On the student pilot’s second solo landing of the day, he realized that the airplane was too high and fast; however, he elected to continue the approach. On touchdown the airplane landed nosewheel first, bounced back into the air, and then settled back to the runway. The student pilot was able to taxi the airplane to the ramp. An examination of the airplane following the accident revealed that the airplane’s firewall sustained substantial damage during the hard landing. The student pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.