I must admit that, like most young people who were in Strathmore University, not once did I take time to observe the little things that were at the centre of my experience as a student. I was too busy chasing the big picture and the big achievements that the world will marvel at.

It’s only after graduation, when I finally had a chance to interact deeply with the real world that I realised what Strathmore teaches you: to definitely aim for the big things, but also to take the utmost care of the little ones.

You go through your entire university life without noticing that you are unconsciously picking up these little details; this is what makes Strathmore University unique.

The big picture

Being a student of law, the big picture included passing my exams each semester, without any retakes or re-sits, publishing an article in a major legal journal, interning in the best law firms and institutions, working in one of the many Strathmore Law centres, establishing a network that will shield me from ‘joblessness’, going for the Europe trip and the main one, the crown jewel, graduating with a law degree, and not just any law degree but a second-class honors, upper division at the very least. I achieved most of these goals, including the crown jewel, with varying degrees of success.

Yet these little things are what add up to the big achievements that each of us chase. These are the things that society is desperately looking for since there is a scarcity of them. These little things are the words of gratitude spoken to your friends and lecturers while at school, later on in the job market and which you later realise become part of your speech. It’s the greetings you exchange every day with the housekeeper, guard, lecturer and colleague. It’s how you communicate with people and understand the different temperaments that make life beautiful. Strathmore ensures you learn this when they organize events and invite different industry stakeholders; you appreciate the real value of teamwork, different views, convergence and respect for others’ opinions.

Baptism by fire

For example, in the law school students are assigned groups with total strangers in first year and who you are expected to work with for the next four years. The department instils confidence in their students when it decides that you are capable of sitting an oral exam before a panel of three experts, sometimes experts one has only seen on TV, or when they award marks for presentations done in class. Oh, and when they set that hard exam or CAT and things go awry, they are preparing you for life which is full of surprises…for things don’t always go as planned. They are showing you that you can always overcome challenges no matter what. When they literally baptize you by fire by requiring you to find a job in your third year, they are showing you what to expect in the job market after you graduate. Last and not least, they impart in you the faith in God and yourself, that you can truly achieve anything you set out to do.

These are the little things Strathmore University taught me, and everyone who walks through its doors. Some may never realise this…others will. What little thing has Strathmore University taught you?

 

This article was written by Tevin Mwenda Gitonga, Strathmore University Law School, Class of 2018.

If you have a story, kindly email: communications@strathmore.edu