By Namusia Weku

I was once walking in town when I noticed something in front of me. There were two friends walking together when one of them noticed his ally from the opposite direction and he went to greet his mutual friend. What struck me is that he was only friends with one of them making the other friend stand awkwardly with them as he waited for his friend to finish exchanging greetings so that they could continue with their journey to their desired destination.

It’s not uncommon to see this in many streets in our country especially. No introduction and no courtesy to regard the third party or third wheeler if you may. Etiquette is then referred to as the conventional rules of personal behaviour in a polite society, usually in ethical codes that delineate the expected and accepted social behaviours that accord with the norms observed in the society. Etiquette varies with different cultures and societies all over the world. In our country Kenya, we have a set of rules that govern the citizens to conduct themselves in a certain way that is acceptable in the society.

Over time, the new generation has borrowed a lot of western cultures and abandoned some of the traditions that were termed good and decent and in so doing etiquette has either been borrowed or disregarded completely.

What if we’ve lost our etiquette as a society? What’s next for us? There is not much to gain when one lacks etiquette. The little things matter and it is those things that make an individual. We must go back to our roots and look into the things we’re missing.

The aspect of respect and good demeanour is a very important in the society we live in that’s why today’s generation is termed rude and ignorant. Take care of your etiquette and situations around you will take care of themselves.

By Catherine Kasela
Time is a very important factor in the life of a human being. But for a student time is a factor that cannot be wasted because it is extremely important. From attending classes, meeting assignment deadlines and partying students juggle with a lot and time is limited. So, to ensure that a student gets all these work done good time management is the key. Managing time can be done in different ways:

• Using breaks wisely. Breaks are important because they help us reenergize and take a breather from any activity that we are doing. As a student utilizing breaks wisely comes with an advantage. During breaks, a student can use that time to read ahead of the lecturer as he she looks forward to the next class or go through what you already learnt in the previous class. A student can also utilize his or break time to do assignments. This way the assignment load becomes less and they are able to do something important with their time.
• Create a to-do list. A to do list is list that shows which activities are to be done and their designated time. This is also another great way that can help a student manage time. A to-do list serves as a guidance on what to be done and at what time. As a student creating a to do list can be very helpful in managing time.
• Tackling small tasks is also another way of managing time. Sometimes a lot of assignments can be hectic especially if the deadlines are too close. But tackling small tasks of the assignment can be helpful because it reduces the workload and you do not have to rush during the last minute to complete the assignment. Tackling small tasks can be very helpful in managing time in that a student get to save time doing tackling one task at a time.

Students should learn how to plan and manage their time wisely because time wasted is never recovered.

By Njoroge Chege

All work and no play make Jack a dull boy, they say. A lot of labor is involved in being a student at USIU-Africa. Assignments, projects, presentations, quizzes, exams, and much more must all be completed with strict deadlines.

A full-time university student attends classes for about 12-16 hours weekly. A student may have minor, or no time left to think of any new activity to consider if they are focused on maintaining a good GPA at the end of the semester.

In this day and age, instead of enjoying the learning process, education and information acquisition have more recently become competitive endeavors that are all about the GPA and not about understanding and application of the knowledge acquired.

There is always pressure from parents, lecturers, and classmates to support this problem. Instead of students striking a balancing act between their academics and talents, they are more focused and concerned about winning the academic race, AKA good grades.

Unfortunately, this ends up causing an imbalance since there is a life beyond academics. On the other side, we have other students -those who are heavily immersed in extracurricular activities that they fail to understand the value of academics, and the fact that a balance must be struck between academic and extracurricular activities.
For those struggling to strike this crucial balance, read the interview with Ms. Mkenda, a USIU-Africa student who has been on the Dean’s List for the past two years for some practical tips you can apply for yourself.

