Faith Adekunle Adekola; 400L; MBBS

Q1: How did you come to BMU? A: Okay, my story on how I came to BMU is actually a spectacular one because when I wrote my jamb, I applied for University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. I wasn't given admission and it was that same period that the school, Bayelsa Medical University, was being found. So I thought, why not change my institution? So I did change of institution and then I came to BMU. And so I started here as a pioneer student. Q2: What's the hardest academic moment you faced this semester and did you cry? A: Oh Yes I've cried a lot in 400 level. So we don't have like semesters in clinical settings. We just have the whole year, depends on how many months your program is running for. So mine is running for about a year. I've had moments where I cried, but a specific one that I can talk about would be last two months, that was June. So what happened? There’s a particular course, Pharmacology. Pharmacology is a very sweet course. Amen? Amen. We write tests after learning a particular system. So prior to that test, the last test we wrote was system two(Endocrinology and immunopharmacology). I read a bit, but then my test score was not good. But then the next system, which was Central Nervous System, I really did prepare. I read books, I revised past questions, and I watched videos online. And I was so hopeful. I was so optimistic that this one is going to turn out so well. Because I felt like I had the grasp of the whole thing, about 70 to 80%. But even after writing the test, when I saw the questions, I was still hopeful that it's going to turn out well. Then the results came out that day and it was something else. So I came back to my room and just slept because I was too shocked to say a word. When I woke up, the whole event started playing again in my head. And I just had to cry to relieve whatever I was feeling that moment. I prayed and cried to God. And then, I ate and I slept again. That was one of my hardest academic moments. Yes, I cried. But then I still have to keep pushing. I'm hopeful that this is not the last. I can't give up. Q3: Have you made any mistakes as a student? If yes, what did the mistake teach you? A: Okay, so I've made quite a number of mistakes as a student. The peculiar one that I would love to talk about is reading late as a student. During some semesters, we find out that we are so engrossed in a lot of activities which may not even be productive. When exam period draws near, we are so afraid because we have not covered much of what we are expected to cover. There’s going to be a lot of tension when we’re reading. Negative thoughts about failure also come up. It taught me that as a student, you should put first things first. Even as we have other activities to do, we should remember that we are first students. Our results are one of the easiest ways to speak excellence. So start studying early as a student. You’re studying to know these things not just to pass exams because what’s the use if you cannot defend your result in the end or you've bagged a degree but there is little or nothing to do with it—to give back to the society. Q4: Do you think religion plays a role in academics? A: Yes. I’m a Christian and being a Christian has played a major role in my academics. Q5. Would God EQUALLY help students who have been diligent in keeping up their spiritual/academic life since the beginning of the semester and students who only come to Him when it’s time for exams? A: Well, even my Bible says in Proverbs 10:4 that the hands of the diligent maketh rich. So you've not been keeping your due diligence as a student and you want to pass? Well, I'm not downplaying the place of favour and the miraculous but even if God should help you,to what end? Would you keep going to God just because you want to pass your exams? Beyond academic success, chase God. Don’t use Him. And being a Christian doesn’t mean you shouldn’t study and be diligent! Q6: What’s your honest opinion about romantic relationships in school? A: Well, I believe that in matters like this, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But if the target audience is below 20's and maybe early 20's, I'd say, first of all, you must know your “why”. Sit down and ask yourself why do you want to be in a romantic relationship and if you cannot give a TANGIBLE reason, we need to lie you down and flog you. Lol. People that keep giving themselves to various romantic relationships would feel an emptiness in the long run. You cannot keep giving yourself, your time, your emotions, your intellect, your money and expect to be still whole. It’s a very big disadvantage because there’s a lot of trust issues, emotional imbalance and even when Mr. Right comes, you cannot properly discern and you may not even be able to open your heart to love wholly again. You haven’t discovered purpose; you do not know what you want to do with your life; Why romantic relationships? There’s another category of people that use relationships to fill up their loneliness. We all come from different backgrounds and some persons come from homes where they do not feel loved, so they become very vulnerable and enter into relationships when they see someone is giving them the love they never got because they find a sense of worth in that relationship. My candid opinion is DO NOT DO IT. Romantic relationships in your 100L would not work for you and if it's simply because you want to fill up the loneliness in your heart then you need Jesus—He is everything beautiful and only him can make you whole and give you a sense of worth, identity and purpose. SELAH. Q7: Who instantly pops in your head when I ask about someone that has majorly shaped your academic journey? A: Well, quite a number of persons. Pastor Tara Akinkuade of the Standing Church, Ibadan. Mr Emmanuel, My principal back in high school. My pastor, Pastor Paul Belemu. Geku Favour, Belemu God'spower amongst other amazing and excellent people I have in my life. Q8: What’s the biggest misconception lecturers have about students? A: “If you fail, it means you were not reading” Q9: How do you define success as a student? A: Hmmm. Success as a student is a personal and subjective concept. Basically, it involves meeting academic goals, developing skills, becoming a well-rounded individual and also attaining balance between academics and other aspects of life. Q10: What’s one question you wished I asked you? A: What’s your advice to students in lower level?

MY PROJECT