Kabelo Moloi (16) from Tsakane, Ekurhuleni has just finished writing his grade 11 year-end exams and he feels optimistic about the results.
However, this 16-year-old, who attended Tembisa High School, doesn’t know which career to follow after matric.
“Next year I will be doing matric but I’m still looking for a university where I can study.”
Apart from exam stress and the pressure to fit in, Mzansi students also face a range of social and economic challenges.
A 2015 study conducted by Stellenbosch University found that among 1 337 university students of various backgrounds, as many as 12% experienced moderate to severe symptoms of depression and 15% suffered from anxiety.
“Once you’ve started your matric year, you will have very little time to focus on which courses are right for you because of the workload,” said Peter Kriel, general manager at The Independent Institute of Education, South Africa’s most accredited private higher education provider.
He says many grade 12s get so caught up in the social and academic demands of their final year that they spent too little time investigating all their options and applying before deadline to a university or college of their choice.
“Another thing that grade 11s are often not aware of, is that their grade 11 marks can help their applications.”
Kriel has a list of questions you should answer to help you make the right choices for your future.
- How do the class sizes in this particular programme compare to other institutions or universities?
- How are in-person classroom time and self study balanced?
- How does technology support the education experience of students at this institution?
- How important is employability of students after graduating from your institution?
- If I get stuck with an assignment or project, which resources and courses of action are available to help me succeed?
