Before I graduated from the university some years ago, I knew I was not satisfied with my educational pursuit and career as at that time. However, I decided to go back to the university, but I was not very sure of what course to study. Finally, I had this strong desire to study nursing. Getting admission into the university to study nursing was not as easy as I thought, but in all, God gave me victory and I was offered admission to study nursing at the University of Port Harcourt.
When I discussed my decision of going back to the university with some of my friends and some persons, a lot of them discouraged me, while a few friends told me if that was what I wanted, I should pursue it. Even after gaining admission into the university some persons still continued saying discouraging words to me. I later made a decision not to discuss my nursing pursuit with anybody anymore because I was receiving more discouraging words than I was receiving encouraging words. Knowing that these discouraging words sometimes weighed me down, I decided to keep my focus and stop talking about it so that I won’t get to hear discouraging words.
I informed my parents about my admission but they were really not interested in my nursing pursuit. Hence I was not given any financial support from them. Tracy Leilei’s (a sister in church) testimony on how God saw her through school encouraged me. Therefore, I believed that the same God would see me through school. I encouraged myself with Matthew 6:25-33 and also made up my mind that if God does not make the provision for my education, I would not indulge in any ungodly act to make money, rather I would quit my nursing pursuit.
I made plans of working and schooling while also applying for scholarship, hence, when I got to 100 level nursing I began applying for available scholarship. I was invited for just one, which I was confident I was going to win but, I was not successful in the exam.
The first semester of 100 level was my most challenging academic period while in school because I could barely afford my basic amenities such as food and transport. Change of clothes, shoes, etc were luxuries as I could barely change any of them but I experienced God making provision for me when friends and some church folks blessed me with some of their fairly used clothes, shoes etc.
By the second semester of 100 level, I secured a Saturday job, which I was paid N4, 000.00/month. To me, I was now rich as N4, 000.00 was such a big money to me because I could afford to buy food and at least make photocopies of some important textbooks since I could not afford to buy new ones. Sometimes, I also got to work other days apart from Saturdays and when I did, my boss paid me more at the end of the month.
By the beginning of fist semester of 200 level when all of my year 1 results were out, I realized that I failed three courses and the consequences of that meant that I might have to repeat year one. I felt really sad. I realized that because of the job, I was not reading as I ought to and knowing fully well that my major reading day was Saturday, which I now spent working. I immediately had to stop working and concentrated on my academics. God gave me victory that after my name was published to repeat year one, it was later re-published that I should continue to year two class.
While in 200 level, I heard of another scholarship and this one was Rivers State Government Scholarship, which was open for only students in 200 level. I applied and was invited for the scholarship exam. This was the most difficult scholarship exam I had ever written. After the exam, my brother asked me how the exam went. I told him the exam was very difficult and that I was not confident about my success in it. I also added that if I succeeded in the exam, he should know that it was a miracle. After many months, the result of exam was published and I was successful. The scholarship was for just three years irrespective of the number of years you are to spend in school. Just like I told my brother, I considered this a miracle because after that year, the state government never conducted that scholarship again.
Nursing was not as easy as I thought because every new class came with its peculiar challenges, but God gave me victory in all. As a student nurse, I was expected to write different professional exams and also get a license for each of them. These exams were general nursing exams, midwifery exams and public health exams. Each of these exams entailed writing a pre-qualifying exam, which had to be paid for. Success in the pre-qualifying exam qualifies the student nurse for the main exam, which also had its fees, and success in the main exam qualifies for payment of a professional license, which now qualifies the student nurse to write the next professional exams.
My scholarship was for three years, but I spent a total of six and half (6 & 1/2) years in school instead of five years. This was mainly because my department was not accredited on time and that made us commence the writing of our professional exams late, and hence we spent longer years in school. My scholarship money was exhausted before I finished school but God provided for me all through. I wrote all my professional exams without failing or resisting any, and I also graduated from the university with the grade of my choice, which is, second class upper division. In addition to my B.NSc (Bachelor in Nursing Science), I am also a registered nurse, a registered midwife, and a registered public health nurse officer.
Lord, I just want to thank you and to you I give all the glory.