Hey Community 🤗
As the festive season draws close, everyone seems to be experiencing the world in beautiful and unexpected ways and this year, I’m definitely part of that “unexpected.”

Being a student in a private university comes with its own rhythm. Rules, routines, and the occasional surprise. But nothing prepared me for the announcement we received at one of our regular meetings with the Vice-Chancellor and yes, we have those twice every month (is that normal? I’m still asking 😅).

We sat in the hall, expecting the usual updates about academics, behaviour, or campus facilities. But then came the statement that changed the atmosphere instantly:
“All students will remain on campus during the December break to attend the annual retreat.”

I think it was supposed to be a deterrent because the students wouldn’t let him finish his sentences without making sounds 🥲 but be honest who wants to sit for hours listening to the same thing over and over again😪

Buuuuuuttttttt…. Come on na… just like that? 😒

No travelling.
No going home.
No Christmas rice loading at the family house.
No cousins’ gist.
No yearly reunion with parents, siblings, or that favourite aunty who always sneaks you extra chicken.

Instead, we were told to prepare for a compulsory five-day retreat organised by the ministry that owns the school. Now, the retreat itself isn’t new; they hold it every December. But what is new is turning our holiday into a stay-back campus commitment, basically putting a big pause on our plans to spend the festive season with our families.

I won’t lie… the announcement hit differently. Some students stared blankly. Some sighed. A few were already calculating how to text their parents. Me? I just sat there wondering how my Christmas playlist would sound inside the hostel instead of at home.

But here’s the thing:
The festive season is always full of unexpected twists. Sometimes it’s a surprise gift, a sudden trip, or a cancelled plan that ends up becoming a memory you talk about for years.

So maybe… just maybe this unusual December might still be a story worth telling.
Maybe staying back on campus will bring its own version of bonding, reflection, quiet moments, and those retreat sessions that make you think deeply about life. Maybe the “detention” (if we can call it that lightly 😄) will turn into something more meaningful than we expect.

One thing is certain:
This year’s festive story is going to be very different for us.
And sometimes, different isn’t bad… it’s just unfamiliar.

So, hey community… we’ve shared my peculiar festive story.
What about yours?
How is this December shaping up for you? 🥰