Ramadan Fast: BUK Students Struggle with Extreme Heat, Exams
By Garba Salisu Abba, Hafsat Abdullahi and Barakat Ozohu Abdulrahman
As the holy month of Ramadan continues, students at Bayero University Kano (BUK) are finding it difficult to balance fasting, extreme heat, and academic responsibilities, especially with ongoing examinations.
PRIME TIME NEWS correspondents spoke with students yesterday to understand how they are coping with the harsh weather and their studies.
Neemah Alabi, a 400-level Public Administration student, shared her approach to managing the situation. “I drink a lot of water during non-fasting hours to avoid dehydration,” she said. To cope with both fasting and academics. I study during the cooler parts of the day, breaking up study sessions with short breaks to avoid exhaustion” she added.
For Abubakar Sarki Abubakar, a Medical Laboratory Science student, lack of sleep is a bigger challenge than the heat. “Honestly, heat isn’t my top problem,” he admitted. “Amidst Ramadan and the heat, my biggest challenge is lack of sleep because I need to wake up for reading and sahur and stay up till after Subh prayer.”
He further explained, “I usually don’t read late into the evening due to exhaustion and weakness from fasting. The heat adds to our dehydration, I believe.”
Some students expressed concerns over the university’s lack of adjustments during Ramadan. Yasir Munkaila Usman, a 200-level Engineering student, lamented, “Unfortunately, I haven’t noticed any significant adjustments. Most of our classes remain scheduled at the same times as before Ramadan, and the heat makes it hard to focus during lectures. I feel the university could be doing more to accommodate us during this period, for example by offering more flexible schedules or providing cool study spaces.”
On her part, Hafsa Abdullahi, a final-year Mass Communication student, highlighted the importance of hydration, saying, “Drinking a lot of water during sahur and iftar helps reduce dehydration during the day.”
Also, Barakat Ozohu Abdulrahman from the Law department added that beyond physical adjustments, mental resilience plays a role. “I adapt with a positive mindset to cope with this weather by accepting the reality of the harsh conditions,” she stated.
PRIME TIME NEWS gathered that, the challenges have also affected students’ academic performance. Aisha Ado, a final-year Business Administration student, noted, “Students find it difficult to concentrate in class and, by extension, some even skip lectures.”
For Zainab Muhammed, a third-year student, she expressed concern about exam performance. “Several students admitted that their exam scores might suffer because they couldn’t give their best effort under such conditions,” she said.
Reflecting on her own experience, Zainab added, “I knew the answers, but I was so slow because I was weak and tired after walking under the hot sun to my exam hall. I couldn’t finish all the questions on time.”
Other contributors to this report include Patience Onyioza Omogu, Ibrahim Wasilot Ozohu and Hafsat Shuaib.
