According to the student pilot, he had conducted a 1.5-hour solo cross country flight and was landing at the destination airport. The student pilot stated that the airplane was "too high and too fast" on the landing approach, and the airplane "bounced" on touchdown. The student pilot "dove for the runway" in an attempt to recover, the airplane's nose landing gear contacted the runway, and the tire "blew." Postaccident examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed substantial damage to the engine firewall. The student pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies He also reported 54 hours of total flight experience.