Four Essential Things About Ashesi I Wish I Had Known Prior To My Admission!!

I conversed with my little sister two weeks before graduating from Ashesi University. I discussed the prospects of her attending Ashesi after Senior High School (SHS). She was excited about it because she sees me as her role model and wants to do everything I do. I told her about all I could do as an Ashesi student and how I have seen a remarkable transformation in my life. I also told her some essential things about Ashesi I wish I had known before being admitted. I graduated with Magna Cum Laude Honors (3.72 CGPA) and received the Best Entrepreneurship Student Award. However, I would have done better if I had been well-informed about the school before my admission.

Firstly, I did not know that Ashesi is a Liberal Arts School. My interviewer asked me what I wanted to do during my interview, and I told him I wanted to study accounting. My response was based on my knowledge of a typical Ghanaian University. In most Ghanaian Universities, Business Administration Students major in one or two business fields in their junior year (level 300). However, Ashesi is entirely different. As a Business Administration student, I took an IT and Programming course and did Africana courses covering Politics, Policy-making, Foreign Aid, Religion, History and African Literature. I also took Design Thinking, Entrepreneurship and Leadership courses ranging from ethical to servant leadership. My performances in some of these courses were not good because they were novel to me. I was unprepared for them, especially with the IT and Programming course. Nevertheless, these various courses have equipped me holistically because I have become knowledgeable in different fields. Although I initially wanted to become an accountant, I have developed a passion for finance and social entrepreneurship.

Secondly, I wish I knew that familiarity with computer usage is a plus to succeed in Ashesi. Like most students from underprivileged backgrounds, I had no prior experience with a computer until Ashesi. This affected me immensely in my first semester because I struggled to complete most of my assignments. Almost every course I took in my first semester required me to perform some tasks using a computer. For the first time, I felt everything was against me. I doubted my abilities. I questioned myself several times because I thought I was not good enough to succeed in Ashesi. I cried on countless occasions. I had my worst GPA that semester (3.13) and worst grade (C+) in the Introduction to Computing and Information Systems course. Fortunately, that experience enhanced my resilience level. I was determined to do everything needed to succeed because I was a scholar, and I must prove to my scholarship provider that I was worth the support. I went the extra mile to ensure I acquired primary computer usage skills by the end of the semester. I also met some good people who helped me figure out some basic things about computers (a good thing about Ashesi is that most people are willing to help you succeed regardless of your background). I must admit that my performance would have been abysmal if I hadn't gotten a support system on campus at the time.

Thirdly, I wish I knew that working in groups is the norm in Ashesi. As someone from a typical Ghanaian public SHS, the last thing you will think of is to work in teams. Throughout my three years of SHS education, I never had group activities. Unlike the Senior Hugh School, where all academic activities are done individually, I was put in groups in almost all the courses I took at Ashesi. I struggled to associate well with my colleagues in my first semester because I saw most of them as more outspoken and intelligent than me. I was given low rates for most of my peer evaluations.

Nonetheless, I got used to working with people in the subsequent semesters. I started finding my voice as I could contribute to class discussions and team meetings. I took the initiative to schedule group meetings, check on other group members and communicate with my lecturers and faculty interns. I also started study group discussions with colleagues, which immensely helped me. So, a good thing about Ashesi University is that you will learn everything as long as you are ready and willing.

Lastly, I wished I knew that nearly half of the lecturers and staff at Ashesi are either Whites or have foreign accents. I had two lecturers with an American accent in my Foundations of Design and Entrepreneurship (FDE) class. I missed most of what they said in class because I could not follow them attentively. Similarly, I had an American as my lecturer for my Written and Oral Communication (WOC) class. I often asked my sitting partners what she said whenever she gave us oral tasks. Participating in those classes was challenging because I hardly heard what my lecturers said. Over time, I got used to listening to and learning from lecturers with a foreign accents. But my performance had already been affected in the previous semesters.

Conclusively, I had great experiences at Ashesi. Everything did not go as smoothly as I wished, but all the experiences have built resilience and shaped me into the great leader I am today.