It is common knowledge that being well-prepared is essential to having a fantastic NYSC camp experience. Your camping trip could be ruined if you don’t know what to pack. This post aims to provide you with an overview of what to expect on your first day at NYSC camp.
Please acclimate to being referred to as “otondo” first. Respond to anyone who calls you “otondo,” since that will be your new moniker. It is advised that you read the meaning of otondo in the NYSC camp in order to understand what it means.
For now, let’s delve into the main topic, “first-day experience in NYSC camp and what to expect.” To make camp life easier and smoother for you, I took the time to write this piece. We shall begin by looking at the four cardinal points of the NYSC:
The Four (4) Cardinal Points of NYSC
1. The Orientation Camp Exercise
2. The Place of Primary Assignment (PPA)
3. The Community Development Service (CDS)
4. The Passing Out Parade (PPA)
These are the National Youth Service Corps’s four (4) guiding principles (NYSC). The NYSC Discharge Certificate is not granted to any Corps member unless they have satisfied these requirements.
But the first cardinal point—the NYSC orientation camp—is the center of our discussion. Come with me there!
Once you receive your NYSC call-up letter, your journey to the orientation camp begins. The state you are in, the address of the orientation camp, the date of your camp report, and other pertinent details will all be included in your call-up letter.
You will stay at the NYSC camp for 21 days. Following your 21-day stay at camp, you will be assigned to a major assignment location (2nd cardinal point).
Online Registration Date For NYSC Batch A 2024
Best Time to Report to Camp
Some people believe that it is better to report to camp on the 2nd or 3rd day after the camp official opening date, with the view that it will reduce stress. I don’t buy the idea at all.
Reporting late could deprive you of many opportunities and cause emotional trauma. Moreover, camp life is about the survival of the fittest. Also, there used to be good reservations for early birds.
Speaking from my own camp experience, I arrived at camp a day before the camp was officially opened. It helped me secure a good hostel, bunk, and mattress.
The following day, which is the official opening day, I woke up early, dressed up, and went straight to the physical verification and registration point. My registrations were smooth and seamless because I prepared for them.
My advice is for you to go to camp a day before the official camp opening date, especially if you are posted to a faraway place.
NYSC Camp experiences and what to expect
Here comes our main topic. To make it easier and simpler, I will break it into parts.
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PART One: Arriving At the NYSC Camp
Preliminary verification starts right at the NYSC entrance gate. Your NYSC call-up letter will serve as your ‘gate entry pass’. After checking your call-up letter, you will be directed to a police post, where they will check your luggage. After they clear you at the gate, they will give you a book to write down your name and a unique number.
The number is very important, as that would be used for subsequent verification. Note: Always have your documents ready and handy at every registration point to avoid embarrassment.
PART Two: Accommodation Stand
After being cleared and given a tag number, proceed to a point where you will be given a hostel and bed space. At the accommodation stand, provide the number you collected at the entrance gate.
A book will be given to you to write your name in. The serial number corresponding to your name is your bunk number; copy it out.
At this point, you would be directed to a room to pick up a mattress. After picking up a mattress, take the mattress to the corresponding bunk. If you fight another person over a bunk, the book you wrote your name in at the accommodation stand will be used to determine the real owner of the bunk.
Note: Do not expect comfort in the NYSC camp. Almost all the available mattresses are too dirty or flat, and some are even bedbug-infested. Some mattresses in the NYSC camp are up to 30 years old—much older than you can imagine!
PART Three: Physical Registration
After getting accommodation, the next thing is registration and documentation. Make sure that all the documents needed in camp are intact to avoid embarrassment. The officials will check the original of your statement of results and other required documents.
After registration, a meal ticket will be given to you. Make sure you don’t lose your meal ticket because there is no replacement. NYSC will feed you three times per day: morning, afternoon, and night.
Also, a very big tag number that will serve as your identity through your stay in camp will be given to you. They will make it look like an ID card. You are mandated to always wear the tag around your neck, even while sleeping.
The last digit on the tag indicates your platoon. i.e., 3045, 0569, 6340, etc., indicate platoon 5, platoon 9, and platoon 10, respectively. If the last digit is “0,” it’s platoon 10.
PART Four: Kit Collection and Platoon Registration
After registration, they will assign a platoon for you (the tag number indicates your platoon, as explained above). Use the last digit of your tag to identify your platoon. So, after knowing your platoon, head straight to your platoon stand for platoon registration and collection of your kits.
This can be the most annoying stage, as you are likely to be given oversized items. The shoes, khaki, etc., can be bigger or smaller than you. But if you register on time, you will have more chances of getting your size. I guess that is one of the advantages of coming to camp early.
PART Five: Bank Account Opening
Every Corps member must open a new bank account in the NYSC orientation camp for the payment of the NYSC allowance. So, make sure you go to camp with your BVN because it’s required.
Also, your name on BVN should correspond to your name on your NYSC documents. After opening an account, put on your NYSC kit immediately and run to the parade grounds.
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