SIWES Logbook: How to Fill It Without Mistakes (Score an A)

The SIWES logbook for industrial training is an official record booklet that is being issued by universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, colleges of technology, and colleges of agriculture in Nigeria to their internship students to record down the daily activities carried out in their workplaces.

This logbook contains your basic information and the company you must have been attached for the training.

The logbook also differs among tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

Logbooks issued to LASU students differ from the ones issued to FUTO, UNN, ABSU, POLYNEKEDE, MADONNA, UNIPORT, NOUN, IMSU students.

Here are the rules to follow before, during, and after filling out your logbook:

1. Neatness

Your logbook must be very neat, that’s why I would be introducing to you “The Use of a Jotter”.

When you start carrying out daily or weekly activities at your workplace, never you start to fill in your logbook immediately.

In fact, don’t even take it to your workplace, unless your industry-based supervisor/employer demands for it.

Instead, buy a new and big jotter (e.g. notebook), you’ll use in recording down your daily or weekly activities.

At the end of your training, hand over the notebook to your industry-based supervisor/employer to review it before you can then recopy the write-ups and diagrams into your neat logbook.

You may ask, “If I shouldn’t fill my logbook while working, how would it be signed and stamped?

You aren’t running away, there will still be time at the end of the week, month or training period for the necessary pages in your logbook to be signed and stamped by your supervisor/employer.

So, don’t be afraid.

During my own training, I was told by my industry-based supervisor to record down my daily activities in my jotter.

These are the reasons you shouldn’t carry your logbook to your workplace or even fill it immediately you start working:

Mistakes and Errors

A blue or black pen should be used in filling in your logbook, except for the sketches and diagrams that you are required to use sharp and neat pencils.

The use of correction pens/fluids on the logbook is unacceptable and highly prohibited.

If you should fill your logbook immediately, make mistakes and use correction pen/fluids to erase it – you’ve already started failing yourself.

But for instance in your jotter, even if you make too many mistakes, you’ll still have time to recopy your write-ups and drawings neatly and carefully into your empty and neat logbook at the end of the week, month or training after you might have shown the logbook to your industry-based supervisor/employer for review and possible corrections.

Accidents

Accidents here can be chemical, biological, physical or even fire.

You may be carrying your logbook one day to your workplace and it’ll get:

Soaked by rain.
Falls into the gutter or muddy water.
Misplaced, rumpled, torn or stolen.
Spilled by chemicals e.g. if you are working in laboratories/industries.
Crushed by machines, equipment’s etc.

Easier Understanding

When I was doing my own training, my industry-based supervisor advised me not to fill in my logbook especially when he was teaching and lecturing me.

Instead, he said that I should write down the key points in my jotter.

He didn’t want me to just start filling in what I didn’t understand.

The use of jotter prevents distractions.

You’ll have to attentively observe, listen, learn, understand and practice all that you are being taught.

Then, at the end of the week, month or training, recopy all your write-ups, diagrams, sketches from your jotter into your logbook.

Ensure that your industry-based supervisor reviews your jotter/notebook before you recopy into your logbook.

2. Handwriting

Some Nigerian internship students have very bad and poor handwritings.

Some aren’t even bothered and interested in improving theirs.

If you are in this category of students, please ensure to fill in your student’s particular and organizational page in bold capital letters for clarity.

At the end of the week, month or training, use beautiful and visible handwriting in recopying your write-ups into your logbook to avoid stressing your industry-based-supervisor/employer, university-based-supervisor and lecturers that will review and grade your logbook.

3. Repetitiveness

Don’t be repetitive. Try carrying out or learning a new project, activities, topics, jobs weekly or monthly at your workplace.

4. Brief

When filling your logbook, ensure that your write-ups are brief, straightforward, understandable and free of grammatical blunders.

Ensure you use technical terms where and when necessary.

Your logbook shouldn’t be used in writing and telling long, irrelevant and unnecessary stories.

You don’t have to include the:

Clothes you wore that particular day.
Food you ate etc.

Only record down the work-related activities carried out by you.

5. Fraud

Ensure that your logbook is being signed and stamped when necessary by your industry and university based supervisors and lecturers.

Also, avoid forging signatures and stamps because you’ll be dealt with if caught.

How to Fill a SIWES Logbook in Nigeria

Here are the steps to correctly fill in your SIWES logbook in Nigeria:

1. Student Details Page

This page is the first you will see and have to fill in your logbook.

This page will include your:

Address
Course of Study e.g. Biochemistry
Faculty e.g. Science
Full Name
Matriculation Number
Name of Industry-Based Supervisor
Name of School Supervisor
Next of Kin Details
Passport
Sex (Male or Female)
Year of Study, i.e. 200, 300 or 400 Level

2. Organization Profile Page

This is the page in your logbook that will contain the information of the company you applied for your industrial training.

The company name, location, address, telephone number, type of business, products and other relevant information should be carefully and correctly entered.

If you encounter any difficulty in filling in this page, meet your industry-based supervisor or employer to help and guide you.

Fill in this page in bold capital letters – if you have a bad handwriting.

3. Daily Activities Record Page

In this page in your logbook record down your daily or weekly activities at your workplace.

It is partitioned into the days of the week, i.e. (from Mondays to Saturdays).

Not all companies and students work on Saturdays.

If you don’t work on Saturdays, there is no need for you to fill in the Saturday field in your logbook.

Write the name of the project/job you carried out that week.

Your industry-based supervisor has to sign and stamp this page with the correct date entered.

4. Monthly Work Summary Page

In this page in your logbook you will have to summarize all that was carried out monthly by you at your workplace.

It could include sketches, diagrams, survey maps, building plans, chemical formulas, enumeration tables, menu plans, charts, etc.

Your industry-based supervisor will have to make a comment, sign and stamp this page with the correct date entered.

5. School Supervisor Monthly Visit Page

This page is expected to be completed on a monthly basis by your school-based supervisor during visitation.

The comment should say whether:

You are adequately exposed or underexposed.
The experience is standard or substandard, relevant or irrelevant.
You were present or absent.

Leave this page blank if your school assigned no supervisor to you.

6. Monthly Evaluation Page

This is your personal assessment page.

It is being entered by your industry-based supervisor.

It shows supervisor comments and performance appraisal comments for quality of work carried out by you.

On this page, your performance is being rated and graded.

7. Student Suggestions Page

As you finish your industrial training, suggest ways to improve industrial management and supervision.

You can also share ideas on innovations, new techniques, research, or future improvements in any other areas.

After filling this page, your industry-based supervisor or employer should review it, add comments, sign, and enter the correct date.

8. Student Attendance Register Page

This page is to be filled by your industry-based supervisor/employer.

Your attendance is being recorded in an X/Y format.

X represents the number of days you were present at work.

Y represents the number of days in the week.

If you work from Mondays – Fridays, Y will be equal to 5.

If you work from Mondays – Saturdays, Y will be equal to 6.

9. I.T.F Remarks/Signature Page

At the end of your industrial training, when you take your logbook and I.T.F Form 8 to the nearest I.T.F area office in the state your training was carried out, this page will be sign and stamped by any of the officials after your I.T.F Form 8 must have been thoroughly reviewed.

After filling in your logbook, start preparing for your SIWES report writing.