With my health condition, it wasn’t easy making first class –Usman, Aeronautical engineering first class graduate

Hauwa Usman, 22, studied Aeronautical Engineering at the University of Brighton, United Kingdom, and she was one of the four students who graduated with a first class from the department in the 2016/2017 academic session. She tells TUNDE AJAJA how she made it despite having dyslexia

Was there any remarkable event while you were growing up that you won’t forget?

While growing up, my parents usually took us out to get groceries. I remember on one occasion when we went to a shop with my mum, I saw a beautiful aeroplane toy and I really wanted to have it and I told my mum to get it for me. At that time, there were no debit cards, and my mum had spent all she had on buying what she needed in the house. But like the saying goes, there is no love greater than the love of a mother for her child. You know what she did? She had to return some of the things she already bought just to buy that toy for me. I’ll always be grateful for that; having such lovely parents. From there, I started liking airplanes and then, I began making kites and paper planes.

Was that all that influenced your choice of course later in life?

As a child, my dream was to become a pilot and it was partly a fallout of that encounter I narrated earlier. I used to imagine what it was like for pilots to take off and land, most especially at night, when one could barely see far and also, flying in the sky for hours. Over the years, as I grew older, I became more aware of the need for aviation safety in the country due to the plane crashes we had in the past. So, I settled for aeronautical engineering.

At what point did you travel to the UK for your studies?

I decided to travel to the UK after my secondary education. By British standards, it’s called Year 12, which I had at Lead British International School. Actually, for the fact that I had already attended a Nigerian British school with a very high standard, the next step was to progress. If all the necessary resources I needed for my dream course were available here in Nigeria, maybe I wouldn’t have travelled abroad for my tertiary education. But since I wasn’t going to consider another course, I looked forward to travelling and it was a pleasant experience. The admission process was straightforward. It was mainly about meeting the requirements, and the major one was to pass all the core science subjects at the Education First Language School in Cambridge and get a score of 6.5 and above in the International English Language Testing System.

What was your first year performance like or you had difficulties acclimatising?

I did exceptionally well in my foundation year at Cambridge, and my grades were fantastic. I would call it unbelievable. And then I was admitted into the University of Brighton through Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. However, in most universities in England, the first year performance is not put into account. I would say I was an average student then. I knew I could have done better. I even had an issue with one course but over time, things got better.

Did you have a particular goal in mind when you were leaving Nigeria?

I planned to do my best to make sure I had a good grade and never to take any course with levity because I believe success is beyond passing exams. I have always been of the view that to be very good and outstanding in your profession, you need to pay attention to your studies and learn when you should, which I believe would equip you for the tasks ahead. However, my aim was to graduate with nothing less than second class upper division. So, graduating with a first class was a surprise and I’m really proud of myself and I give all glory to Allah and family and friends that supported me. I must add that making a first class wasn’t easy at all. I had to seriously tighten my belt.

When did you start having first class?

In my first year, I had a second class lower division. The second year, I was still in the second class lower division, and at the end of the third