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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

Special Edition of the Journal for New Generation Sciences launched at UFS
2016-10-26

Description: Journal for New Generation Sciences launched Tags: Journal for New Generation Sciences launched

Participants of the round-table discussion
at the launch of the Journal for New Generation
Sciences during the UFS Faculty of Education
colloquium which took place on 20 October 2016.
Photo: Oteng Mpete

The Journal for New Generation Sciences Special Edition was launched on 20 October 2016, at the Albert Wessels Auditorium, during the University of the Free State’s (UFS) Faculty of Education colloquium on the field of technological higher education and its contribution to the knowledge society.

Partnerships and knowledge production
Prof Laetus Lategan, Dean of Research and Innovation at the Central University of Technology (CUT), led the launch. “Higher education is not only about producing knowledge but it is also about fostering new relationships,” said Prof Lategan referring to CUT’s collaboration with the UFS Faculty of Education.

“Empowering people is important for capacity building, offering novice writers the opportunity to learn and a way to enhance their academic writing,” said Prof Lategan.

The Journal for New Generation Sciences is an accredited research publication in which scholars, internal and external to the institution, may publish. It accommodates national and international publications and showcases the university’s commitment to applied research.

Growing in leaps and bounds
According to Dr Somarie Holtzhausen, from the Faculty of Education’s School of Higher Education Studies, all papers are peer-reviewed by at least two experts. An editorial review also secures the quality of the paper. In 2014, when the journal was established, 30 contributions were submitted, although only 25 were successfully published.

“We turn down content not because it is not good, but unfortunately because it does not speak to the heart of the journal,” said Prof Lategan. With 60 peer reviewers, the journal’s contributors are assured that at least two peer reviewers will assess their article.

The Journal for New Generation Sciences supports both high-quality scholarly work of established researchers, and capacity building among new researchers.

During the round-table discussion various contributors to the journal spoke about their research and involvement in the publication of the journal.

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