Chege: How are you able to balance your extracurricular activities and still maintain a 3.5 GPA or above?
Ms. Mkenda: I have to say that time management is the best-kept secret of high achievers. I rarely procrastinate since I just have a well-defined timetable for my studies and my yoga/kickboxing workout. Also, I’m very clear about where I’ve come from, why I am here in Kenya, and my parent's expectations of me.

Chege: Whoa! Interesting. What would you say is your best time to study and your best time to work out?
Ms. Mkenda: I love studying at night when it's completely quiet at the Qwetu Hostel. If the place is too noisy, I can easily study with my earphones on with “slow” background music, especially when all I need to do is review my work.

When I need a deep understanding of a topic, I prefer studying at the library since I can easily zone out without any disruption. I love to use my weekends to catch up or get ahead with my studies. When it comes to my working out, I just get started as soon as I get to the gym. I rarely chitchat, and if I do, I keep it as brief as I can.

Chege: Do you have a workout partner, or do you prefer working out by yourself?
Ms. Mkenda: I prefer to work out by myself.

Chege: How about studying? Do you like to study by yourself, or do you have a study partner?
Ms. Mkenda: I love having a combination of both- personal study and group study. I like group study for the course text material and course outline review since I tend to get a broad overview of the content and my expectations at the end of the semester, but I like studying the Blackboard content (lecturers’ notes) by myself.

Chege: What are the barriers to striking a balance between extracurricular activities and academics among university students?
Ms. Mkenda: Lack of an understanding that extracurricular activities require your interest while academics call for a different level of dedication. Understand that they are called “extra” curricular activities since they are activities you add to your main agenda while keeping in mind that they should come after your studies.

Explore your interests, but be cautious that they do not interfere with the regular academic tasks that you have to complete. Make a strict schedule and stick to it, and everything will work out.

By Anena Cynthia Treasure

Pickpocketing is defined as the action of stealing from one’s pockets. It is a form of deviant behavior and yet some children find themselves pickpocketing for a living. Most of these young people pickpocketing are living on the street. According to research there are 6000 young people living on the street of Nairobi and this number is growing.

Pickpocketing is as old as society, and we have been fighting this deviant behavior for ages. In Kenya, pickpockets rarely go to jail for pickpocketing but most often find themselves pleading for mercy in the hands of boda boda or an angry mob.

The public is encouraged to take preventative actions listed below to prevent being pickpocketed:

• Make sure to keep your wallet in the front pocket to keep it close.
• Wrap a rubber band around your wallet to feel it being pulled out of your pocket by would-be thieves.
• Hide your wallet in a secret or hidden pocket if you have one.
• Avoid reaching through your wallet to count money.
• Carry a fake wallet in your back pocket to trick thieves.
• Choose a wallet with complex pockets.
• Shorten the straps of your bag to keep it close to you.
• Don’t put your bag the next sit, hold it. Fanny packs are recommended.
• Avoid using your phone openly in a busy street.
• Only carry valuables that you need for the day.

I challenge all of us to think about the solutions to pickpocketing exhaustively. In my sociology class on deviant behavior, we study crime and why people commit crime. We do this by interrogating the theories that help explain criminal behavior.

There are some theories that picked my interest for example the “two-path theory and Neurological theory of crime.” These are biological theories of crime, and they focus on how brain development, brain injury and the process of socialization plays a role in building criminals.

If we look critically at pickpocketing by street children with the lens of the two theories mentioned above, then it is clear that these children may not be mentally sound. As a society, we need to ask ourselves critical questions on the general wellbeing and mental health of these street children in order to avert potential incidents and tackle existing societal problems like pickpocketing.

By Candy Margaret Vizengwa

First off, let me apologize for the seemingly vicious wordings that might confuse anyone who’s not been fully Initiated into the world of debating. The title is obviously ‘So you think you can Debate,’ If you have an eye for it.

But just how much do people know about debating? As a USIU-Africa student, how much do you know about SADS (Spoken Arts and Debate Society)? Did you know that there is an active Debate society within USIU-Africa in the first place? The spoken arts aspect can exist on its own, but we’ll particularly dive into the debate bit of it today.

