Cultural Shocks You May Experience at Covenant University

Every university has its own way of doing things. Some differences are small, while others can completely change what a student expects university life to look like.

For students coming to Covenant University for the first time, some of the university's rules and traditions may come as a surprise. From the way students dress to what they can bring into their hostels and how they are expected to conduct themselves, Covenant University has a structured campus culture that students are expected to understand and follow.

Here are some of the cultural shocks that may stand out to a new Covenant University student.

1. Female Students Can Wear Trousers, But There Are Rules

One assumption some people may have about Covenant University is that female students are not allowed to wear trousers. However, the university's dress code does allow female students to wear trousers in certain circumstances.

The Student Handbook states that female students may wear trouser suits, but the jacket must extend below the hipline. It also refers to loose trousers as part of acceptable corporate dressing.

However, this does not mean that every type of trouser is allowed. Jeans and jeans-like materials are prohibited, and clothing that is excessively tight or body-hugging is also prohibited.

So, yes, trousers are allowed, but there is a Covenant way of wearing them.

Reference:

https://www.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/downloads/Student-handbook-Feb-2020.pdf

2. Corporate Dressing Is a Normal Part of Student Life

For many students, one of the first noticeable differences at Covenant University is the dress code.

Students are expected to dress corporately for lectures, examinations, University assemblies and Chapel services. For female students, this can include a skirt and blouse, skirt suit, smart dress or an appropriate trouser suit. Male students are expected to wear corporate shirts, trousers, neckties and covered shoes for formal academic activities.

The university also prohibits jeans on campus.

This means that the question of “What am I wearing to class today?” can be a little different at Covenant.

References:

https://www.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/downloads/Student-handbook-Feb-2020.pdf

https://admissions.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/ten-things-to-know-about-cu/

3. The University Has a Specific Rule About Hair

Hair is another area where Covenant University's rules may surprise new students.

The Student Handbook states that female students are expected to maintain moderate and neat hairstyles. It also prohibits coloured hair and coloured attachments.

Male students have their own hair regulations. The University's dress-code guidelines state that treated hair and certain hairstyles are not permitted for male students.

For someone coming from a university where students can freely change their hairstyles and hair colours, this can be an adjustment.

Reference:

https://www.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/downloads/Student-handbook-Feb-2020.pdf

4. Your Phone Is Not Treated Like an Ordinary School Essential

This is probably one of the biggest surprises for someone who has never experienced Covenant University before.

The university's undergraduate admissions page states that cell phones are prohibited. Students can, however, bring devices such as laptops, tablets and cameras, provided they are not SIM-enabled phones.

For a generation that uses phones for communication, entertainment, photography, banking, social media and even academic work, this rule can feel particularly unusual.

Imagine going through your normal university day without having your smartphone in your pocket. That is one of the adjustments a new student may have to make.

Reference:

https://admissions.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/ten-things-to-know-about-cu/

5. Chapel Is Part of the University Experience

Covenant University is a Christian university, and its Christian identity is reflected in campus life.

The university's official materials identify spirituality as one of its core values. Chapel services are also part of the university's student experience, and the Student Handbook contains rules concerning Chapel attendance and conduct.

For students coming from universities where religious activities are mostly optional, the place of Chapel within Covenant's structured campus life may feel different.

References:

https://covenantuniversity.edu.ng/about-us/overview/about

https://www.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/downloads/Student-handbook-Feb-2020.pdf

6. There Are Rules About How Students Interact

University is often associated with meeting new people, making friends and forming relationships. At Covenant University, however, student interactions are guided by specific rules.

The Student Handbook contains regulations concerning interactions between male and female students and the expected conduct of students within the university community.

This means that social life at Covenant is not completely without boundaries. Students are expected to understand the university's expectations concerning relationships and personal conduct.

Reference:

https://www.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/downloads/Student-handbook-Feb-2020.pdf

7. Some Hostel Items Are Completely Prohibited

Another possible shock comes when students begin preparing for life in the halls of residence.

Covenant University's resumption information contains a list of prohibited items in the halls. These include alcoholic drinks, cigarettes, e-cigarettes, vaping accessories, shisha, certain drugs, weapons and dangerous objects.

