With the end-of-year examinations slowly coming to an end, Lumka Dumezweni, a second-year student in the
Department of Drama and Theatre Arts on the Bloemfontein Campus, believes it has “been tough but a growing experience with each year getting better”. She said, “The curriculum has improved and the approach to assignments is getting better.”
With one module left to write on Monday 28 November 2022, Dumezweni, born in Soweto, Johannesburg, said moving to Bloemfontein was because she “wanted a change of scenery and being an aspiring artist. I did not want to start the student life in the entertainment industry in a fast-paced environment.”
Finding your feet
Dumezweni said, “Coming fresh from home in such a big space, you do not want to throw yourself without having established who you are as a person. Bloemfontein was a better option, because it is more peaceful than Johannesburg.”
Dumezweni majors in theatre performance and poetry and believes the exams have been “tough comparing to first year but are manageable”. She added, “There have been instances I wish I had spent my time wiser and prepared better for some practical assessments.”
Her advice to other students is that “parties will always be there, but for exams you just need to focus once and make the most of the opportunity. Time management is key and spend it wisely.”
Her friend Mohau Mohono, a BCom Honours Financial Economics student, said completing exams was a relief, because at “postgraduate level one must have a new approach to studies; it is more about understanding and applying one’s knowledge. The level of expectation is higher than an undergraduate degree”.
He said, “One must adjust in responding to how questions are asked. Studying textbooks is not enough; you also need to apply real-life learning. You need to be informed about what is happening globally, but when you put in the work, it pays off.”
Knowing where to study is key
The reason he chose to study through the University of the Free State, Mohau said, was that the banking and investment programme was “very effective and something new. The institution is also much closer to home – Kimberley – with not much needed to adjust to life in Bloemfontein.”
Mohau said, “The focus is now to be Chief Financial Analyst and once getting the title, opportunities will be endless.”
Advising other students, he said, ‘time management mental health should be the priority for every student. “If you are not okay upstairs, you will not be okay anywhere else. Students should be open minded because varsity is all about learning new things,” he said.
Time to unwind
After the examinations, Dumezweni is looking forward to going home and spending time during Christmas with her family which she had not see them the whole year because of performances during university holidays.
She said: “Having to be away from her family was an investment as the future is our hands. After all, the choices, and the amount of work one puts in will bear the same amount results. You just must gauge what works for you as an individual.”
The two appreciates the ‘top tier diversity among UFS students, the ‘helping hand always available to assist’, mental health support offered to students and access to resources to thrive.”