Richman Ezekiel Tenane; 400L; Physiotherapy

Q1: How did you get to know about BMU and how did you come here?

A: I knew about BMU beforehand but I didn't want to come here. In the heat of frustration from writing JAMB thrice, applying to multiple universities and not getting accepted, one day, my dad suggested I come here. And here I am.

Q2: The course that you're studying right now —would you say you're doing it out of passion and would you say you're walking in purpose?

A: Initially, I wanted Medicine but I was giving Physiotherapy. I did my best to get a good CGPA so I would apply for a transfer to Medicine. I fell ill just before writing exams in second semester 100L. I didn't prepare adequately for it so I had GPA lower than what I expected and it brought my CGPA down. I tried applying though but I was only given the option of Dentistry. I still stuck with Physiotherapy because to me, it's as broad and diverse as Medicine. I rejected Dentistry. A couple of weeks later, there was an instruction that all those in Dentistry should migrate to Medicine. I felt so bad. People would look at me pitifully because I was the boy who made the mistake of choosing Physiotherapy. And I don't regret choosing it.

Q3: When do you see yourself in the next 10 years?

A: After studying Physiotherapy, I'll study medicine abroad. So in 10 years, I'll be doing my residency for Cardiac surgery.

Q4: Do you believe in God and why?

A: Of course I do. My entire life is already a proof of God's existence. I died twice. In the first incidence, I was about to be taken to the mortuary when my mum collected me back from them. A doctor took me to her office and prayed --that was how I came back. It happened at NDUTH Okolobiri. The second incident happened in my village. According to tradition, I was to be buried that same day. They wanted to bury me in the evening. That evening, an old man in white came to stop them from struggling with my mom. He told them I was alive. No one believed him until they touched me and figured out, I truly was alive. So, how can I now believe in God?

Q5: Do you think that religion plays a role in academics?

A: Academic results of students do not differ because of their religion, but religion plays a factor too. There are principles for academic success that would work irrespective of the student's religion.

Religion does play a role, though. I was once offering Embryology as a course. I never liked it so I didn't read it all through the semester.

I struggled to cover the whole Embryology, the night before the exam. On the morning of the exam, I tried recalling what I read but I couldn't recall anything. I became scared.

After they shared the scripts in the exam hall, I was shivering. I saw my mates writing. I didn't want to turn the paper over and when I did, I was totally blank. I was already crying, declaring ‘blood of Jesus’ while accepting that I've failed the course. Then I saw a question about umbilical cords and placenta that I used random knowledge to answer, writing just a few sentences. After that, I cried to God—telling Him to at least give me an E in the course. When the result came out, I got a B! I was totally shocked. So I believe, my relationship with God influenced my results.

Q6: What's the greatest struggle you've ever faced as a student?

A: Consistency.

Q7: What's the hardest academic semester you've ever faced?

A: First semester, 200L. I had the worst result I've ever had with a GPA of 3.8 . We were unreasonably offering a lot of courses.

We wrote 18 papers in two weeks. A lot of my coursemates cried during that period. We went as far to beg our HOD but he didn't give us a listening ear.

Q8: What do you think people misunderstand most about your course?

A: They think all we do is massage.

Actually, massage is one of the core things we do yet the least of what we do. We do a lot of other things like Electrotherapy.

Q9: If I ask you if there's anyone that's majorly shaped academic journey, does anyone pop up in your head?

A: There are a number of them like my roommate in 100L. Actually, I wasn't the reading type but there was a period that I'll walk round the campus to check people reading then go to my room, reluctantly get my bag and go to read.

I admire the reading culture of some of my friends like David. Just watching them, I was motivated to read.

Q10: If you were the VC of the school for one day, what's the first thing you would do?

A: I would make sure that students have enough practical experience on what they're studying. I feel like we do not do practicals enough and what's the use if we have theoretical knowledge without practical knowledge?

Q11: Are there any faults in the Nigerian educational system that if given the opportunity to change you're going to change instantly and what change (s) are you going to implement?

A: Yes. The biggest fault is mentality. The next is lack of adequate practical experience. I would love to correct those two.

Q12: What do you think is the biggest misconception lecturers have about students?

A: Firstly, they think that we are in the same time with them. They're making us to learn the way they did in their time which should not be so. In as much as we're physically evolving, we're psychologically involving so what worked for them or how things were done in the time would be totally different from what would work for us. This, they fail to understand.

Learning should be tailored for each student. They think that one thing works for all.

Q13: If you held a position in SUG BMU, what's one thing that would be different under your administration; one thing we're going to know Ezekiel for?

A: I would be known for challenging people's mentality and ways of thinking most times.

Also, I don't like to be kept in a box. I'm someone that likes to explore new ideas and pathways. People may see me as weird but they'll know me as the person that does things differently.

Q14: What's your honest opinion about romantic relationships in school?

A: It could be a motivation or distraction depending on who the individual is.

There's this story that I heard about a guy who started doing well academically, just to impress the girl he liked.

Firstly, the maturity state of the individuals involved should be known. They must be able to balance the relationship with other aspects of their lives. Then, the aim for the relationship should be clearly stated.

For someone like me, it's a waste of my time but it isn't necessarily a distraction. I just see it as another aspect of my life that isn't in anyway concerned with my academics.

Q15: Do you wish to find your Mrs. Right in BMU?

A: I don't wish to honestly but, let it be the way God wants it to be.

Q16: Is there any question you would have wanted me to ask you or any question you would have wanted to ask me?

A: I would have wanted you to ask me how should students react when they know they have feelings for someone.

My answer would be: Honestly speaking, people need to learn how to express themselves and at the same time maintain boundaries.

From what I've studied personally about linear psychology, you would be naturally drawn to an object (thing or a person) when you see a different side of that object.

For example, a guy would want to be more around a lady that treats him differently from the way other ladies do. She doesn't necessarily have something under her sleeves but that's just how she is.

The more he talks to her, the more he sees new sides of her, The more he's attracted tand attached to her.

If he doesn't feel any resistance coming from her, he keeps pushing.

He gets into a relationship with her only to break up a while later. What the guy felt wasn't love. We should know and understand the difference between love and like.

Then, if you truly love someone, you should learn how to express it.

Home training would tell you not to be close with the member of the opposite gender but one thing that makes people make mistakes is curiosity.

The fact that they don't know what it is creates likeness for it.

Home training tries to create restrictions and the more you restrict a human, the more the human will want to break free.

How bad a person is, is proportional to how strict his or her home training was.

Imagine a girl, who has always been restricted to talk to boys comes to university where there are boys around and there's no one watching her.

She'll finally free and can do whatsoever she wants.

There was someone I liked, I found out I was willing to change how I see things, change the way I thought of people and remove some restrictions around me, just for the person.

And I thought “how do I go about this?”

So many people feel but cannot express. They would get jealous or distracted when they see the person they like with another. People can be distracted without even being in a relationship.

The human body naturally has a way of finding an alternative to anything they can't get.

That's what brought about drug addiction.

That's what brought about cheating even in marriages.

It is a psychological fact that if someone craves love and can't get it, the next instinct is sex.

The fact that we are students does not mean we should not be able to express our feelings but there should be boundaries to it.

Then, home training shouldn't be so strict to the extent that it makes students want to break free the moment they get to school.