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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!
Young academic receives BRICS research funding
2017-04-13

Dr Thulisile Mphambukeli and Dr Victor Okorie
from the Department of Urban and Regional Planning
at the University of the Free State.
Photo: Rulanzen Martin
“It means a lot to me, as I am a young academic embarking on my postdoctoral research project. To be able to lead a team of researchers from various research institutions in South Africa is humbling.” This is what Dr Thulisile Mphambukeli had to say on being awarded a research grant by the South African BRICS Think Tank.
The think tank, in collaboration with the National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS), awarded the lecturer in Urban and Regional Planning at the University of the Free State (UFS) R150 000. She will spearhead a research project between BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) universities. “They have awarded me a three-month grant to facilitate a process of combining various research projects under the BRICS Academic Cluster,” Dr Mphambukeli said.
Platform provides collaboration
“The academic cluster provides a platform for researchers and academics to engage in ongoing collaboration,” she said. The grant will enable her and her research partner, Dr Victor Okorie, postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the UFS, to put together a research proposal to be submitted at the end of May 2017. If successful, her team will conduct a research study across BRICS countries over a period of three years. It will be done in collaboration with various South African universities, who will form a team to collaborate with researchers from BRICS universities.
Great accomplishment for UFS
“The funds we have received are quite a great accomplishment for the UFS and our department,” Dr Okorie said. The UFS has become a force to be reckoned with when it comes to emerging issues in BRICS politics and policies. “Our project looks at the provision of ecosystems, agriculture, and security and the UFS was chosen as the host institution.”