Relationship Dynamics Among Students of the Department of English and Literary Studies, Delta State University, Abraka: Love, Pressure, and Campus

 By Anamali Success

Department of English and Literary Studies, Delta State University, Abraka.

Introduction

The Department of English and Literary Studies at DELSU Abraka is one of the largest

and most socially active departments on campus. Beyond lectures on Shakespeare,

Achebe, and modern Nigerian drama, students also navigate the complexities of

relationships within a shared academic and residential space. In a small department

where “everybody knows everybody,” dating, breakups, and friendship networks

become part of departmental life itself. This article examines how space, money,

academic pressure, and social norms shape relationship dynamics among English and

Literary Studies students, drawing on campus research from DELSU.

Proximity, Privacy, and Departmental Gossip

Because English and Literary Studies is a close-knit department, many students date

within the department. It is convenient: same lectures, same faculty building, same

group projects. But proximity comes at a cost.

Research at DELSU found that students perceive pre-marital sex, pornographic

materials, and indecent dressing as common forms of “inappropriate sexual behaviour”

on campus. In a department where course mates attend the same tutorials, personal

disputes rarely stay private.

“Everyone in English knows your business before you do,” a 300L student noted. “If you

fight with your partner in class, by evening the whole department is talking about it.” The

lack of privacy can shorten relationships, as students opt to date outside the department

to avoid scrutiny.

Academic Pressure and Final-Year Withdrawal

English students face heavy reading loads, essays, projects, and teaching practice. This

pressure directly affects relationships. Final-year students in particular report ending

relationships to “focus.”

A DELSU-wide study on sexual coercion among female undergraduates also found that

relationship stress negatively impacts academic self-efficacy. For English students,whose grades depend on long essays and oral presentations, emotional distraction can

be costly.

“I broke up in 400L first semester,” a graduating student said. “It was either my project

or a constant relationship drama. I chose my project.” This pattern is common across

DELSU, but it is amplified in reading-intensive departments like English.

Money, Expectations, and ‘Soft Living’

Delayed allowances, unpaid fees, and limited pocket money affect dating expectations.

Studies of tertiary students in Delta State show that financial gain is a major driver of

transactional and cross-generational sexual relationships among undergraduates.

Within English and Literary Studies, many students resist that pressure by lowering

expectations. Shared meals at Abraka market, department parties, or sitting by the

faculty after lectures replace expensive dates.

“We don’t do clubbing every weekend,” a 200L student explained. “If you’re in English,

you either manage your money or you’ll be writing poetry alone.”

Strikes, Breaks, and Trust

ASUU strikes and long vacations test campus relationships. Without daily contact, trust

becomes the main issue. A DELSU-based article on breakups in Abraka identified

money problems, peer pressure, and trust issues as the top causes of breakups among

students.

For English students, strikes are especially disruptive because departmental reading

groups and rehearsals stop. Couples who survive a four-month break often describe it

as proof of commitment. Those who don’t often cite “lack of communication” as the

reason.

Gender, Safety, and Disclosure

Relationship dynamics are not equal for all students. A 2019 study at DELSU Abraka

found no significant gender difference in likelihood of experiencing sexual harassment.

Another study involving DELSU female students reported high prevalence of sexual

abuse and barriers to disclosure such as fear and lack of trust in authorities.

In English and Literary Studies, where male-female collaboration is high in drama,

debates, and group work, these issues surface in departmental spaces. Students report

that trust and institutional response determine whether relationships remain healthy or

become harmful.

Conclusion

Relationship dynamics in the Department of English and Literary Studies mirror broader

DELSU realities: proximity creates intimacy but erodes privacy, academic pressure

forces tough choices, money shapes expectations, and strikes test trust. Yet the

department’s literary culture also offers resilience. Through drama, poetry, and

storytelling, students process love, loss, and pressure in ways that other departments

may not.

Campus love in English is not separate from academics. It is written into the same

scripts, debated in the same tutorials, and remembered in the same departmental

histories.

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References

Omoni, G., & Onoyase, A. (n.d.). Inappropriate Sexual Behaviours as Perceived by

Students in the Institute of Education, Delta State University, Abraka: Implication for

Counseling.

Iwelu, A.O., & Ossai, M.C. (n.d.). Sexual Behaviours and Reproductive Health Issues

among Students in Tertiary Institutions in Delta State.

Solanke, B.L. (n.d.). Drivers of transactional sexual relationships among students in a

Nigerian University.

Oghenewaire, N. (2025). The Rising Rate of Breakups in Abraka: Causes and Effects.

Department of English and Literary Studies, DELSU Abraka.

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About the writer 

Anamali Success is a student of English and Literary Studies at Delta State University,

Abraka. Her writing explores campus culture, student life, and the social realities of