Students are also not permitted to bring cooking equipment such as hot plates, rice cookers, toasters, microwaves, saucepans and blenders into the halls.

So, packing for Covenant is not simply a matter of taking everything you think you might need. Students have to pay attention to what the university permits inside the residence halls.

Reference:

https://resumption.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/resumption-protocols/

8. Even Bed Spaces Have Rules

Hostel life at Covenant University comes with another interesting difference: students cannot simply exchange or share their allocated bed spaces whenever they want.

According to the University's Student Affairs Department, Covenant operates a “one man - one bed space” policy. Squatting and swapping of bed spaces are not permitted.

The university also states that hall allocation considers factors such as students' courses, character and core-value alignment.

For someone coming from a university where hostel arrangements may be more flexible, this level of organisation may come as a surprise.

Reference:

https://www.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/information/information-for/student-affairs

9. The University Calls Its Rules “Royal Laws”

The name itself can be surprising.

Covenant University's Student Affairs Department refers to the rules guiding student conduct as the “University Royal Laws.”

According to the university, these rules cover areas such as dressing, examination conduct and residency. The university explains that the regulations are intended to help students develop discipline and character.

This is connected to Covenant's wider idea of training students as “Kings and Queens.” So, the emphasis on discipline is not presented simply as punishment; it is connected to the university's philosophy of student development.

Reference:

https://www.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/information/information-for/student-affairs

10. Even the Way You Wear Your Tie Has Rules

For male students, corporate dressing goes beyond simply putting on a shirt and trousers.

The University's dress-code guidelines state that male students are expected to wear a shirt, necktie, trousers and covered shoes with socks for lectures, examinations and university assemblies.

The tie is expected to be properly pulled up to the top button of the shirt. The handbook also states that students are not permitted to fold, hold or pocket their ties while moving around the university, in lecture halls or at university assemblies.

For someone used to loosening their tie immediately after entering class, this may be quite an adjustment.

Reference:

https://www.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/downloads/Student-handbook-Feb-2020.pdf

11. Jeans Are Not Just Discouraged—They Are Prohibited

Jeans are one of those everyday clothing items that many Nigerian university students consider normal. 

At Covenant University, however, the rules are different.

The Student Handbook states that the possession or wearing of jeans and jeans-like materials is prohibited within the university environment. The University's admissions information also specifically states that jeans are not permitted on campus.

This means that students have to rethink one of the most common casual outfits before coming to Covenant.

References:

https://www.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/downloads/Student-handbook-Feb-2020.pdf

https://admissions.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/ten-things-to-know-about-cu/

12. There Are Rules for What You Can Wear Even Outside Class

The dress code is not limited to sitting inside a lecture hall.

The Student Handbook contains rules concerning clothing within the wider university environment. For example, it prohibits certain revealing clothing, body-hugging outfits, spaghetti straps without appropriate covering and other forms of dressing considered inconsistent with the university's dress code.

At the same time, students may wear decent native or foreign clothing outside lecture and examination halls, provided the clothing meets the university's standards.

This means students have to think about both what they wear and where they are wearing it.

Reference:

https://www.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/downloads/Student-handbook-Feb-2020.pdf

13. Discipline Is Treated as Part of Education

At Covenant University, academic education is closely connected to character development.

The Student Affairs Department says that the university's regulations are designed to help students develop discipline, integrity and good character. The department is also responsible for enforcing rules relating to student conduct.

The university's admissions information similarly states that behaviours such as fighting, stealing, assault, violence and examination malpractice are forbidden.

For a new student, this can make the transition from secondary school to university feel different from what they imagined university life would be like.

References:

https://www.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/information/information-for/student-affairs

https://admissions.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/

The Covenant Experience

Covenant University is not simply a place where students attend lectures, write examinations and graduate. The university has created a particular campus culture built around its Christian identity, discipline, corporate appearance and leadership values.

For some students, the rules may take time to get used to. For others, the structure may become part of their everyday routine.

Either way, knowing these things before arriving can make the transition easier. Because sometimes, the biggest cultural shock in university is not the academic workload, it is discovering that the way you dress, communicate, live and even pack your hostel bag can be governed by rules you did not expect.