My personal experience about Debating and USIU-Africa’s Debating Society would be very biased, as you can tell, because I am a debater. As I was starting out, my second debating experience with SADS got me into the semi-finals at an open tournament that gives at novice debaters the platform to compete just as much as experienced debaters do. My partner and I major in two different fields, but the beauty of debating is having good team dynamics. Every win is encouraging, if you ask me, because individual growth is part of the process.

Trainings are offered on a schedule shared to the interested students everyone is acquainted with their respective debate styles based on who they are and their strengths. Everyone who has done a debate round, even once, would agree that debating tends to be addictive. This is due to the spirit of competition and the drive to win that seems to be inborn in all debaters. The SADS community never seems to be falling short of this.

With achievements, both as a Society and as individual debaters, the wins keep piling up. Just the other weekend, the society successfully hosted the Ikenga Tournament that brought together debaters from other institutions like Kenyatta University. The Society boasts of producing the best speakers and debate adjudicators that would compete on the global map. Still in the spirit of competition, SADS produced the best speaker and third best judge at the July Mashujaa Tournaments hosted by Strathmore University. Winning these tournaments is a way of making use of the elitism that comes with being a part of the Society.

How then do you benefit as a USIU-Africa SADS elite? For one, you would not just be an elite on campus, you would be an international guru and a lifelong elite. The speaking skills you would acquire as a debater would require a whole article about them. The topics debate rounds touch on a lot, from International Relations, Religion, Economics, matters Environment, LGBTQ+ and other controversial topics, you name it.

You also get the experience of ‘Education to take you places,’ as you get to travel and win more trophies, medals and elite status. You have the chance to interact with other great debaters within the debate circle through the travels. You get to participate in more training opportunities and cafes offered by Kenya National Debate Council just by virtue of being a SADS debater. You get the opportunity to speak out your mind, without any judgement!

SADS is proud to abide by the ‘Zero Discrimination’ rule. International debate tournaments, both within and outside Africa, like World Universities Debate Championships (WUDC), Olympia, EAUDC, PAUDC (Which would be hosted in Nairobi in December!) among others should be enough to spike the debate fire within you as a potential master debater. Debating is an art but once you master it, it feels great to be the artist. The time is now!

On Monday October 9, digital strategist Mark Kaigwa and Kenyan YouTuber Aurthur Mandela (also known as Xtian Dela) engaged graduate and undergraduate students of communication in a forum dubbed “AMA” (Ask Me Anything) held at the Lecture Theater 5 in the Science Center, courtesy of Assistant Professor of Journalism and Mass Communication Dr. Lucy Gichaga.
Mr. Kaigwa, the founder of Nendo - a strategy & storytelling consultancy for digital Africa - gave a talk on ‘Uncovering the uniqueness of social media in the African context’ where he emphasized on the audience being the first determinant of what social media platform to use and proposed POST (People, Objective, Strategies and technology) as a roadmap in developing a social media strategy.
Mr. Kaigwa was listed as one of Forbes Africa’s 30 under 30 Best Young Entrepreneurs in Africa in 2013. “The default device in Africa is the mobile phone where a population of only 350 million has access to the internet,” he said.
Mr. Mandela, who in his words ‘bumped into social media’, shared his journey to fame through social media and also imparted advice on how to build a brand, emphasizing on the importance of being relevant offline and making offline relationships worthwhile.
“The best place to network is at events,” he said as he encouraged his audience to offer free business services to gain brand visibility, as well as the need for consistency in order to develop one’s brand.
Mr. Mandela has won several awards including the Best Twitter Personality in Africa in 2015, the Best Facebook profile in Africa in 2016 and the second Most Influential Twitter Personality in Africa in the Africa Bloggers Awards.

