There is a big difference between hoping to graduate from the University
with a First Class and actually doing so. It is not everybody that starts the
University with a First Class that actually ends up graduating with one; this
is because it is not easy to keep up with the pressures and challenges of
maintaining a First Class. Today, one of the current First Class Students of
the Department of Accounting, University of Uyo speaks about the challenges he
faced, maintaining a First Class from Year One to Final Year. Excerpts:
Please, may we meet you?
Yes. You are welcome. I am Emmanuel Billy popularly known as Immanuel
Kant, an undergraduate student of the department of accounting of this great
University and I am currently in my finals.
You are popularly known as Immanuel Kant, but Kant was one of the
founding fathers of philosophy and you're studying accounting. What is the
relationship?
I adopted the name before I gained admission into this university but
only a few would believe this. I love reading and talking philosophy and most
importantly, I subscribe to the ideas and philosophies of Immanuel Kant because
of his ethical works such as his popular theory of categorical imperative.
Kant is one of the founding fathers of philosophy but I'm studying
accounting because it has been my early childhood dream to work in a bank –a
mentality I had till I got to know some things about life. If I were to come
back for an undergraduate study, I could move into the line of philosophy. This
is because, philosophy teaches me everything about life and makes me think
critically and make rational arguments about phenomenon.
So you already had an interest in Philosophy before you gained admission
to study Accounting; why did you pick Accounting, then?
Like I earlier said, it was a mere childhood mentality that grew up with
me and it is affecting me now in Accounting major courses. I'm not “exceedingly tight” though I’m doing my
best
Would you rather say you prefer Philosophy to Accounting?
I like philosophy but I prefer accounting because of its lucrative
nature. In Nigeria, Accounting is a very professional field of study that has
much relevance and prestige and can fetch me a lot of lucre but we can't say
the same for philosophy. I could either build others or build myself with
philosophy and nothing more
You made a statement earlier about not being "exceedingly
tight" in Accounting major courses. How is that, considering the fact that
you are currently one of the best students in your class?
I said I'm not "exceedingly
tight" In Accounting major courses. And that's because I had a very
weak foundation in Accounting in my secondary school days due to some
constraints. However, I've been doing my best and it's been paying off but not
to a very professional level.
But you're in final year and you're currently a first class student. Is
that right?
By God's grace I am.
How then, do you hope to make up for your lapses?
Well, with God all things are possible. I'm a very ordinary student,
though I’m diligent. I'm so fortunate that I'm only offering just two
Accounting major courses this year which accounts for only 15% of my results.
Be it as it may, I would still follow up as I've always been doing and thrive
as others would do. In addition to my resolve to be acquainted with these
courses, I’d also employ the free online aids of my senior colleagues to
explain some befuddling concepts and principles relating to these courses.
How do you cope being a first class student?
To be honest with you, it is not easy at all to be at the top. The
exacting requests from my parents to maintain it, the inherent pressures of
being there, the hates from friends, the gossips and backbiting, and above all,
the love and reverence from friends and families are not easy to deal with.
They could make me fall if I heed to either side of the encomiums or hates, but
I've been trying to neglect them and stay focus until I achieve it. Hopefully,
I would.
Apart from the obvious things of reading and attending lectures
regularly, what else can you say contributed to your current academic success?
Firstly, it is God. So many of my friends think I'm not a church person.
They could be correct in that I don't go to church often as most of them do but
I can say I pray a lot. And that is what I feel is the most important
ingredient of my success. Secondly, I could say it's the satisfaction of my
physiological needs such as food, comfort, etc., and making relationships
especially with the opposite sex. These relationships give me a stable and
relaxed state of mind of being relevant and as well, help sharpen my reasoning
process: Having a relaxed state of mind is the best emotion that leads to
success in life. Like I said earlier, making relationships with the opposite sex
enhance a stable emotion and as such, I could easily do anything to help myself
with that. Also, there is something I call “street wisdom” which also makes me
aware of my purpose in school and awakens me whenever I am going astray in
terms of academics or issues relating to Christianity relevance.
Lastly, I would mention the normal reading and attending lectures like
you've said.
So you do not belong to any social group that helps students study and
all that?
I don't belong to any group that relates to academics coaching. All the
ones I tried initiating or joining ended up crumbling at the nascent stage due
to negligent people there. So, I'm currently on my own.
How about peer pressure; does it affect you in any way?
Well, I could say it does, to some extent. However, to a larger extent,
it does not because I understand myself and know what is best for me. Hence, I
cannot allow myself to be under unnecessary tension and pressures of other
students who do their things according to how it suits them. It was in my first
year that I allowed those things others did to bother me, but I have patterned
myself towards focusing on what I do and I do it well.
Also, it is believed that being social is not compatible with being a successful
student, but the same is not the case with you. How do you combine being social
with being a very serious student?
Firstly, what do you mean by being social? If being social means talking
to everyone that crosses your path, then such things would not affect my
academics. If it also means always attending social events, then the inherent
nature of the “street wisdom” in me would make me overcome the temptation of
being too involved in these things.
You were on the University Honours’ Roll in your first year in school.
What advice would you give the current freshers so that they can tow the same
line?
I was on the University Honours’ Roll in my first year and I am currently
there and hopefully I would finish this school with my name on it. When I
started this school, I was operating on a triangular basis, i.e., Lecture room,
Hostel and Nightclass. I was very committed to making the formula results in
fruition; I only made few relationships and this formula paid off. Hence, I
advise all freshers to adopt this formula though it may be difficult for a
student to limit his movement to these three locations and shun every other thing.
But it is a good strategy that should work with resolve. Above all, they should
put God first before applying this formula.
