Posted on by ncubekn

How my academic story changed from average to cum laude

Having completed high school with low marks and staying at home for 3 gap years, a lot of people ask how I eventually managed to obtain my degrees cum laude and obtain various accolades. I wish I could give a classic copy-paste solution to overcome some of the challenges I faced, but everyone is different and there is no specific formula to tackle various challenges. However, in this blog I aim to provide some tips on how to avoid some of the difficulties I faced, and various adjustments I made when I got into university. I believe some of these lessons I learnt could be beneficial to young high school students seeking to pursue university education in future, or current university students that need to make adjustments to maximize their academic performance.

Apply for as many programs and universities as you possibly can

One common mistake that many students make is limiting themselves to a specific area of study or just specific universities. I personally had an interest in Pharmacy, and I applied for that area of study at only two universities. Little did I know that it was a very competitive space, and I could have maximized my chance of university acceptance by diversifying the degrees I applied for and applying at more universities. When one has lower marks, they could apply for a related program that a has lower entry requirements, then improve their marks during their first semester, which could then improve the chances of being accepted into the degree they wanted to get into. In my case, I started off with a BSc degree, and chose science-based modules that provided good scientific knowledge required for post-graduate studies in Pharmacology. In my undergraduate studies, I worked hard, and eventually graduated with high marks that allowed me to pursue post-graduate studies in Pharmacology.

Be watchful of the company you keep

There’s no truer statement than “you eventually become the company you keep”. One therefore needs to be wary of the kind of people you surround yourself with, as they will eventually determine who you become. The university is a social space, and you are bound to meeting individuals from different backgrounds. If you surround yourself with playful friends, you eventually become playful, and the opposite is true regarding determined individuals. In my case, having experienced the disadvantage of having playful friends during my gap years, I carefully chose the friends I surrounded myself with, and this indeed help to keep me inspired and focus on my academics. Additionally, it is important to have a mentor to assist you throughout the journey, you should check with your faculty on how to obtain a mentor, as some universities do have free mentorship programs, such as the STARS Mentorship Programme at the university of Pretoria.

Your mental health matters – take care of it

The university environment can take a toll on one’s mental health, it is therefore important for one to carefully take care of their mental wellbeing. Staying far from family, failing some tests and general academic pressure can all cause various mental health problems. Fortunately, Universities have free student counseling units to assist with mental health issues that students may be facing. These are safe spaces, where your issues will be kept confidential, and you can obtain the best assistance regarding mental health, I highly recommend that students use such facilities. Finally, for you to make it, it is important to believe in yourself despite the challenges or failures you may face along the way, a made-up mind is a powerful mind!!

I recently participated in a live interview discussing some of the issues addressed in this blog, you can watch the video here:

Posted on by mauro95cesar

PhD Student- Supervisor Relationship

As a PhD student, my supervisors have become the most important people in my academic life. That said, it is unusual that I have only met with each of them once since my PhD began. I enrolled in the beginning of 2020 and shortly after our initial face to face meeting, the global pandemic had begun.

During my Honours and MSc years, I had the habit of meeting my supervisor in his office to discuss my progress. During my PhD, communication has almost exclusively taken place online. This has led to a much less hands-on role by each of my supervisors in comparison. Each of my supervisors did warn me that a PhD requires the student to take ownership of major decisions and of their own work. The role of the supervisor is to advise and not instruct. This was something that did take a while getting used to, as it requires a higher level of academia.

I have communicated with each of my supervisors’ countless times on multiple platforms such as WhatsApp, Zoom and Microsoft Teams. Each communication platform has its own pros and cons, and I have no real preference. For instance, Zoom has a 45-minute time restriction for users without a license, requiring attendees to rejoin the meeting whenever the time runs out. Microsoft Teams does not allow one of my supervisors to communicate using their microphone, and WhatsApp is often a two-way line of communication.

The most positive experiences were when each of us were present in an online meeting. I am appreciative that often, they could meet up with me together during the same meeting as their individual schedules are not always aligned. Such meetings were highly valuable to the PhD, and along the way helped me to build strong working relationships with each of them. The most crucial meeting was when we discussed the change of direction that the project was going to take, owing to the pandemic. 

It has not always been smooth sailing. Waiting on feedback on work was something that made me feel as though I was lagging and wasting valuable time. Managing the desires of each supervisor is also highly challenging. It is not always the case that both supervisors will want the same thing, and so I often must make the final decision when there is a disagreement. I am grateful that I do not get dictated what to do, rather I am advised on what would be a good option, meaning that the final decision rests with me. This responsibility towards my PhD and license to try and fail has helped me take true ownership of my work, aided by having two distinctly different supervisors.

In fact, I feel a lot more confident in my personal ability prior to when I started my PhD. I owe that to the advice each supervisor has given me, the countless hours of their time at all hours of the day, and their true belief in me. Undeniably, the level of support from each supervisor has remained the same throughout, 100%.

I encourage each PhD student to share open conversations with each of their supervisors. Speak up, ask when you need help, but be firm in your decision making. Your supervisor is there to support you, but it is ultimately your responsibility to drive your PhD forward.