As deadline draws near: Prospecting students in mad rush to register for UB admission.

The University of Buea, which hosts students from all ten regions of the country, is expected to close it files for undergraduate admission on August 30.

Prior to this close, students from Buea and its surrounding environs as well as those from other regions, seeking admission have been flooding the desks of documentation workers to get their admission procedures done.

This mad rush has resulted in the students waiting for long periods because of the queues of students who come for the registration process.

“I have been waiting for hours,” said Motoko Joseph, a prospecting student seeking admission.

“I have to bear the stress because I really want to be registered,” he added.

On her part, Bih Calister, another student, said: “I love the way studies are done here in the University of Buea. That is why I have made up my mind not to retire home until I am done with the admission process”.

Students from other regions seeking admission into the University of Buea have also been bearing the brunt of the mad rush. 

“I arrived Buea on Sunday August 25 and since then I have been seeking direction on where to do my registration. I don’t want to fall into the hands of scammers. That is why I am taking all my time,” Funwi Innocent from the North West Region, said.

Despite the university having an online registration platform, where such registration can be done, lack of mastery for the registration process and the desire to explore the university campus, are advanced by some high school leavers as the reasons that have driven them down to Buea.

“I chose to come here myself to do my registration because I want to familiarise myself with the university campus. This is to enable me know most of the amphitheaters and other offices before school resumes,” Malonga Claudvis, from Kumba, stated 

Another prospecting student, Mbayi Precious, said: “I don’t know how to do the registration on the online platform of the university. I hear if your passport size photograph does not appear well you may not be accepted. That is why I came myself to have it done here in Buea”.

The University of Buea being the first Anglo-Saxon university in the country, has, over the years, proven to be “a place to be” as it has built for itself a strong reputation of academic excellence.

“UB has a high level of academic excellence. I know that if I am admitted, I will be able to learn from the best and prepare for a successful career,” Lummoh Glory propounded.

While documentation centre in the university area have been making brisk business because of the mad rush of prospecting students seeking admission into UB, the workers of the documentation centre are facing some pressure and difficulties.

A worker of a documentation centre in Molyko, Buea, Ashi Akwo, said: “The last minute registration is not easy on us too. Some of the students come with low points seeking admission for programmes which are above their points. We have to take out time to start orientating them”.

Corroborating Ashi Akwo, another documentation worker, Itoe Jonas, said: “Some of them do not even know the programmes they want to get into. Rather than focusing on the admission and make as much money for the day as possible, we divert to start guiding them on what to do. It is really frustrating but, we also have passed through the process, so I have no choice but to help them”.

Despite the challenges these students suffer in these last days of admission for undergraduate programmes in the University of Buea, many of them are optimistic that they will get admitted. Others, however, wish the deadline could be extended. 

By Cyprain Bekhali (Journalism student on internship) 

This story was first published in The Guardian Post issue No:3212 of Wednesday August 28, 2024