For the better part of my campus life, I haven’t gotten to be in the audience of an inspiring, motivating and encouraging session such as that we had with Professor Getenga on the night of 30th Feb 2018 at the Writers Guild Chuka Meeting.
The talk was divided into two inspirational parts, one being subjective and the other objective. In the first part, Prof shared his own story, right from his birth, the challenges he faced to get to where he is and how it has been being where he is at the moment. The following are some of the key points I picked from this first part;
#1. Your life is yours if you’re willing to take it
In the traditional set-up in which Prof. Getenga was born, getting an education was the last option anyone had in life considering the many challenges that were glued to it. The area chief had to forcefully sell his father’s flock in order to keep him in school, he couldn’t afford a government school despite passing so well, had his exams cancelled at form four, but still never gave up on education.
The most inspiring part is actually when he had to give up his lifetime dream of becoming an engineer just because his high school couldn’t offer him Physics. Who does that? Just imagining if that was me, I would even transfer to a Ugandan school just to do what I want. I’m not saying it’s wrong to follow dreams and to work hard for them, but sometimes, we focus so much on the closed door that we don’t even see the open doors. If Prof. had stood for Physics no matter what, right now, Chuka University would be lacking a professor in Analytical and Environmental Chemistry and a Director of Research.
We do not know our destiny and despite knowing what we want, we don’t know what we need. So let’s not pretend like we can decide our own destiny. We can try, fail, try again, fail and keep trying, but if we keep ignoring open doors because we want better…, hmm…, I don’t even know what might happen.
#2. Failure is not the end your story, it is the beginning of your comeback story
I’m sure you’ve heard a thousand stories of those who failed and tried again until they succeeded. But here is another one. Prof. Getenga passed CPE very well but couldn’t join a government sponsored school due to fee, but still joined a Harambee school and pushed on with life. His exams were cancelled in form four due to incrimination by a fellow, but still didn’t quit, decided to repeat, and passed. He was denied the chance to do Physics in high school, which would enable him do engineering, his dream course, but still didn’t quit. Probably, that’s the only reason he’s now a professor of Chemistry.
‘Failure is success in progress’, so said Einstein. Even Prof. Getenga echoed it, do not give up despite the turbulence on the way. Obstacles are there to make you better. If you fail, get up and try again. If you fail again, don’t worry, just get up and try again. If you aren’t dead, you haven’t failed entirely. You still have a chance.
#3. Don’t collect money, collect memories
You can sit down with Prof. Getenga talking about the people he has met, the places he has been, the things he has done, and you’d only be removed by dusk and the following morning you’d be sure to be right at his feet. It is so adorable. Money, we will leave when we die. But memories are part of us, we will take them with us to the grave and we will cherish them forever. I do tell some minions that it is not always about money. Not everything I do is about money.
Echoing Prof. Getenga’s words, “I might not have a lot of money, but I am proud of the life I have lived. I am better off than those who have amassed wealth through ungodly ways.” I am not dedicating my life to collecting wealth, I am devoting myself to collecting memories. And some day when I’ll be old, on my deathbed, I won’t be looking with agitation at the wealth I have collected that can’t save me from the face of death or make me young again, but I will be thinking of all the memories I’ve collected and smiling all the way into eternity.
#4. Humility is not just a virtue, it is the best principle
Did you know, that in the whole of Chuka University, there are only four full professors, and Prof. Getenga is one of them, alongside the VC and the two DVCs. All the rest are called professors but are simply associate professors. Again, just in case you didn’t know, Prof. Getenga is the director of research, extension and publications in Chuka University. But still, he could lower himself to the level of talking to the young minds at Writers Guid, encouraging and mentoring them. How many professors can do that? Let alone professors, there are some assistant lecturers who are too ‘busy’ to even e consulted for just 20 minutes.
I have gotten to see Prof. Getenga’s humility for myself, and it made me happy that he associated it greatly with his success. This was even echoed by Joshua, the best graduating student of 2018, who accompanied professor. If you aren’t humble, then it isn’t far you’re reaching.
In the second part of the talk, which was more of objective, Prof. Getenga tried to answer some of the most disturbing questions about academic writing. I picked up these key points;
#1. Acadmic writing is different from online writing
If you came with the thought that academic writing implies that stuff you do online and then get paid, I’m sure you were disappointed. No one would invite a professor to talk about that kind of stuff. Anyway, online writing is a talk for another day, but clearly, it isn’t anywhere close to academic writing from how professor described academic writing.
#2. Academic writing is built on research
I know many must have thought earlier that academic writing is writing for academic purposes. However, prof. clearly described what academic writing entails and the process of producing an academic paper.
In layman’s terms. Academic writing is the process of coming up with an academic paper. An academic paper is a document in which the findings of a research has been documented. A research is a systematic investigation of an issue in order to provide a solution.
#3. There is no need to write an academic paper if you don’t know how to
For an academic paper to be published in a recognised credible journal, it has to meet given set standards. If it can’t meet the standards, then it can’t be published. Therefore, at an undergraduate level, students are taught research methods for the first time in fourth year. Before then, a student might not be equipped with the right skills to write an academic paper and therefore trying to might be a waste of time. Professor’s indirect advice was therefore that it is better to wait till fourth-year in order to write an academic paper, but of course, trying is not forbidden, and personal learning is not forbidden either.
#4. The process of publishing an academic paper
In order to get an academic paper to be published, one has to go through a given process. First, after reaching out to the publisher/editor in chief of a research journal, one is provided with a set of instructions known as instructions to authors. Within is contained the objectives of the journal and the formats in which the journal’s papers are presented. Once an author affirms that his/her paper conforms to the particular journal, then it is forwarded for consideration.
The chief editor reviews the paper if it fits for publication in the journal. If it is, it does, it is considered for publication. If it doesn’t, it is not considered. Once the paper passes that stage, it is sent to three different peer reviewers, who review the paper again to see if it is suitable for publication. The reviewers check for such things as plagiarism, authenticity, if the paper is presenting anything new, among other things. If the paper passes this stage as well, it will surely be published.
#5. Take your fourth-year project serious
If you ever dream of becoming an academician (a professor), then the journey begins with your fourth year project. Apart from the post-doc studies, it is the publications you make that make you rise from a senior lecturer, to an associate professor and finally to a professor. Therefore, the fourth-year project is just the first among many for an academician and should thus be taken with a lot of seriousness.
There you have it friends. I hope you grasp something as well. If you grasped something I didn’t capture, please add it in the comments section for everyone to learn it as well.
by Vincent Owino
by Vincent Owino
