Striving without quit, a perfect way to gain admission into your desired discipline and institution
The race to becoming who you want to be in future- Every stage or phase of one’s development has its own uniqueness and challenges. The ability to keep going despite these numerous challenges makes one fit to face life struggles.
The advent of the British rule, came the introduction of Education to the early men. From the ancient times, as remote as life were, early men had learnt from instincts, observation, some practices such as the use of herbs, leaves, roots to heal wounds, stop bleeding and heal numerous illness. They lived a communal life, and devised a means to solving life threatening problems and they used the knowledge gotten from these practices for the benefit of others.
The introduction of EDUCATION parallel that of the existence of men. Men began to think more logical, they combined nature’s gifting and those learnt through EDUCATION to solve life problems.
The system was designed in a manner that will enable and enhance maximum assimilation by its students. There was the primary school, secondary, tertiary and so on. Each of which is a training ground for the next phase of life.
Haven gone through the primary school and secondary school with fun memories from my days in both phases of development especially in ss3 where we were seen as gods by our junior colleagues, the euphoria got to its peak at this point. We pitched ourselves in the same power bracket to those of our teachers, to us we have arrived, we were at the apogee of our career, we see and call things as though they were, little did we know that nothing has been won or achieved yet, until our post-secondary school era where life started unfolding in a different dimension and in different sizes.
After the WAEC exams, was another exam body accustomed to many Nigeria students, which few had fun memories with while there is a rancor anytime the name JAMB is mentioned amongst others. Growing up with this foregoing rigmarole believe, I had in one point of my development asked a rhetorical question why do many Nigeria students hate Jamb exam? Does it mean jamb exam is not within the capabilities of Nigeria students? Or the examiners are no longer mean in their markings? Or they are malevolent? Whichever be the case, Jamb exam is a passage one needs to pass if one ever dares to transcend to the next phase of development. So I quickly erase these negativities from my Subconscious mind and I was determined to give my best shot as I have always did, at least I wasn’t afraid of the exam at the first place but I was afraid of the status that Jamb has attained by virtue of those that have attempted it and failed or passed it narrowly.
After all the night reading where the necessary i’s and T’s were well dotted and crossed, we sat for the exam. Just like always we passed. Next was the post utme which some of my friends got their dream course to study while others just like the name implies post utme got posted to different disciples just like me. So I was left alone just as Jacob was left alone. Despite the setback I was determined to get my dream course pharmacy or nothing . I took the Jamb exams again, this time with an improved score and well cognitive abilities, within me I could hear the little boy inside of me murmuring YOU ARE WELL PREPARE AND IN GOOD PLACE AND SHAPE FOR THE tASK AHEAD I nodded with firm acquiesce.
Finally I got pharmarcy, the euphoria that got the better part of me the day I saw my name on the merit list was immeasurable. Coming to uniport, I saw a different phase of life. Freedom that was in short supply in both primary and secondary school was in ample supply, no mummy to nag at u, no daddy to remind u with six strokes of the cane that you ought to be in the house at most 6pm. But there were roommates who were going about minding their business, there were horny girls in bum shots and drunken boys in ripped sagged jeans whose only source of happiness is to terrorize the year one students. There were also lecturers bent on completing their syllabus by hook, line and sinker not minding whether the students understands or not.
Early days in pharmacy school was sweet, we were eager to take pictures, selfies and update our facebook timeline. We were so much in a hurry to engage in a conversation so that we can be asked what department we are in. As a commuter, I had pledge an article of commitment to travel round the length and breadth, nooks and crannies of the villages, towns in Rivers state. These dreams were shattered a month into the pharmacy program, haven been admonished by the Dean that failing a course in year1 will warrant one repeating the class, so we became conscious and meticulous. After year1, so many students dropped, others moved on, friends became strangers. Pharmacy a fairytale, indeed a coin of two sides I murmured.
Year2 has its own uniqueness, at least the uniform (ash and white) is the hall mark of early year2 happiness. Howbeit after few weeks into year 2, the uniform had already become toxic, attending lectures from 8am-5pm Monday -Saturday. Most of my friends that were social became anti-social. We denied ourselves of sleep, social activities just to meet up to the demands and standards of the pharmacy program. Morning happiness of being a pharmacy student gradually began to be replaced with mourning. Students became tired and frustrated at the reduced leisure time. Even in the leisure time, we sacrificed 80% of it to reading.
Preliminary pharmacy courses were introduced. One of which demands one cram as much as one could. How on earth will they expect one to cram over 50 leaves, their botanical names, sources, chemical constituent and pharmaceutical importance within a short period of time I had asked a friend in one of those boring night classes. Anatomy a non-faculty course didn’t help in any way either, compelling us to memorize the bones and muscles of the body. Other courses also posed a challenge in different capacity as well…
It is still early days in pharmacy school, so many things learnt so far and many more to learn as we progress. The maxim pharmacy uniport, stress at its peak still rings a Bell in our ears. But we are determined to see to the end of it and God will help us…
Watch out for part 2.
Sammy’s lib