Health Science Reviews

By Athianda Bukula

I had made peace with the fact that I wouldn’t be accepted into Honours, yet God came through for me, and I got accepted. At the time, I didn’t have any funding. I had been rejected by every bursary I applied for. Still, I took a risk and accepted the offer, returning for Honours with no financial support. But again, God provided, I eventually received funding. 

I was prepared for anything. This academic journey has been long, interesting, tiring, and at times, enjoyable. I remember how overwhelming the workload felt in the beginning. In undergrad, I was used to 45 minutes lectures, suddenly they were two hours long. But I adjusted.  

The stress, anxiety, and fear of failure were real. I faced many challenges, but I was blessed with kind and supportive supervisors, co-supervisor and classmates who helped me through it all. There were moments of deep pain. I lost a family member in a brutal way, and it nearly broke me. My grades dropped drastically. But the encouragement and care I received kept me going. 

It’s truly been a journey, I’ve grown so much as a person and gained valuable skills, in the lab, writing, and presenting. I genuinely love my project, and it feels amazing to keep learning new things. I’m grateful for it all.