Challenges are there for us to learn. Normally, Christians believe that God won’t give you something that you cannot handle.

I want to share my story on what university has taught me within a few months. I want tell my story. I arrived there not knowing how the system worked, as I was used to high school life.

In high school, technology was there but mostly used by the teachers as they stopped using chalkboards and changed to smartboards. Our work as students was to write down the notes or the classwork from the smartboards to our books. It was quite the easiest way to learn, everything was simple and normal.

Most of our subjects were even taught in our African language, which made it even easier for us to learn and understand. If we didn’t understand, we would ask the teacher to explain more, without any hesitation.

Today, I’m in university where there are people from all over the world who speak different languages. A place where one has to compromise their language, so communication can be there. Most lecturers are Afrikaners who speak English in an Afrikaans accent, which makes it difficult to understand what they are saying. It is even difficult for those who come from public schools to express ourselves in English when we visit our lecturers during their consultation hours.

Making it to university is a goal, an achievement to most. People tend to feel that they’ve made it in life. I truly understand where they’re coming from. I mean, through the high school struggles they made it to university. But, not knowing they actually have to get themselves ready for real responsibilities. Being at a place you know everything is on your shoulder is overwhelming, that’s why we have clinics, rehabs and psychologists at campus, because varsity life is really exhausting, the pressure and breakdowns really need someone who’s courageous and who knows what they want out of life.

The most important thing to remember is if you get to stay on campus, you should not be selfish. Teach yourself to share, be kind and make friends – this is how you will survive. Be ready to have brothers and sisters and not only by blood. Be a person’s person because trust me at the end of the day you will need those people. Say, you’re short of cash and you need bread or anything even soup, the other learners could help if you were helpful and there for them. University is a place where you know a person needs others to survive, if you are the golden child or the only child in your family and not used to sharing, change your ways and welcome to the real world. Welcome to a place where you need to learn to be there for others.

There are those who are selfish, who are only there for themselves, even die in silence because they never made friends with any of the students. Even when they’re broke and out of groceries they have no one to run to. Its sad because they never got themselves used to begging neither helping others. I hope you don’t end up like one of them.

Now at res, the boys and girls are separated. Boys have their block so do girls, but the things we see at night are shocking. We all know how students are when they have freedom, especially students who have had strict parents and were never given the opportunity to party, run after boys or any of the nasty things, these students tend to behave really badly and end up making wrong decisions with horrible consequences. They don’t get the fact that there are certain reasons why boys and girls were separated. They forget that they’re at university for their future and to earn the qualification of their choice. They are here to make their parents proud and change their home situation.

University has so many challenges. They host events knowing students have exams to write and because some students don’t think for themselves they choose parties over their future. Which is sad because they end up failing and dropping out of school. The pressure killed a lot of souls.

Today as we speak, I’m one of the students who chose unworthy things over my education, having to get in a visitor knowing that the rules say no visitors allowed. I’m writing this story not knowing what my punishment will be tomorrow. Surely, I’ll be called for hearing. The fact that I let a guy in really got me in trouble and I sacrificed not to go home just to see this boy. I wish I obeyed the rules. Writing this story was to give out a clue of how varsity is actually like and not what you all see in movies. This is the real world. People have real problems here, students are going through a lot. Failing left right and centre and they lose bursaries and drop out. It is sad reality. So stop judging drop-outs without knowing their story.

My advice to our 2021 first years is to keep focus and always remember your reason to be here and actually make a promise to yourself. Other than that, I hope this gets to you and you make right choices.

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