The Campus Cookbook: Cooking to Survive on Campus

By: Abigail Kareem

On the walk back to the hostel after a stressful day, I was actually thinking of how I’ll have to cook again when I overheard two students talking.“I don tire for this cooking matter,” one groaned.“Same here,” the other replied, “but we still have to figure out what to cook tonight.”

Cooking on campus has its own kind of adventure, one that every student must explore, whether they enjoy cooking or not. After hours of lectures, trekking across campus, and battling through assignments, the thought of cooking can feel like yet another course no one registered for. It is not just about getting food ready; it is about squeezing time, energy, and money into a single meal, even when the day has already drained you.

For those in school hostels, the kitchen is a headache in disguise. Many students complain about how disorganized the space becomes with the cabinet looking like a mini dumping site, plates and spoons left unwashed, water spilled on the floor, and smoke from stoves filling the air. Even when one tries to manage the space, cooking is interrupted by the back-and-forth trips to the room to fetch forgotten ingredients or refill water. By the time the food is ready, a student may already be too tired to eat, let alone face the pile of dishes waiting to be washed.

Students living off campus are not spared either. Cooking means some rush home after late-afternoon lectures to start cooking before dark, especially if they stay in areas where power supply is unpredictable or the environment they live in is not a place they can move freely at night, unlike on campus where there are some stores open till 11pm and beyond. Many students have to buy foodstuff in bulk on weekends because going to the market during the weekdays would mean missing classes.

When Cooking is a Necessity

There’s a special kind of tiredness that comes after a full day of lectures, trekking from your department to your hostel under the sun, and trying to catch up with assignments. For many students, the real work starts with figuring out what to eat and how to cook it especially when there’s limited resources. “Omorr, it’s just something I have to do. At this point if I can get a maid, I will be happy for real,” Wisdom, a student from Obafemi Awolowo Hall, said, her words capturing what many students feel about cooking on campus. It’s not exactly a hobby for everyone, it’s a means to stay healthy and active.

Deborah, from Iyalode Taofikat Hall, describes it as “very frustrating and an obligation.” For her, the biggest struggle isn’t just the act of cooking but everything that comes with it which includes fetching water before cooking, waiting for her turn to use the kitchen, and dealing with stoves that take forever to heat food. “Imagine food that is not supposed to take the whole time is taking the whole time as a result of using the stove,” she lamented.

Even students who live off campus, like Favour, face their own challenges. “The only challenge is time, I have a very tight schedule and it’s hard to fit cooking into that schedule so I cook basically once a day,” he admitted. For him, cooking is simply a necessity to avoid eating meals that won’t satisfy him.

Cooking on campus may feel stressful, but it has quietly become a part of student life that goes beyond just making food. Many students say it has taught them how to manage their time better, plan their day, and even discover new skills they didn’t know they had. Some who could barely cook when they first resumed now call themselves “campus chefs,” while others have learned how to stretch ingredients to save money. It’s no longer just about eating , it’s about survival, creativity, and building independence.

For Wisdom, she reflects on her growth from 100 level: “I did not know how to use a stove before I got to UI, but now I can proudly call myself a chef.” She said cooking on campus taught her to be creative and manage her time, so much that her roommate now calls her “Flash” because of how quickly she cooks without compromising taste.

While Gbenga, from Nnamdi Azikwe Hall may not really enjoy cooking, he shared that his experience has mostly been about budgeting so as to cope with the economy, “I can count on my fingers the number of times I went to buy cooked food from 100 level till now,” he says. In the same vein Deborah also mentioned that school life forced her to spend wisely. “Even if the fund is available, with the way things are expensive in school I just have to be wise to budget my expenses,” she explains.

Damilola, from Queen Idia Hall, believes cooking on campus builds character even if it’s tiring. “Cooking on campus will test your patience, management skills, and ability to think deeply and reasonably. It will even make you appreciate your mother thinking everyday of what the family will eat.”

Now, let’s look at how cooking is a necessity with the lens of healthy living. Aside from saving money, and more importantly for those who see it as stressful or don’t always have the time, cooking remains one of the surest ways to stay healthy. Feeding well from your own pot has been linked to better growth, sharper focus in class, and stronger immunity. Constantly relying on snacks like doughnuts, egg rolls, junks or ordering fast food may be quick fixes, but over time, they leave the body feeling weak and drained.

Cooking on campus may not be glamorous or fun for most students, but it is an unavoidable part of university life. It tests patience, stretches budgets, and forces students to think creatively under pressure. While it can feel tiring and frustrating, the experience shapes how they manage time, handle responsibilities, and take care of themselves. For University of Ibadan students, cooking is more than a daily task, it is a lesson in resilience, independence, and survival.