Top 12 Relatable Things Every OAU Student Faces

Life at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Great Ife is unique. From the academic struggles to the campus culture, there are experiences almost every Great Ife student can relate to. If you’re an OAU student, chances are you’ve faced at least half (or even all 12 😅) of these!

And if you are an aspirant hoping to get into this great school, be ready, these experiences are part of what makes OAU unforgettable. They might frustrate you sometimes, but one day you’ll look back and smile because they are things only Great Ife students can truly understand. Let’s dive in.

1. Climbing Stairs

OAU is known for its mighty buildings and breathtaking architecture, but behind the beauty lies the hidden struggle: stairs, stairs, and more stairs and stairs everywhere.

From the famous Faculty of Technology building with its endless steps to the trek between Humanities and Social Sciences, all Faculties and Departments have their different, unique type of stairs. Freshers might complain at first, but give it one semester and you’ll realize OAU has signed you up for a full-time fitness program. Forget going to the gym, just trekking to class and climbing all those steps is enough to tone your legs. 🚶🏾‍♀️ OAU will test your fitness like nothing else. Sometimes, after a long day of lectures, you stand at the bottom of those steps and ask yourself, “Do I really need to go upstairs right now?” 😅 But then you climb anyway, because OAU life doesn’t wait for anyone.

At the end of the day, you realize OAU doesn’t just train your brain, it also trains your body. Forget gym subscription, OAU is the real deal. 🚶🏾‍♀️

✅ Tip for Surviving the Trek:

• Wear comfortable shoes (your legs will thank you).

• Stay hydrated; water is your best friend under the hot sun.

• If possible, plan your movement so you don’t rush and burn out.


2. “No Light in My Hall”

Ask any OAU student and you’ll hear at least one story about the power supply in their hall of residence.😂 Electricity on campus has improved compared to years back, many halls now enjoy light almost 24/7. But here is the funny part: not all hostels share the same transformer. So while your hall is enjoying full light and you are charging all your gadgets, your friend in another hostel might be sweating it out in darkness.

it’s common to hear: “I have light in my hostel but you don’t have in yours.” 😂 The inconsistency has created endless banter between halls.

3. Eating at Night

Don’t even pretend, if you’re an OAU student, you’ve been guilty of this at least once. In fact, some of us have made it a lifestyle. 😅

One thing that makes OAU so alive is its night market culture. While other campuses are silent by midnight, OAU is still bubbling. You can buy anything at any time: roasted corn, suya, risky (bread and egg), noodles and egg, buns, puff-puff, akara, and all different types of snacks. The sellers never seem to sleep, and the students? They are always hungry.

What makes it even sweeter is the vibe. Imagine coming back tired from a night class, only to be greeted with the smell of suya or risky or the sight of people buying noodles at 1:30 a.m. You join the line, gist with friends, laugh about the day’s stress, and before you know it, you’re walking back to your hall with food in your hand and joy in your heart.

The truth? OAU made late-night eating way too easy, and for many of us, our bellies carry the evidence. 😂
It’s one of those unforgettable things you’ll miss when you leave Great Ife.

✅ Tip for Night Snacking:

• Choose lighter snacks (fruits, nuts, small portions) so you don’t feel sleepy after eating instead of reading.

• Drink water instead of soft drinks; it actually helps you stay awake and alert.


4. Overnight

If you’ve never done an overnight in OAU, are you even a Great Ife student? 😅
“Overnight” simply means reading all through the night — from dusk till dawn — either in your faculty building, lecture theatres, or popular spots like Awo Café or White House, or even your hostel. For many students, it’s almost like a rite of passage. You pack your books, water bottle, maybe even some snacks, and brace yourself for a long battle with sleep.🤣
And the best part? OAU night sellers always come to the rescue. You could be reading at 2 a.m. when your stomach suddenly starts talking to you and complaining, and without stress you can step outside, grab roasted corn, suya, noodles, or risky or any other type of snacks, then return to continue reading like nothing happened.

But here’s the funny twist, not everyone who goes for overnight actually reads. Some spend the time gisting, scrolling endlessly on their phones, or even dozing off on their books. Still, just showing up gives you that “I’m a serious student” feeling.
During exam season, though, overnight becomes a full-on movement. Lecture halls are packed by midnight, with everyone trying to cram one last topic or solve one more past question before the big day. And when you finally step out at 5:30 a.m. to the sound of birds chirping, you feel like you just survived a mini marathon.
For some, overnight is punishment. For others, it’s pure motivation. But whichever side you fall on, one thing is certain, it’s an OAU experience you’ll never forget.

✅ Tip for Successful Overnights:

• Sit with serious friends to stay focused.

• Use the “Pomodoro method” (25 mins of focus, 5 mins break).

• Stretch and move around every hour to avoid sleep taking over.


5. The Exam Rush

Ah, the legendary OAU exam rush, where students attempt the impossible: reading one full semester’s work in a single night. 📚😩
No matter how early you promise yourself you’ll start reading, procrastination usually always wins. Then suddenly, exam week shows up and reality hits. Overnight, students transform into reading machines (or at least they try.😂) You’ll see people printing past questions, rushing to the library, and doing back-to-back overnights.

👉 At 9jabaz, we know this struggle too well. That’s why we provide course materials and past questions to help you focus on exactly what matters. [Click here to get structured materials] that will guide your reading and boost your chances of passing with ease.

