The Vice-Chancellor of Kaaf University, Dr Francis Acheampong, has cautioned university students against adopting negative habits from friends during their studies and urged them to focus on their education to secure a better future.

He also advised students to leave behind any undesirable behaviours from home rather than bringing them to campus and influencing their colleagues.

“Study hard and be honourable. We don’t want you to come here and pick up bad habits, or if you have some bad habits, leave them at home. Don’t come here and become a bad apple and tarnish Kaaf’s name. We encourage students to study hard and build networks,” he said.

Dr Acheampong explained that networking has many benefits in today’s world, noting that by the time students complete their courses, they would have built connections across different parts of the world that could support future opportunities.

He added that the high unemployment rate in the country is partly linked to the choice of courses pursued by some students. He therefore encouraged them to focus on their studies and take advantage of the university’s approach of combining practical training with theory to support their overall development.

Speaking during the matriculation ceremony for 1,780 new students, Dr Acheampong said the job market is evolving rapidly, driven by technological advancement. He noted that academic institutions must place greater emphasis on practical and skills-based courses rather than relying mainly on theory.

“Life is not all about ‘booklong’,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Registrar of the university, Dr Linda Anane Donkor, urged the new students to avoid social vices that could lead to disciplinary action or dismissal.

She said the students were coming from different social backgrounds to join the university community and should remain focused on their academic goals rather than allowing themselves to be led astray.