INSTIGATIONAL TALK TOUR AMONGST SELECTED SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN UGBOKOLO, OKPOKWU LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, BENUE STATE : GOAL GETTING AND GOAL SETTING
BY
CORPER ONI GBOTEMI JERRY
BN/18C/0090

I embarked on a series of talk tour at the beginning of the third term 2018/2019 Session and it encompassed selected secondary schools in Ugbokolo as part of my CDS efforts and also in a bid to make the most of the moments in my service year. The schools include;
Ebute Memorial Secondary School, Ugbokolo.
Christ Redeemer's College, Okpafie and
St. James Secondary School, Odessasa-Ugbokolo in Okpokwu Local Government, Benue State.

The focus/theme was GOAL SETTING AND GOAL GETTING and I will be speaking in the light of this shortly.

Good morning students,....Good morning Sir..... trust you are doing great as usual......Great Nigerian Students...... Greatttttttt!!!....Are you good to go....Good to go.....Good to go....Good to go Sir... Alright Thank you...I love you guys so much....You are very smart....You are the best.

To begin with what is a goal??...A goal is simply what you set out to achieve with a specific time frame. A goal is popularly defined with respect with the acronym....SMART....S---Specific , M--- Measurable, A----Achievable/Attainable, R--Realistic, T------Time-bound.

Let's digress a bit to put this in perspective. Your teachers are usually magnanimous to give you an invisible 100% on the columns for the subjects on the report card(dossier) at the inception of every term/session, unfortunately most times at the end of the term, we often discover that we fall short or far below expectation. What went wrong.....There is just one thing we most likely lost the battle to in the long run which is *consistency*. But no matter how the 1st and 2nd term had been for you, give thanks to God and look forward to better times/days in this 3rd term.

The absolute truth is that you cannot afford to live your life at this phase/stage haphazardly nor markedly with inconsistencies and incongruities. Success itself is/can be very predictable but what should you do to get it right....

(1)It is important that you become correct by beginning to set goals and evaluate yourself as occasion demands. Don't just set goals in your mind, you must write your goals down to reality, state clearly the subjects you are offering and your target scores(goals) respectively and place where you will see it sharply at a glance, this will greatly fuel and push you hard to achieving your goals. I have imbibed this and hav since paid off big time.

(2)Change your belief systems, mindset, ideology; you and your results/grades to a reasonable extent, as an outcome/outflow of your thoughts/perceptions/reflections....Until your mind is changed,renewed and upgraded, nothing will change about your life and academics generally.

(3)Understand your personality: study and understand how your body, make up operates/functions. Don't copy anyone...Be yourself...You are not a photocopy...Know and note the conditions/atmosphere under which your assimilation rate is fastest and stick to it.

(4)Choose your friends wisely: look for friends who will challenge and spur you to achieving your goals. Friends who are not satisfied with mediocrity but hunger for excellence.

(5)Change your habits where necessary: Identify habits that limit you from achieving your goals and drop them.....and as soon as you drop them, consciously pick up new/correct ones

(6) This is even more crucial and expedient because quite a number of us actually set goals but we still end up not achieving them at a reasonable degree because they are just too cumbersome.

If you will ever be consistent to the end that you achieve the goals in this third term. You must organize/write your goals into phases and bits. Break these goals which you hope to achieve into bits/phases and set your priority right each day with high level discipline. Also, evaluate yourself on a regular basis as you progress further. If you can meticulously adopt this, you will look/check back at the end of the term and be very glad you did...

Reward yourself when you eventually you get the goals you set out and if you failed don't punish yourself or feel bad at all..There is a room for improvement.. It is never occupied by anyobe, it is solely for you. Identify why you missed the goal and work towards averting/avoiding such next time.....
Better Days Ahead...

Thank you for your attention.

SENSITIZATION TALK ON EFFECT OF PEER PRESSURE ON YOUNG PERSONS IN UGBOKOLO COMMUNITY, OKPOKWU LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, BENUE STATE
ORGANIZED BY
NYSC EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CDS GROUP,
UGBOKOLO
Thursday, 4th July 2019

PRESENTED BY
Corper ONI GBOTEMI JERRY
BN/18C/0090

Good morning students, We give thanks and glory to God for the opportunity given us to share our thoughts with you. We also appreciate the leadership and management of St. Peter Secondary School for this noble platform. I charge you to be very serious about the session, we are about to go into. I need your rapt attention and I trust you will give me. I will be speaking quickly on the theme.
Effect Of Peer Pressure On Young Persons : Focus on Career, Morals and Health
First of all, what is peer pressure? Can anyone help us with that....Alright ..Thank you. According to Wikipedia, Peer pressure is the social influence a peer group exerts on its individual members, as each member attempts to conform to the expectations of the group. Peer pressure is the direct influence on people by peers, or the effect on an individual who gets encouraged to follow their peers by changing their attitudes, values or behaviors to conform to those of the influencing group or individual. Peer pressure has moved from strictly face-to-face interaction to digital interactions as well. Social media offers opportunities for youth and young adults alike to instill and experience everyday.

