Faith, Fun and Focus: How OAU Students Balance Spirituality, Studies and Campus Life

              Israel Bakare 

At Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, campus life begins early—and often on a spiritual note. By 7 a.m. on Sundays, streams of students file out of hostels toward the religious ground, while others gather quietly in corners to pray and meditate. Across Awo and Fajuyi halls, early-morning Qur’anic recitations echo softly, reflecting a campus where faith thrives alongside academic rigor.

OAU students are widely known for their academic excellence, but beyond lecture halls and libraries, many also hold firmly to their religious convictions. For them, spirituality is not a distraction from campus life—it is a stabilizing force.

“Faith helps me stay focused,” said Oluwaseyi Emmanuel, an Aerospace Engineering student. “It wasn’t easy attending church programmes and still keeping up with my academics, but I learned to read whenever I had free time and never missed tutorials.”

Like Emmanuel, many students have learned to weave spirituality into their demanding academic schedules, seeing it as a source of strength rather than pressure.

A Campus That Never Sleeps

Beyond academics and faith, OAU is equally known for its vibrant social activities. From freshers’ parties and faculty nights to hangouts, mountaineering and concerts featuring popular artists, campus life rarely goes dull.

Weekends often bring a burst of energy as students unwind from the week’s academic demands. For some, social events and sports activities provide an outlet to recharge ahead of another busy week.

“Having fun is fine,” said Samuel, a student in the Faculty of Engineering, “but when parties come before academics, it slows you down. Balance is the key.”

Finding the Middle Ground

Many students say the challenge is not choosing between faith, academics or social life, but learning how to manage all three.

Marvelous Akintola, a Law student, believes priorities shape decisions.

 “Even when you’re not attending events, that time will still be spent on something else. What matters is how you manage it.”

For others, religious fellowships offer more than spiritual nourishment.

 “My fellowship helped me with past questions, tutorials and even accommodation when I needed it, it goes beyond prayers, it is support.”

Similarly, social groups and campus circles also serve as spaces for emotional bonding, peer support and shared responsibilities beyond parties.

When Balance Is Lost

Students also warn of the consequences of excess. “Too much partying leads to missed classes, exhaustion and falling grades,” Samuel noted. “It can even affect how people perceive your seriousness.”

Over-commitment to any one area—whether social activities or spiritual engagements—can take a toll on academic performance, often resulting in what students describe as “academic accidents.”

“Parties can be time-wasting if not controlled, academics should always come first.”— Emmanuel added.

Discipline as the Anchor

For many, discipline and guidance remain the foundation of balance. Akorede Jamie, a student, emphasized the importance of planning. “A timetable helps you allocate time for everything.”

Akintola also credited family and church mentorship for helping her stay grounded. 

“We were taught to always find balance. We attend services, read our books and still have tutorials. It’s hard when you don’t have guidance, but when you do, it becomes easier.”

More Than a Trade-Off

On the OAU campus, faith, fun and focus are not competing forces. Instead, they coexist—sometimes uneasily, often harmoniously. For many students, success lies not in choosing one over the other, but in learning how to let each support the journey toward academic excellence.

At OAU, balance is not automatic. It is learned, practiced, and refined—one day, one schedule, and one decision at a time.