Bathroom without doors made campus hell for Sheila Mwanyigha

Growing up...

I planned on being so many different things including a doctor, until I realised I couldn’t stand the sight of blood; a lawyer; then a lecturer; in all this one thing remained constant — I wanted to be around music.

But currently you are...

The Managing Director of Rembesha Kenya. It is a digital and print hair and beauty magazine, directory and advertising platform. I also have my own YouTube channel called ‘Sheila Lives Out Loud’ which allows viewers to #LiveLoveGrow through authentic real life Kenyan stories.

If your parents could have their way you would have been...

Probably a lawyer or a doctor.

Which college/university did you attend?

The University of Nairobi.

What did you major in?

I majored in Sociology and German for my bachelors and then for my Masters I took on Medical Sociology.

Did you skip any classes?

Not really. I was very studious, but I also loved to hang out with my friends. I missed class if I was ill or had to travel to perform as I had just started my music career.

When I’d get back, I’d hit the books to catch up with what I’d missed.

The worst lecturer was....

A professor who gave me a terrible grade for an assignment that contained work he had not taught in class.

Apparently, going out and researching new information and presenting it was a cardinal sin for this lecturer because he wanted students to regurgitate his notes. Word for word. I was furious for days!

Toughest unit....

Advanced statistics class in the MA program. But I aced it! Yep, I’m smart like that.

Passing exams meant....

I’d mostly study alone during my undergrad years but when I did my MA I had study group sessions with classmates and sometimes have study sessions with them at my workplace after hours while waiting for the city traffic to ease up.

Hated most about campus...

The bathrooms in Hall 12 didn’t have doors. They had these awful PVC drapes and it was common to hear someone yell from the bathroom courtesy of a peeping-Tom.

They really were dreadful. Strikes and being sent home to come back to exams was also stressful.

Dating experience...

I didn’t date much in campus. I had just started a career as a singer and between that and studying, there was really not much time for dating.

If you could go back to college what would you do differently?

Interact with a lot more of my peers. I always had a very small tight-knit circle.

Are you still in contact with your college friends?

I keep in touch with very few of my friends from campus. Some left the country and for most, life simply pulled us in different directions!