I don’t read to pass exams — BUK’s best Nursing graduate, Hafsat

Hafsat Muhammad Sani is a graduate of B.Sc Nursing from Bayero University, Kano. She recently emerged as the overall best graduating student, clinching various awards for excellence. In this interview, she shares her success secrets.   What were the awards you won at the recent graduation ceremony? I won award as the best clinical student, […]

Hafsat Muhammad Sani is a graduate of B.Sc Nursing from Bayero University, Kano. She recently emerged as the overall best graduating student, clinching various awards for excellence. In this interview, she shares her success secrets.

 

What were the awards you won at the recent graduation ceremony?

I won award as the best clinical student, and as the overall graduating student from Nursing Department. I also received award as the best student from the Nursing Council Examination which was done in November 2017.

Of what impact is the Nursing Council Examination in the profession?

The nursing council examination is usually set for nursing students to certify them as registered nurses. You have to pass this exam to be called a Registered Nurse or a Licence Certified Nurse. We did that examination during our Level four in 2017 together with our Level Four examination and I emerged the best student for that examination in the university.

How do you feel winning these awards?

The feeling is just out of this world, because it is something I never expected. I knew I was trying my best because I want to make my parents happy and I want near perfection in all I do. But I never expected to emerge as the best student. It is all because of my hard work, dedication, perseverance and the motivation I got from my teachers and parents along with prayers from well-wishers.

Was it your ambition to become a nurse?

Nursing had never been my dream. My dream since childhood was to become a general surgeon. I changed into nursing and I scored very high in the post UTME in the university. I was among those promoted to Level Two because some of my course mates were withdrawn and others were expelled.  That made me to appreciate what I was doing and felt perhaps nursing was what God has in mind for me.

How did you achieve this feat with rising focus on social media by youth?

That is a very disturbing thing for today’s youth. I do WhatsApp, Instagram and Twitter too. But I try to manage my time well. It’s painful that most of today’s youth dedicate all their time to the social media and they no longer concentrate on their books which is the key to success. For me, I don’t read to pass examination, I love and enjoy reading because it is my passion and that is one of my greatest secrets.

You have been leading the class at various levels. How did you stay afloat?

My class is very competitive; most of my course mates are very bright and intelligent. During my Level Two, I didn’t emerge as the best student even though I had very good grades. But in Level Three, I concentrated on a lot of prayers and reading and then I found myself as the best student. I continued that way with reading and prayer, not because I wanted to be the best student but just as a habit and I maintained my position and emerged as the overall best graduating student.

Do you have any advice for young students out there?

My advice to the youth is that they should pray hard, read, manage their time, and be determined to achieve what they set out to do. Whatever faith they are practicing, don’t concentrate on the western world or books alone, but concentrate more on acknowledging your creator and pray more because I have seen the power of prayer in my life.