Positive Effects of Peer Pressure


While negative peer pressure gets way more news time, it is not the only peer pressure that affects teens(youths). Youths that surround themselves with positive people can also see the effects. Iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. Proverbs 27:17
• Having positive friends will boost confidence and self-esteem.
• Improved academic performance
• Family life can also improve with positive peer pressure.
• Peers set plenty of good examples for each other.
• Feedback and advice: Your friends listen and give you feedback as you try out new ideas, explore belief, and discuss problems.
• Peers often give each other good advice and also help in making right decisions.
• Peers group gives you opportunities to try out new social skills :studying together, encourage each other to join an extracurricular activity that does not promote using drugs or engaging in risky behaviors.


Negative Effects of Peer Pressure

When thinking of peer influence, what comes readily to mind for most people is negative peer pressure. Be not deceived, Evil communication corrupts good manners. I Corinthians 15:33.

• Negative peer pressure can be detrimental to self-esteem, influence clear decision-making, and increase stress. It can also cause Insomnia, Irritability, mood changes, Depression, Anxiety, Eating disorders.
• Peer pressure has been discovered to be the major causes of teenage pregnancy, (drug) addiction and theft.
• Taking drugs (abuse and overdose), smoking cigarettes, cutting classes, vandalizing, and stealing. participation in high-risk health behaviors, including smoking cigarettes, alcohol use, marijuana use, and engagement in illicit sexual and risky behaviors could result in death, accidents. Drinking alcohol while you are underage can land you in jail. Smoking is very addictive and can result in lung cancer.
• Negative peer pressure can influence you into making wrong career choices.
• Negative peer pressure influence peers to indulge in exam malpractices, truancy (lower school attendance), drop grades.
• It can also result in very tense relationship with parents, truancy, Health issues such as sexually transmitted diseases(STDs)..


PRACTICAL WAYS OF MANAGING PEER PRESSURE

• Turn to God for help, grace, courage & wisdom in managing pressure from your peers.
• Plan for possible pressure situations.
• Move with friends/peers who are pursuing the same career path with you and that are diligent and courageous enough to shun exam malpractice .
• Desist from friends/peers that indulge in poor healthful habits, hygiene and addiction/abuse.
• Decide ahead of time and even rehearse what you'll say and do. Learn a few tricks. Learn to feel comfortable saying "no."
• Choose friends who will speak up with you when you're in need of moral support, and be quick to speak up for a friend in the same way. Change the class of friends, you associate with when expedient.
• If a situation seems dangerous, don't hesitate to get an adult's help.
• Joining the FCS Fellowship, Quiz & Debate Team, Boys or Girls Club, Jet Club etc will help improve your self-confidence, listening and thinking skills. You can also start one if nonexistent.

It’s time to take a stand because you and I make up the society, it’s time to tell the society that each of us is unique and that we were not created to be the same, rather we influence ourselves and the society at large positively.Thank you for your attention.

A SENSITIZATION TALK ON CAREER CHOICES FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN UGBOKOLO COMMUNITY, OKPOKWU LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, BENUE STATE
PRESENTED BY
ONI OLUWAGBOTEMI JERRY
Good morning students, trust you are doing fine. Please be serious about the session, we are about to go into. I need your rapt attention and I know you will give me. We will be talking about our career choices very quickly. What do you understand by career? Before we continue let's establish that our first priority in life must always be to develop an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. Only then will your career and choices matter. This is the basis for finding God's will for your career.
God has created you with the aptitude for particular skills and abilities and with the inclination towards particular interests. Your design is the most important factor to consider in making career choices. To make good career choices, you must have a thorough knowledge of your personality, skills, interests, strengths, values, abilities.
MIRROR: Who am I? What interests/fascinates me? What am I especially good at? What makes me different?
COMPASS: Who do I want to be? What career options do I have?
MAP: How do I get there?
VEHICLE: carriers/means of getting there?
It is our utmost desire/ heart cry that you don't make the same mistakes some of us made by discovering your career early enough. Choose & list out a lot of careers and explore them in a detailed manner. Know & find out the requirements and narrow down and select best career.
Conduct & Search for further information
> Ask questions from people, seek advice, obtain guidance (mentorship)
> Visit the internet to explore opportunities.
> Go to the field (training).
Make your career choice and be informed. Be dynamic and open to new and emerging career paths. However, before career you need to pass your exams, you need to qualify. It is your responsibility to use your God-given minds to learn how to make good career choices. Wishing you good success. Thank you for your attention.