ECUSTA Higher Learning Institute: Beauty found far, far away
One Year at ECUSTA: Lectures, Chaos, Wildlife, and Unforgettable Memories
If someone asked us to describe life at ECUSTA Higher Learning Institution in one sentence, we would probably say:
"Studying hard... while somehow always ending up at the café."
Before joining university, many of us imagined a dramatic movie scene where students walk around carrying ten books while emotional background music plays. Reality, however, was completely different. It was more like running to class with unfinished assignments, hearing someone scream, "There’s a quiz today!" five minutes before the lecture starts, and suddenly questioning every life decision that brought us there.
And honestly? That is exactly what made ECUSTA unforgettable.
The ECUSTA Experience: Beyond Expectations
From the very beginning, the campus felt different from what we expected. The environment, the students, the atmosphere, and the experience of university life itself were far more exciting, chaotic, and meaningful than anything we had imagined. For some of us, making friends usually isn’t easy, but somehow ECUSTA made connections happen naturally. Random classroom conversations turned into friendships, group projects became therapy sessions, and late-night discussions somehow lasted longer than our study sessions.
A Campus Alive with Nature
One of the best parts of ECUSTA is the campus environment itself. The place honestly felt less like a university and more like a full-time zoology and botany center with optional lectures. Everywhere you looked, there was life: Birds flew around like they owned the sky; rabbits casually hopped across campus; cats walked around with the confidence of people who paid everyone’s tuition.; deer appeared nearby as if we were studying inside a nature documentary.
The dogs on campus were so comfortable that at this point we’re convinced they’re honorary students. And somehow, the wildlife surprises never stopped. There was even a moment when students literally chased and held a snake like we were filming our own low-budget National Geographic episode instead of attending university. At ECUSTA, surviving campus life required both academic skills and wildlife awareness.
For students with arachnophobia, the experience was even more traumatic. Seeing spiders casually existing everywhere around campus became a daily horror movie. Some of us screamed, panicked, scratched our necks in fear, and nearly lost our souls every time a spider appeared. Honestly, the spiders seemed emotionally stronger than most students during exam season.
But despite all the chaos, the campus itself remained beautiful. Surrounded by greenery, flowers, tall trees, and fresh air, ECUSTA had a peaceful atmosphere that somehow made stressful days feel lighter. Sometimes students would be panicking over assignments while a bird nearby was simply enjoying life with zero deadlines, zero presentations, and absolutely no group projects. Nature on campus was honestly more mentally stable than all of us combined.
Transportation and Survival
And then there was transportation: another unforgettable chapter of survival.
Even though the university provided buses, missing one felt like the beginning of a tragic documentary. Suddenly, you would find yourself walking uphill on the most uncomfortable road imaginable while the campus gate still looked painfully far away. During those moments, everyone instantly became emergency coordinators, calling friends nonstop saying, "Please tell the driver to wait two minutes!" knowing very well those two minutes would somehow become ten.
The buses themselves were an experience. Some days we were packed so tightly that personal space officially stopped existing. At that point, the bus was no longer transportation; it became a moving friendship workshop filled with stress, laughter, exhaustion, random conversations, and students somehow surviving while carrying bags, assignments, and emotional damage from quizzes.
Community, Cuisine, and Faculty Support
Of course, no discussion about ECUSTA is complete without mentioning the café food. As students, affordable food is basically a love language. Luckily, the café understood the assignment perfectly. Good food, student-friendly prices, and a place where half the campus meetings magically happened? That deserves respect.
Another thing we truly appreciated was the teachers and staff. They didn’t just teach lessons and disappear like side characters in a movie. They actually listened. Whenever students faced challenges, had questions, or needed support, the instructors were approachable and understanding. Having teachers who genuinely care about students made university life feel less stressful and far more motivating.
The Ultimate Plot Twist
But perhaps one of ECUSTA’s biggest plot twists was discovering that beneath the auditorium, the same place where freshmen peacefully attended lectures and presentations, there was an actual autopsy room where cadavers were dissected.
Nothing truly prepares you for realizing you’ve been casually sitting above something straight out of a medical documentary. Suddenly every strange sound became suspicious, and students started creating their own horror movie theories. At that point, ECUSTA was not only providing education but also entertainment and psychological thrillers free of charge.
Looking Back: A Journey of Growth
Of course, university life was not perfect. There were exhausting deadlines, endless assignments, presentations, group projects where people mysteriously disappeared when work started, and lectures so long they felt like entire movie trilogies. Sitting for three-hour lectures was something many of us were definitely not prepared for after high school.
Still, through every stressful moment, we created memories that became meaningful.
One year at ECUSTA felt like an entire journey. From trying to adjust to university life to building friendships and discovering ourselves, this year was filled with growth, challenges, laughter, stress, and unforgettable experiences. ECUSTA became more than just a place to attend classes. It became a place where students learned, improved themselves, connected with others, and discovered what they were capable of. Every challenge taught us something, and every achievement reminded us how far we had come.
One year later, we are no longer the same people who first walked through the gates of ECUSTA. We are stronger, wiser, more confident, and carrying memories we will probably talk about for years.
Submitted by: ymahmed25@ecusta-hli.edu.et | Collaborators: Y, L, H, A, L, F, Y, N, B, S, N, S via ECUSTA CMS