The pressure is real. You’ll find yourself trying to cram three chapters at once, flipping through notes at lightning speed, and praying that “spotting” works. And yet, many students swear that the adrenaline of last-minute reading is what helps them remember the most.

✅ Quick Survival Tips for Exam Rush:

• Use past questions wisely: focus on recurring topics; sometimes, OAU exams often repeat trends.

• Prioritize, don’t memorize: instead of cramming everything, pick the core areas most likely to appear.

• Take short breaks: your brain absorbs better when you rest every hour instead of pushing nonstop.

• Stay hydrated: water > energy drinks. Dehydration kills focus faster than sleep.


It’s stressful, yes. But at the end of the day, exam rush is part of the Great Ife survival kit.

6. Class-to-Class Movement

Only OAU students understand the pain of our “classic timetable setup.” Imagine finishing a lecture at Oduduwa Hall, only to realize your next class is in Alex Duduyemi Lecture Theatre (ADLT) or from ETF Lecture Hall and your next lecture is in White House, and you have barely 10 minutes to get there.
You dash out of the hall, clutching your books, weaving through crowds of students, trekking under the hot sun, and praying the lecturer won’t start on time. By the time you get to class, you’re already sweating, tired, and sometimes too drained to even pay attention. 😅
OAU’s timetable doesn’t care about distance, it builds stamina and patience at the same time.

7. Academics and Fellowship

If there’s one struggle that truly defines life as a Great Ife student, it’s the constant balancing act between academics and fellowship. OAU campus is a hub of vibrant spiritual life, with powerful gatherings and fellowships happening everywhere. But at the same time, our lecturers are not smiling, especially when it comes to tests, assignments, and exams.
The struggle is real. You’ll find students rushing from a long lecture to choir practice, or heading straight to Bible study after a brutal night class. The hustle to stay on top of both your notes and your spiritual life is a unique part of the OAU experience. Many students will agree that the spiritual atmosphere on campus gets an extra jolt of energy during exam week. It’s as if heaven itself is aware of the upcoming papers.😅
The pressure to ace your exams while still staying connected to your faith is a challenge every student can relate to. But in the end, it’s this unique grind that makes OAU students truly stand out, proving you can conquer both the spiritual and academic worlds at the same time.

8. The Bat Problem 🦇

If you’ve ever strolled under the big trees on campus, you already know that OAU has bats, and not just a few. In fact, OAU is said to have one of the largest bat populations in Africa. And yes, that means sometimes you risk getting an unwanted “souvenir” of bats’ poop on your body or bag. It could even happen to you when you are not under the tree.😂

It’s so common that students will warn each other: “Don’t pass under that tree unless you’re ready to be decorated!” 😂

✅ Survival Tip: Always check above before chilling or standing under trees. And if you’re walking at night, move fast, don’t give the bats a chance.😅

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9. The Water Struggle 🚰

For some hostels, running water is like a luxury. You wake up ready to bathe, only to realize there’s no water. The solution? You either trek to another hostel with buckets or buy water from “merchants” who suddenly appear like saviours (but at a price).

Carrying water up multiple flights of stairs after trekking under the sun is a workout you didn’t sign up for. Students in hostels with a steady water supply will never understand the suffering.

✅ Survival Tip: Keep a small reserve in kegs/drums if your hostel is “one of those.” And make water runs early in the morning to avoid long queues.

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10. Med/College Students’ Extra Struggles

School is officially on break… but not for medical or college students. 😩 While everyone else is posting “session don end” pictures, med students are still battling lectures, postings, and exams.

Non-medical students will be like: “Ehn? You people are still in school?” And the med students will patiently (or angrily) explain, “Our calendar is different, please.”

It’s a unique OAU struggle that only College students fully understand.

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11. The Great Ife Pride

One funny thing about OAU students: we love to complain about our school. The trekking, the strikes, the water issues, the stress. But let someone from another school insult OAU, and suddenly, we become OAU’s biggest defenders. 😤

It’s that toxic but loyal relationship. We can abuse our school 100 times, but outsiders? Don’t even try it. AT ALL.

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12. Weekend Vibes

If there’s one thing OAU knows how to do, it’s events. From departmental dinners, pageants, and award nights to concerts and fellowship programs, every weekend feels like something is happening on campus.

You might even have three invites on the same night, and the struggle is deciding which one to attend. Whether you go for “owambe” vibes, spiritual recharge, or just vibes and chill, weekends in OAU never stay dry.

Final Thoughts 💭

Life at OAU is not for the faint-hearted, from climbing endless stairs, battling “no light,” surviving overnights, to the dreaded exam rush. But these little struggles and funny moments are exactly what make being a Great Ife student special. They shape memories you’ll laugh about years after graduation.
So whether you’re a fresher just starting out or a finalist counting down to your last paper, remember — you’re not alone in these experiences. Every Great Ife student has been there, done that, and survived. 💪✨
At the end of the day, it’s all part of the OAU story — a story of resilience, hustle, and unforgettable campus life.

Which of these do you relate with the most? Drop your experience in the comments!

What did we miss? What’s the one thing that only a fellow OAU student would truly understand? Let us know in the comments below! Don’t forget to share this post with your friends and help us celebrate the unique “Great Ife” spirit.

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