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14 October 2020 | Story Thulaganyo Molebalwa | Photo Supplied
Thulaganyo Molebalwa recently graduated and is looking forward to entering the workforce and learning from the best in the different industries.
My name is Thulaganyo Molebalwa. I recently graduated with my bachelor’s degree in Governance and Political Transformation from the University of the Free State (UFS), and I am currently job hunting. I am looking forward to entering the workspace and developing as an individual while learning from the best in the different industries that I will hopefully become exposed to. 

When I reflect on my varsity career, I cannot help but remember the beginning of the second semester of 2018. I thought that I had one more semester left at the UFS, but then later found out that I still had a full academic year ahead of me in 2019. Learning this news nearly broke me; I was told that I still had a few outstanding modules to complete, and that I did not have enough credits to graduate. 

This was the beginning of a downward slope that left me in a very dark place in my life. At the time, it felt like everything was working against me, and it didn’t help that all my peers were graduating and progressing while I felt stuck. I developed a very negative mindset and slept a lot in an attempt to cope with my stress; I avoided people/public spaces because I just wanted to be alone. 

I started confiding in my family and friends about how I felt, and how everything had taken a heavy toll on my mental health and well-being. 

Look, it was not easy, but having someone to talk to has made a big difference and helped me get back to my normal daily routine, doing things I enjoyed. I even started a YouTube channel.

As students, we are often faced with different challenges. The university environment can become quite stressful for most people, because we are forced into vulnerability through our academics, methods of studying, and our social lives. 

I think it is important to prioritise your mental health at university by using resources such as the UFS Department of Student Counselling and Development to learn and be more aware of issues around mental health. I believe this would help a lot of students to realise that they are not alone and that there is help available.

News Archive

Prof. Aldo Stroebel serves on SAYAS
2011-09-23

 
Prof. Aldo Stroebel


Prof. Aldo Stroebel, from our university, has been elected as a Founding Member of the South African Young Academy of Science (SAYAS).
 
He is currently Associate Professor in the Centre for Sustainable Agriculture, Rural Development and Extension, as well as the Director of International Academic Programmes in the Office of the Vice-Chancellor at the university.
 
The Young Academy has as its objectives to represent young scientists in advising the government on science and technology policy and human resource development. In addition, they will prepare the SAYAS to join the Global Young Academy (GYA) to engage with high-level international bodies, including the World Economic Forum. Twenty Founding Members have been elected – ten new members will be elected annually to a maximum of 50.
 
Prof. Stroebel obtained his master’s degree at the University of Ghent, in Belgium, and a PhD at the UFS after a year of graduate coursework at Cornell University in the USA. He completed post-doctoral work at Wageningen University and Research Centre in The Netherlands, where he has been appointed as a Visiting Fellow to their recently-established Centre for Food Security and Sustainable Development. He has published widely, including more than 90 journal articles, book chapters and reports, and co-edited a book published by CTA Wageningen. He has supervised ten master's and doctoral students.  
 
He serves in various capacities: he is a member of the Research and Innovation Strategy Group of Higher Education South Africa (HESA), former member of the SANPAD Board, the President of the International Network of Research Management Societies (INORMS) Conference in 2010, and Vice-President of Research and President-elect of the Southern African Research and Innovation Management Association (SARIMA).
 
Prof. Stroebel has participated in a number of national and international conferences. He was a keynote speaker at the Society of Research Administrators (SRA) in Washington DC in the USA and at the Ministerial Conference on Higher Education in Agriculture in Uganda.
 
He has worked as a consultant and/or advisor for a number of international and multinational organisations, including the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), World Bank, Lux Development, and the World Conservation Union (IUCN), Switzerland.
  

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