduate, but try not to underestimate the power of what you can do if you become good enough to manage the maintenance and repairs of whole organisations computer devices.

Coding and Software Development

Myth buster: You do not have to be in Lagos to be a coder and to be recognized for your tech enterprise. For a beginner, there are terabytes of online resources that can be used to get oneself acclimatized with the basics. There are many free guides on YouTube, as well as course learning sites like Future Learn, edx, Udacity and Coursera for any interested persons to leverage on.

Internship at a Tech Company

Perhaps the most good-looking option and with someone already offering to take people, interning at a company where you will not only work (and possible earn) but gain skills that will make you self-empowered is surely going to be worthwhile. Depending on one’s interest, it could get so exciting that the length of the strike would become inconsequential.

Creative Writing

For persons who already have the passion, this could be self-developed further. But the catch here would be to find a place where workshops or masterclasses are organized for writers. There is a surge in the literary material coming out from the Nigerian space and there is room for the better writers to rise to the top. And this is not just writing for publication: the demand for quality script and screenwriters is also increasing, with the increase in the number of online series by banks and other brands.

There are more things that can be done to fruitful ends within the period of the strike. Look inwards and reach out to sources.