By Michelle Oyiolo

As I sit here, fresh from my graduation, I can't help but look back on the transformative journey that brought me to this moment. My four-year stint at this university has been nothing short of remarkable, marked by numerous challenges, unwavering support, and personal growth.

The first time I visited USIU-Africa was on August 11, 2018. My sister was graduating with an MBA and we attended the commencement ceremony. I looked at the graduating class as they received their degrees. Everybody looked smart and focused, like they knew what they wanted and weren’t afraid to go for it and I knew that I wanted to be a part of that. I turned to my mother and said, “I’m going to go here one day.”

Sure enough, in 2019, I embarked on my university adventure, brimming with aspirations. However, beneath that enthusiasm lurked a formidable adversary: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The transition to university life was fraught with obstacles, and I found myself struggling to balance academics and emotional well-being. The constant battle with my own mind, the self-doubt, and the feeling of never quite measuring up weighed me down. I always felt like I was lagging behind my fellow students and needed to put in more effort to keep up.

As time went on, I made two of the most crucial decisions of my life: I visited the university counseling center and joined the gym. These steps were a turning point, a lifeline extended to me in the sea of self-doubt and uncertainty. The counselors provided a safe space where I could candidly discuss my struggles, offering invaluable guidance and coping strategies with no judgment. They taught me the importance of self-compassion and mindfulness, tools I carry with me to this day. On the other hand, joining the gym was a transformative decision that not only improved my physical health but also gave me a means of quieting the thoughts racing through my head. The gym became my sanctuary, a place where I could refocus and regain my energy. It gave me a sense of accomplishment that can be hard to find elsewhere.

In the midst of my university journey, the world faced an unprecedented challenge - the global pandemic. The COVID-19 outbreak drastically altered the landscape of education, as universities transitioned to virtual learning environments. This sudden shift to online classes brought its own set of challenges. Staying motivated and focused in the isolation of a virtual classroom was a new test of determination and resilience but I had a lot of support from my fellow students, with whom I shared a lot of late nights and online study groups just to get by.

In 2022, my world took a devastating turn when my father was diagnosed with cancer. The news was a profound shock, and I found myself struggling to balance the demands of my studies with being there for my family. As his condition worsened, I had to confront the looming reality of his eventual passing. In 2023, he left this world, and I lost not just a father but a pillar of support.

Amidst the trials and tribulations, my university experience was enriched by the wonderful people I met along the way. Lifelong friendships were forged, and it was their unwavering support that carried me through the darkest days. Together, we navigated the complexities of academia and life, sharing both laughter and tears.

As I reflect on my journey, I can wholeheartedly say that joining USIU-Africa was the best decision I made in my life. This is more than just an institution of higher learning; it's a supportive community, a world of opportunity, a home. It’s a place that welcomes you and allows you space and time to discover who you are and where you want to go in life. It’s played a pivotal role in my journey towards becoming the person I am today.

Though my path to graduation was far from conventional, marred by adversity and loss, it is precisely those experiences that have shaped me into the person I am today. I am a testament to the power of resilience, the importance of reaching out for help, and the invaluable role of personal connections in our lives. It’s been a true privilege to study at the United States International University-Africa.

By Juliet Wangui Maina

The never ending dilemma between fun nights and school days in USIU-Africa grows with each passing week during a semester. While its known that weekends are from Friday and for working people sometimes Saturday, it has become tradition in USIU-Africa for weekends to start on Thursday. Freshmen introduced to the entire idea first think it quite strange that this is an obvious party night in not only the local joints around school but in other clubs and pubs.

While this is perfectly fine and the adjustments the students have made to fit within the schedules are working in relation to the students’ commendable grades, shouldn’t we also consider the freshmen and students who might find it hard to cope with it all? More specifically what could be the next step that students could take in order to curb the issue?

Interviews with students show that most believe that the best response to the issue would be individual, that the affected students should endeavor to grow out of being ‘yes’ men and create better futures for themselves.

Do Thursday party nights have a solution or rather, do they need a solution?

