I Was Afraid Of Failure - Says First Class Graduate From FUAM

23 year old graduate, Emmanuel Olowohunwa, who baged a first class degree from the department of Home Science and Management, federal university of Agriculture, Markudi Benue state, tells Punchng how he succeeded in scoring a 4.66/5.00 degree honours. Read below 

Tell us briefly about yourself

I am the second child in a family of five, from the Kogi/Kabba Local Government Area of Kogi State; I am the first boy. I am friendly and easygoing, with a natural sense of humour. I enjoy being around children and have a passion for teaching. I am sociable and disciplined. I have few friends. I enjoy reading a lot, especially motivational books; I gain a lot of inspiration reading such books and consider Maya Angelou one of the great authors that ever lived. I love writing poems and have a collection of unpublished works. I enjoy playing football, scrabble and monopoly.

Did you ever imagine you would graduate with a first class?

Yes, I had such imagination of graduating with a first class before I gained admission in the first place. Specifically, I had imagined that I would come out tops in my class with good grades and make my parents proud. When I was in year one, our seniors did tell us that graduating with first class was difficult and unattainable. However, that never marred my dreams. My fear of failure fuelled my determination of achieving my dreams.

What specifically did you do to achieve this feat?

I disciplined myself, dedicated lots of time to my studies and endeavoured to be committed at all times to what I did; I avoided distractions as much as possible. Each semester, as soon as lectures commenced and I was done with registration, I started reading right from the beginning of that semester till the end. I tried as much as possible to balance academics with other activities in school. I attended all lectures, did my assignments and submitted on time. I also ensured I carried out all practical works assigned to me; I left no stone unturned. All these I did through the help of God. I read every day, every time in school except on Wednesday evenings when I attended fellowships. Anytime I didn’t understand a particular topic, I sought out help from colleagues who understood better. During examinations, I endeavoured to follow all instructions and wrote as neatly as possible. I answered questions I knew very well first before attempting other questions.

Tell us what Home Science and Management is all about.

Home Science is a scientific course of study which moulds a student with a variety of life skills. This is a unique discipline with a blend of science and art. It does not limit itself to the home-related skills of cooking, laundry, decoration and stitching. Home Science is now out of the shell of misconceptions and opens its doors for new avenues in all possible fields of life. It is an interdisciplinary course covering a wide spectrum of subjects falling under three main core subjects: Nutrition, Human Development and Family Resource Management. It is a recognised professional course and requires its students to have a logical and intellectual mind. Home Science also covers Physiology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Basic Research Methodology, Entrepreneurship Development, Family Life Education, Family Dynamics, Personality Development, Fashion Designing, Food Preservation and Quality Control. While pursuing this course, I was made to understand that it provides students with an array of employment opportunities such as dieticians in hospitals, nutrition consultants/nutritionists in food companies, psychologists in health care organisations, family counsellors, apparel merchandisers, interior designers, entrepreneurs in the fields of textiles, food sector, baking and confectioneries, teaching and researching.

Many people would perhaps think it’s a profession for women. What do you think?

In our society, I would say categorically that Home Science and Management is a profession for both male and female. This is because it does not limit itself to the home-related skills of cooking, laundry, decoration and stitching; it is open to the all possible fields of life. People have this wrong misconception about the profession; however in an oil-dependent economy such as ours, we need courses like this which teach vocational and entrepreneurial skills that can help young adults to be self-employed and generate income for themselves without waiting for the government to provide jobs for them. It is a profession for all.

Was it by choice or accident that you studied the course?

Home Science and Management was not my initial course of choice, but it eventually became my favourite. I actually applied for Mathematics and Computer Science, but I was offered HSM. After my first year, and having gotten all the proper orientation about the course, I decided I needed to go ahead with it, and I considered it as God’s doing – just as the famous author, Dalai Lama, said, “Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.”

What thoughts came across your mind when you got admission to study it?

I wasn’t really happy when I was offered the course; I had different weird thoughts concerning it and I was a little bit saddened I didn’t get what I wanted. I actually wanted to forfeit the admission and re-write UTME exams; however, I changed my mind because one thing I always kept in mind was that “one should always open one’s arms to change, but don’t let go of one’s values.”

You should be a good chef by now…

(Laughs) Like I said, the course is not limited to being a good chef. Its scope encompasses human resource management, child development, nutrition and dietetics, clothing and textile, etc. Yes, I now enjoy cooking, thanks to the course.

Tell us what your daily timetable was like when you were in school

I attended lectures from 8am – 3pm. Then I would return to the hostel to rest. Afterwards, I would go to the field to play football by 4pm – 6pm. From 6pm to 9pm, I returned to the hostel to sleep; then I would go to class to read from 10pm to 2am. This was my normal routine, except if I had a programme to attend or there was a social activity in or outside the school. On Sundays and Wednesdays, I did go to church.

Did you love studying in groups or reading alone?

I enjoyed reading alone. Up till now, I am more comfortable and have fewer distractions when I read alone. Reading alone in school was also convenient for me because I liked reading at my own pace. Doing that enabled me to follow my reading timetable strictly.

Some female students tend to be attracted to academically sound male students like you. How did you cope?

Although it wasn’t easy, especially for my course which had more female students, I was determined not to allow their advances to become distractions. I had a company of fewer females and I was dedicated to my studies. I engaged in less social activities which I knew would be an avenue to meet so many of them.

What social activities were you involved in in school?

I didn’t involve in many social activities, but I didn’t miss out during the Students’ Union Week and the ‘Food Week.’ I enjoyed participating more in sporting activities.

What nicknames were you given by your colleagues?

They used to call me different names such as ‘Scholar,’ ‘Scholarly,’ ‘Scholario,’ ‘Federal Government Pikin,’ ‘Always on point,’ and ‘Jackometer.’

Did those names bother you?

No, they didn’t really bother me because eventually, I got used to them since they weren’t insulting.

Who are your role models in your field?

My role models are Dr. N.I Olaitan, who was the Head of Department; she is a very hardworking woman. I also admire Prof. Kembe, Dr. Agbo, Dr. Iombor, Dr. Akpan and Mrs. Obute Emmanuella.

What would you do to achieve more than they did?

I am dedicated to what I do. I want to further my education and get more exposed academically, because I know this is the lowest level I could be. I hope to further my studies and pick up a teaching profession in a higher Institution. I love teaching.

How many years will this take?

Well, God willing, this could take six years.

Who among your lecturers in school inspired you most?

Mrs. Wandoo Enefola inspired me a lot.

How?

When I first checked my 100 level CGPA, which was 4.01, she spoke to me concerning the result and from time to time, she encouraged me to always do better than her. She was just the right inspiration.

Tell us about your parents’ role in your academics

I have the best parents in the world; they were very supportive, financially, morally and spiritually during my time in school. My mum would advise me a hundred times and I would smile; my dad would say little, but those words carried lots of wisdom. My parents were awesome in every possible way and I dedicate this feat to them.

What are the subjects pupils who want to study Home Science and Management should concentrate on?

They should concentrate on Food and Nutrition, Biology, Chemistry and Agricultural Science. English Language and Mathematics are compulsory.

Would you tell them that bagging a first class is easy?

Bagging a first class is easy if they are ready to work hard and be committed to their studies and are also prayerful. Students must be disciplined and endeavour to shun all time-consuming activities so they can have time for their studies. Also, I’ll like to tell them to get around people who have something of value to share with them; their impact will continue to have a significant effect on their lives long after they have departed. Finally, students should know that failure is not a single, cataclysmic event. You don’t fail overnight. Instead, failure is a few errors in judgement, repeated every day. So any student can bag a first class if they are committed to success.