First Year's Profile: Sweet, Subtle Sadiyya...

She’s so pure and so innocent like a precious pearl found in the depths of the vast ocean. Her first year on campus, away from home and the people she loves, has proven to be one of the most memorable times of her life. Sadiyya Khan, a BComm student here at Rhodes University has undertaken one tremendous journey that actually determines the life she has ahead of her. It is amazing how a person like Sads can fit the theme of this blog so perfectly; she is a real survivor who knows her way around campus life! But this did not come easy; Sadiyya, like most first years struggled to find her comfort immediately, yet sought for it and has finally reached that point of warmth and courage within her.

She coiled her shiny, black hair around her finger seemingly in deep thought, her eyes so soft and honey- coated like a warm winter’s treat. She said so very gently in her sweet and mellowed tone, “Back home I’ve never had the opportunity to be completely my own person. Everything I did revolved around my home and my family. Here I’m put in a position to make my own decisions and create my own world”. Feeling lost and isolated from the rest of the crowd where people seemed to be as different from each other as the ten seasons we have of any one day in Grahamstown, Sadiyya felt quieted and shut away from it all. “I didn’t even go to dining hall in the first week of campus. Now it’s chilled, I have many awesome friends and many awesome times.” She related an incident that changed her perspective on dealing with such change in her life. Without too much information (or juicy gossip) Sads said that people within her community love stories, but no matter what anyone says, it is important to hold your head up high and not pivot your life around what society thinks of you, you can only achieve success if you are satisfied with yourself. And that is all that really matters.

With a feeling of complete motivation to tackle the upcoming final examinations, Sadiyya is more than confident that nothing can tear her down. With the belief that university is much like the survival of the fittest, she will do anything in her power to stay in the academic pool. So, to keep afloat, Sadiyya finds it extremely important to strike that balance between work and play. “Now I love going out and spending time with friends, but at the same time I know my limits. She goes by her day with this very enthusiasm and zest which allows her to expend her energy throughout the day on all that can help her move forward.

When interviewing her closest friends, they all smile gently, thinking how great a person she really is. They all regard her as one heck of a survivor and an upcoming heroine of first year university. She seems to fit the profile of an aspiring academic with glowing horizons as well as infinite possibilities. Sadiyya checked up on this blog and added that the theme fits in perfectly with the way university should be viewed and tackled; “Every piece of work is like a challenge for survival, you go in there and strive for excellence and if you have worked hard, no one can deny you those million dollar results!” Sadiyya can be viewed on www.facebook.com under her very name. By the way, she’s one heck of a hottie!