Students went on to argue the fact that having Thursday nights set aside for parties does more harm than good in relation to the academic stress collected during the week. It is a means of letting loose when everything seems held up and tight, they say.

While the argument could go on over and over again about being responsible for yourself and asking for help when needed, the decision made will ultimately affect the growth of the student fraternity.

By Stevens Muendo

Award winning fashion blogger and PR guru Lucia Musau and BBC correspondent Sheila Kimani were among those that graduated at the United States International University (USIU) on Saturday.

Lucia graduated with a Masters in Business Administration and Sheila a Masters in Communication in the institution’s 40th such ceremony.

Sheila is a former Pulse and SDE writer, while Lucia has been vocal in shaping up the fashion and showbiz industry across East Africa.

She is also an international fashion blogger, who has been all over the world for her travel passion.

“The media industry is evolving fast and one needs the knowledge to be updated with innovations and trends,” she added.

“This will help me enhance my career. I thank God for the success,” said Sheila.

Also graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication was Pulse writer Tracy Gesare.

By Anena Cynthia Treasure

Welcome to the Fall Semester and I hope you are excited for another ride of experiences. I thought about writing something for the start of the semester and after much thought I finally settled on unintended consequences of university. If you are new to the school, this article would be a good place to start. What do I mean by unintended consequences of university? I will give you a sociological answer.

In sociology, every institution has two functions: Manifest functions (intended consequences) and latent functions (unintended consequences). Manifest functions are the most basic functions that is expected outcomes from university for example graduating with a good GPA. The opposite of manifest functions is latent functions, the unexpected outcomes for example self-management, meeting the love of your life, making meaningful connections, expanding your cultural view, developing a lifestyle, time management, hard work, honesty, among others.

It's been three years for me here at USIU-Africa and I’ve learned so much, which I highlight in detail below:
Intercultural relations/ creating meaningful connections. If you leave USIU-Africa without this skill, then you haven’t utilized your tuition to the fullest. Intercultural relations are a skill you teach yourself when you get here. There so many people from different cultures and backgrounds, it’s up to you to form those connections.

Leadership. I’ve been class representative and club leader for two clubs, Speak-Up and Journalism clubs and I can say I’ve grown as a leader while holding these positions. With class leadership, I have learnt the critical skill of managing people. On top of learning how to communicate with your lecturers and classmates, and building a good reference for your CV, you also get some additional marks to your grade. As a club leader, I have learnt how to draft proposals, take meeting minutes, come up with a budget, draw up club activities for the semester, and sharpen my communication skills.

Confidence. I grew up shy and as life passed, I made a decision to work upon it. Participating in Mr. and Miss USIU pageant was just the beginning. Throughout the competition, I built my confidence. Nobody is born confident. Confidence is a skill that must be built and consistently nourished for it to become second nature.

Teamwork and hard work. There is no class you are going to finish alone. I mean to say there are people going to contribute to your final grade. Through class presentations and group work. Trust me, this is where you will meet different characters, the determined ones, and the lazy ones. Pray to God, your lecturer lets you choose your teammates otherwise if you land in a group with lazy people, don’t be afraid to hand over their names to your lecturer because you will be saving everyone including that lazy person. Finally, you must love the hard work, you have no choice but to!

Resilience. Resilience is one thing university is going to teach you. In all areas of your life, the relationships, and academics. Relationships will form and get broken in this place so do not break in the process. Academics will put your brain to the test with a lot of stress so don’t break when you feel overwhelmed. Carry resilience with you wherever you go.

Financial Intelligence. The most important unintended consequence is financial intelligence. You will learn how to manage your money from here. Whatever you do, be smart with your money. Do not borrow money from friends and fail to pay back. Also, there many negative unintended consequences that may arise but be wise we cannot avoid negative experiences because it’s where the learning happens.

Have a lovely semester, this is your journey, so get as many experiences as you can!