| A node for African thought

Prince Ndlovu Shares His Strategies for Excellence

“University is refreshing because it indicates that one has closed the high school and childhood chapters and taken a step towards maturity. It is a period of finding oneself, learning things about yourself you never knew before. You start to understand how things in the real-world work – even if your classes may sometimes seem pointless.

The amount of work you put into each course has to be outstanding. It’s unlike high school where you can pull something together on the last minute, especially when it comes to exams. It’s close to impossible to learn an entire semester’s worth of content in one day – let alone an all-nighter. This was something I had to learn to adjust to: not procrastinating.

To those going into first year, remember to take chances and break out of your shell because sometimes the best outcomes come from a new step you are worried to take. Share your stories, whether you’re worried or excited beyond belief.

Consult with tutors or lecturers if anything is hampering your understanding – they are there to help you. If you are experiencing difficulty grasping concepts or being confused by a topic, it will impact on your understanding of more complicated work later, so ask for help.

Draw up a study timetable and take regular breaks. Your maximum concentration span lasts 35 – 45 minutes so don’t study for too long without a break. Your mind doesn’t absorb information effectively if you’re tired which is why you need to take regular breaks after each study session.

Real learning is in applying how well you’ve retained or understood information. Past papers are a good way to check how much you know and how well you know it. Test yourself using these papers and mark them to gauge where you can improve. If you don’t understand a question or how to get to the correct answer, ask your tutor or lecturer, or a friend who’s good at the subject.

Manage your stress levels and try to keep calm.

In conclusion, work around load shedding. By now we all have a load shedding timetable. Plan everything and incorporate load shedding.”

– Narrated by Prince Ndlovu and written by Precious Shamase

Ndlovu is a final-year environmental planning and development studies student.

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