Going in, I expected a friendly, cooperative atmosphere with my classmates. I pictured a calm place to learn and grow together. Clearly, I was wrong. It was a tough lesson to learn, but I won't make that mistake again.

The first time my colleagues showed their true colors was when we needed to communicate our IT schedule to the management. Most of us were in class when this was discussed, and I can assure you, this information was passed across on our class group chat. Our schedule – three days a week from 2 to 6 pm – was openly discussed, not a secret.

Imagine my surprise when, on the first day at the pharmacy, some claimed our shift was to be 9 am to 6 pm, while others insisted on a Monday-to-Friday schedule. This was a shock, considering even full-time employees even have shorter hours. Our IT supervisor had specifically outlined a three-day-a-week schedule from 2 to 6 pm so we could study and rest.

There was a time when everyone complained about the stress of juggling classes and industrial training. However, when I raised these concerns with management, my colleagues pretended the issue didn't exist. They were being sly. One person, who had voted on our group chat to address the problem went as far as claiming to know nothing about the situation. We are all adults, so why play childish and manipulative games? Well, ladies and gentlemen, because I spoke up about the unreasonable work conditions, I became the group's black sheep. I believed we were a team, but it quickly became clear that I was on my own.

The most obvious betrayal happened during our presentations. My friend was speaking when they started asking ridiculous questions, completely throwing her off. When the superintendent asked if we could hear, everyone except me claimed they couldn't. How could they possibly have heard enough to ask those stupid questions? If you're going to be wicked, at least have the guts to be honest about it.

There was another incident during a group presentation that really opened my eyes.  I was the one who did most of the work, dividing the work and even doing research for others.  On presentation day, one guy completely stole my part. He claimed his section was too short and wanted to "go the extra mile" by including mine to impress the manager, leaving me high and dry. If it was graded, I would have failed because of him.

There were times when the manager would get angry at someone, and instead of calming the situation, some of them would fan the flames. These are not strangers, we are classmates.

We were working double the hours of our mates without pay! We all complained, but somehow, in the presence of the management, some individuals would be overly enthusiastic. They'd suggest extending our workday beyond 6 pm and encourage the manager to continue teaching, effectively sabotaging our efforts to leave on time (steady “eye-service”). I was often questioned in front of my manager for leaving on time as if I was avoiding work. What exactly was the point of staying late?

I encountered typical Nollywood office drama where some colleagues would intentionally sabotage others to get ahead at my IT workplace. What would they do in a real professional setting?

The management was already toxic, and my classmates enabled them to pursue that kind of unfair treatment. They were more interested in impressing management than supporting their peers.  Despite the clear agreements we had with the management, they kept breaking them. They made us stay late even though we had agreed to stop at 6pm. They acted like we were being lazy if we wanted to go home on time, but I don't think anyone should have to suffer just to get a good job.

We have not even entered the real labour market and some of my classmates have shown to be the worst kind of coworkers to have. Some people will do anything to get ahead, even if it means sabotaging others. Their actions might seem subtle, but their goal was obvious: to get ahead by stepping on others. The vibe I got is that as far as they benefit from their wrongs, they don’t care.

If they can do so much with no pay, imagine when there is so much more involved. Ire ooo.

At the end of the day, those working only three days a week were in a better position than us. Some were even paid, unlike us.  My colleagues seemed to believe our extra effort was somehow superior, granting them special wisdom. It is ridiculous.

fin.