of Trinity University On 17th October, 2022.
Resource Person: Dr. James Ola Oni, Dip. Th. DLIS. BSc. LIS. BTh. MTh. ThD. PhD.
Vice President Trinity University, Liberia
The President, Dr. Jim W. Tornonlah,
The Associate Vice Presidents,
The College Provosts,
The Directorates Deans.
The Institutes Directors,
The Heads of Schools,
The Faculty Members,
The Campus Coordinator,
Returning and New Students,
Invited Guests, Ladies and Gentleman.
INTORDUCTION:
When I was a child, the whole wide world was only slightly bigger than I was. At first, it
was hardly more than my crib, my mother’s arms my father’s voice and the faces of my
family, friends and relatives. It was a wonderful breakthrough that entertained me for
hours on end the day I discovered my own toes.
When I learned to crawl, an exciting new world opened up to me, and when I began to
walk, the whole house became a marvelous place of things to explore. When at last I was
introduced to the great outdoors, my parents told me to stay in our yard; and only later I
was permitted to play with other children but not to cross my streets.
Then came the big day when I first went to school and entered a much larger world of
class rooms, play grounds, and friends. And I grow older, I got larger day by day and at
last I was left to seek my fortune in the even greater world of University, work and
marriage.
ALPHABETS OF A SUCCESSFUL STAY IN THE UNIVERSITY
Now that you are in the University, you need to re-orient your mind to the fact that you
are no longer in the High School; therefore 99.9% of what you are used to and do while
you were in the ordinary level of education are no longer applicable and acceptable at
your advanced level of your education.
Here, I present to you the Alphabets of a successful stay at Trinity University:
A – Attend all classes and activities as schedule by the University Authority for each of
these meetings has a contributing factor to your overall performance at the end; even after
your graduation.
B – Believe that you can make it here, regardless of the situation at hand. Underneath the
gowns of stars are scars, it’s just the gowns that cover theirs scars.
C – Concentrate on why you are here, for that is your primary objective, every other
thing that comes your way in the process is secondary.
D – Depend wholly on God for your success, and not on people. He is the God of all
flash, with him, nothing is impossible.
E – Express yourself positively when there is a need. The beginning of bad luck is the
inability to speak out.
F – Face realities always, as this will enable you to know what next to do and how to
tackle it.
G – Go for goals, don’t only be a goal setter, also be a goal getter.
H – High you should aim in your academic; as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.
I – Instructions are guidelines to guide you. A child who follows his parents’ instructions
doesn’t receive beating from his parents.
J – Justifying yourself all the time, most often put you in the bad book of your
colleagues; therefore, listen to corrections, and take corrections.
K – Knowledge is the key to survival in life, knowledge is power; and that is the
principal reason why you are. If that be the case, pursue it well and get understanding.
L – Learn how to learn here. Learning is never too late, it is a continuous process and
progressive. Take good advantage of the good learning environment and atmosphere here
at Trinity University and learn.
M – Map out strategies of how to come out with brilliant performance at the end of your
study. Your mapping should start now and not later.
N – Never procrastinate what should be done today till tomorrow. Procrastination is a
thief of time. Tomorrow might be too late.
O – Overlook some things that come your way while pursuing your academic career
here. Paying attention to everything you see on your way, may either delays you or
makes you to lose focus.
P – Put a little extra effort to the ordinary thing everyone around you is doing, for you to
become extra-ordinary among them.
Q – Quietly prepare your plans, quietly read your books, quietly study your note, quietly
text yourself; there you will quietly do exploit and quietly you will be made known
openly.
R – Ruminate not on your past and failures, failure is never final, it is just an opportunity
to do better. Every successful man once upon a time failed in life. Therefore, allow the
excitement of winning to overcome the fear of losing.
S – Seriousness is the heartbeat of success, without it, reaching one’s designated
destination might become difficult. All tasks you face here, are all serious tasks, so be
serious with them all.
T – Train yourself to be disciplined. Integrity is not on sale in any market or super store.
Your attitude towards what you do and how you do it, tells volumes of who you are. War
against indiscipline in your life and build yourself a good name which is far better than
any achievements.
U – Undermine no one around you, everyone is indeed unique and important; you can’t
tell who will be of help to you when the need arises. Treat all equally important.
V – Verify before you take decision. Take your time to take many things into
considerations before you finally come into conclusion so that you don’t regret your
action later.
W – Work hand-in-hand with the Positive Serious Result Oriented Students. Be diligent
and avoid the unserious minded ones.
X – X-ray yourself regularly; constant examining yourself will enable you to know what
type of correcting measure to apply, who to apply it, when to apply it and where to apply
it. If this is done, you will not be found wanting.
Y – You are the only you on earth, you are specially and wonderfully made by God.
Don’t belittle yourself you have great potentials in you. You have something special in
you that the entire world is waiting for. The realization of this will bring out the very
uniqueness in you for the whole wide world to see.
Z – Zoom accomplishment to your self have a constant meeting, discussion with her.
Your final goal at the University is to come out with good grades and accomplish best
results. Therefore, do your best possible to be intimate with accomplishment.
CONCLUSION
At this juncture, let me bring this message into conclusion by quoting form the Holy
Scripture, I Corinthians Chapter 13 Verse 11 “When I was a child, I speak as a child, I
understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish
things.” Now that you are in the University, you are advised to put away childish things
known with you in your High School days; begin to speak as a man, understand as a man
and on behalf of the president and his Team, I welcome you students to Trinity College
of Professional Studies. Wishing you a successful stay as you pursue your academic
programs here at Trinity University.
Thanks, and God Bless you!
Dr. James Ola Oni
Vice President
Trinity University
