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09 December 2020
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Story UFS entral academic advising team
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Photo Pixabay
It wasn’t easy, but we all got to this point because we stayed calm and made the effort to learn on even when it was difficult.
The University of the Free State (UFS) has remained committed to supporting you in every way possible, and as you prepare for the final assessments, remember to access the support tools you will need in order to successfully complete the 2020 academic year: https://www.ufs.ac.za/toolsforsuccess
Main exams are running from 30 November to 19 December 2020
All of the best, and break a pen in your upcoming final assessments. For those of you who will be graduating, we cannot wait to see you in that graduation attire; and those who still have some way to go, we cannot wait to serve you again in 2021 as we continue the pursuit of academic success!
Below are five main study tips that you can use for final assessment success:
1. Set a realistic study schedule
You might think that studying for eight hours straight for four days before the exam, will help you get through the work in time. See final edition of the #UFSLearnOn for more information.
2. Structure and organise your work
If your notes are organised, it is also easier for your brain to recall information, even when you become nervous during exams.
3. Practise with an old exam/semester test paper
Practice makes perfect, and although the final assessments might look different in how they are administered, it will still help to practise using old tests and exams.
4. Adapt your strategies to the content
What works for one module or even one learning outcome, might not be effective for another. You need to continually adapt your note-taking and study approaches. See #UFSLearnOn final edition for different study methods.
5. Healthy body, healthy mind
Your brain needs optimal care to perform at its best, and getting physically active (even if it is by jumping in one spot if space is limited) forces your body to release neurotransmitters responsible for positive emotions, which assist in retaining information in your memory …
Download the final edition of #UFSLearnOn that points you towards the resources you’ll need to ace your final assessments and end 2020 off on a high note!
#Women'sMonth: PSP provides scholarly support system for Prof Wilson-Strydom
2017-08-17
Prof Merridy Wilson-Strydom loves asking questions and
therefore has a strong focus on research.
She also enjoys supervising PhD students.
Photo: Sonia Small
Publishing her first book and receiving a rating from the National Research Foundation (NRF) are career highlights for Prof Merridy Wilson-Strydom. As an emerging scholar, the Prestige Scholars Programme (PSP) of the University of the Free State (UFS) played an important role in reaching these goals.
According to the Associate Professor in the Centre for Research on Higher Education and Development, the PSP provided an important scholarly support system, both through the coordinators and the other researchers who are part of the programme.
Writing retreats made book possible
“I found the support and advice provided during the process of applying for funding and rating really helpful,” she says about receiving a NRF C2 rating, based on her work over the past eight years.
She compliments the PSP writing retreats, which “provided a wonderful space for writing and it was during the writing retreats that I did a lot of the writing for my book that was published by Routledge in 2015.” Her book, University Access and Success: Capabilities, Diversity and Social Justice, moving back into academia from institutional research, working closely with undergraduate students as research participants, and postgraduate supervision, are all highlights of her work.
Her book makes a valuable contribution to higher education literature related to access and transition to universities. But, contrary to the mainstream approaches to access which rely on school performance and admissions tests, she poses the issue of social justice at the centre of the analysis.
Student project produces E-book
Another project headed by her and funded by the NRF Thuthuka Programme, was a study to understand the lives of 40 undergraduate students (on the UFS Bloemfontein Campus) who attended township high schools. The study had a particular focus on identifying institutional practices that either enable or constrain students’ capabilities for success in undergraduate study.
One of the outputs was the writing of an E-book called In our own words: Perspectives on being a student. It was written by 30 undergraduate students and the purpose was to provide a platform for students to tell their own stories about life as a student.