By Favour Adeleke

Students from Lagos State University’s Faculty of Communication and Media Studies (FCMS) who took the MCM 206 Manuscript Editing, Layout and Design course have praised its focus on real-world learning for giving them useful publishing skills, but they also expressed worries about the heavy workload, scheduling issues, and high data costs.

The course, introduced under Lagos State University’s implementation of the National Universities Commission’s Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS), aims to strengthen practical and industry-relevant learning across university programmes.

​Throughout the 2025/2026 academic session’s second semester, students participated in a publishing simulation that mirrored professional publishing workflow, handling tasks such as manuscript acquisition, copy editing, proofreading, production, and publication.

The course also integrated a digital learning platform through which students accessed lecture materials, tracked attendance and submitted feedback. In addition, students engaged with professionals and completed practical assessments designed to develop their competence and workplace readiness.

Anonymous end-of-semester evaluations and interviews revealed that while students appreciated the practical experience, many found the workload mentally exhausting, citing tight deadlines, unscheduled lectures, the length of class sessions, attendance policies, technical challenges, and the financial burden of internet data.

“There was a time I literally cried because of how demanding the course was, but I’m grateful I kept pushing because I genuinely learned a lot and even had the opportunity to interact with industry professionals,” said Adeleke Aderinsola, a student who completed the course.

Another student, Ovwigho Shalom, said the workload was initially overwhelming but became manageable with time.

“I was mentally drained at first from navigating multiple digital platforms and meeting deadlines, but I put in extra effort. Towards the end of the semester, it became easier,” she said.

​One respondent said, “The stress! Yes, knowledge is good, but not at the expense of our mental health. This course really drained me.” 

“The class duration was often too long, making it difficult to assimilate the lessons. There are better ways to engage students without overworking them,” another respondent added.

In response to the feedback, the lead course lecturer, Dr Olasunkanmi Arowolo, said he had reviewed students’ evaluations and acknowledged the concerns raised about workload, scheduling, and the cost of participating in online learning.

While explaining that the course was designed to mirror the demands of the publishing industry, he said adjustments would be made to improve students’ learning experience.

​According to him, future cohorts will benefit from revised scheduling, additional learning resources, and alternative platforms aimed at reducing internet data consumption.

​”My goal as an educator is always to challenge you, but never to push you to the point of exhaustion,” Dr Olasunkanmi Arowolo said.

​The experience illustrates both the opportunities and challenges of adopting industry-based learning in Nigerian universities. While experiential teaching can strengthen graduate employability, student feedback suggests that course design must also account for workload, accessibility, and economic realities.