School Family or School Famz

-Mariam Fasasi

Who are your school family, or school famz for short? We all have that long list of people we intend to check upon. Have you been able to tick some out? Is the bond still strong?

You know, there's a difference between living and existing. And living life in its actual sense is fulfilling. There are a lot of ways to live a fulfilled and purposeful life. 

One of such ways is by Developing a Good Social Relationship

"According to a psychologist, Susan Pinker who presented some eye-opening research that shows that the answer to living a long life is not what we have always thought it to be. A study examining numerous aspects of lifestyle showed that the top two predictors of long life do not include diet, exercise, alcohol use, or even genes. The two predictors are close relationships and social integration, that is, interactions you have with other people throughout your day, like greeting your taxi driver, the person who serves you lunch, etc. This research says that interacting with others influences the chemical processes of the body, improving our health by lowering our cortisol levels and increasing the release of dopamine. Simply put, to be healthy, people need people.

Relationships are a predictor of longevity, and they are also a predictor of happiness. A study conducted by Harvard beginning in 1938 set out to understand what leads to happy and healthy lives. What this nearly 80-year-long study revealed is that “close relationships, more than money or fame, are what keep people happy throughout their lives.” The study finds that healthy relationships have a positive effect on both physical and mental health. In essence, good relationships are powerful indicators of both our quality of life and how we will age."

However, as they say, different strokes for different folks and relationships with people differ from person to person.

Recently, my coursemate sent a message to the department group that read, "you see coursemates who haven't called or texted you since the beginning of the strike. They are the ones who will forget you after graduation. They're just "school mates".

I do not understand the motive behind sharing this but of course, your coursemates are your schoolmates, and your family in school (school Famz) because you are bound by the same purpose. However, we are all prone to making our schoolmates/coursemates our friends, confidants, business partners etc.

The school environment is an avenue for students to have close relationships and social integration which the ongoing ASUU strike has denied students. Some however, have managed to keep the bond as strong as ever. Some students however due to one reason or the other haven't been able to keep up with this moral obligation to fellow students. Do we then say, these set of people do not care a bit about how others are faring? Surviving Nigeria is hectic enough. To many, this isn't an easy deal & while we appreciate those who are strong enough to include checking on their friends in their schedule, we shouldn't forget those who aren't strong enough and needs to be checked upon. Like the reply of Tunmise, a fellow coursemate, "Let's respect and understand meeting in school in good blood."

Checking on loved ones should be done out of love, not a duty to be fulfilled. And if your friend doesn't check upon you, it doesn't mean they don't wish you well. Just make sure you keep doing the work. And that you created beautiful memories when the time comes to be together, again!