While the orientation camp can be fun, it usually takes a few days to adapt to this new way of life and the 3 weeks can be hell for many depending on how fast they adjust to the environment.
If you've received your call up letter then please read The NYSC Orientation Camp Survival Guide.
The first thing you'll need is to be prepared.
They say if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. In order to survive in NYSC orientation camp, you'll have to be prepared mentally, physically, emotionally and psychology. Once you have an idea what to expect, it will be easy to adapt to the new life you'll be living for the next 3 weeks.
You should know that you'll be leaving your comfort zone and societal status to go and live like an ordinary person with other youths from different parts of the country who will be taking commands and receiving punishments from soldiers and other authority figures .The soldiers may ask u to carry your luggage on your head and frog jump on arrival but this is all fun if you're prepared.
You should also be prepared to see various kind of characters and cultures, ranging from the good to the bad,ugly and out-rightly annoying but the key to survival is accepting to coexist peacefully all through the 3 week period.
Conditions of living will be less than ideal and it will feel like being thrown into a bad secondary school hostel with poor latrine facilities (depending on your camp) but you just have to observe what others are doing to cope and you'll be fine). Having been prepared mentally, here are the things you need to take to the NYSC camp.
Registration requirements: you may not be registered if you don't go with the items listed below…
CALL UP LETTER: This is a vital part of camp registration and the only evidence that you are a prospective corps member ( Corper, or Otondo) and you are not impersonating anyone. This will be taken from and not returned to you. So if at all you even forget you luggage (lol) never forget this.
Tip: DO NOT LAMINATE IT! And keep it like its your life. I know someone who was sent back because she forgot hers. Also someone who had to beg and beg before his letter was collected because he laminated his own copy. So please avoid all these stress and make enough copies of this letter.
Registration Documents: Foreign graduates should take along important registration documents used in registering at Abuja.
Final Year Student Identity CARD
Notification/Statement of Result from School
Passport photographs (about 20 copies) in red background
Photocopies of documents Now make about 5-10 copies of every document required. There would be photocopiers in camp at mammy market but trust me, it is double the price and it saves time.
Certificates/licenses for Doctors,Pharmacists, Nurses & Lab Scientists, take along your proof of certification.
Stationary (pen,paper,gum,tipex,stapler)
Tip: After getting your NYSC State Code Number, you can proceed to claim your NYSC Kit and Mattress after which you can proceed to get a Room. After you have gotten your kit and secured a place in the hostels, you can settle down and you are good to go to start the Military parades.
Now, Your NYSC kit should contain 1 NYSC Crested Vest, A pair of Khaki Trousers, Cap and Jacket, 2 White T-shirts, 2 Pairs of
Knickers, 2 pairs of green-stripped Stockings, A Pair of Orange Jungle Boots and One Pair of White Converse. A "Belt" is also included.
DAILY NEEDS:
Bedsheet,pillowcases,wrapper, mosquito nets, plates, cups, cutleries, toiletries, condoms (huh?), sanitary pads, sweaters, flashlight, rechargable, ray bans etc.
Extra sim cards in case of network failure.
CASH: Extremely important. You would need about N15,000. Then between N20,000 – N30,000 to be 'just' comfortable. For those that
can manage, say, N10,000 – N15,000. There are lots of things that take up money. Things like food (for those who don't intend eating camp food), drinks, recharge cards, charging of phones, laundry, pleasures e.t.c
Tip: You wont be allowed to leave camp. So do not be stranded, trust me it's not a good idea. Just budget 1000 per day. You could take your ATM card along, incase. (This might sound counter-intuitive since there might not be any ATM in camp and you are not allowed to leave camp. But figure it out…) You can keep you extra cash with the Accounts Department (as the case was in my camp) while some shops offer POS services, you still have access to extra cash whenever
you need it.
If you have a camera you can take it along because you will want to snap a lot of scenes. If you have a Smartphone with great camera, that's good for you because you can easily take and share photos on social networks.
Tip: If you don't have any of those, you will have to pay some guys on camp who do that as business to follow you around and snap you
wherever you go. They might charge up to N2,000 for the duration of the camping. They should give you all your photos and videos in DVDs at the end of Camping. Or you could wait till the last day of leaving camp and snap at a cheaper rate.
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