Support crucial for success of new students

Finding social support within the university is crucial to enable first year students to settle into the new world of independence at  tertiary  level.

This is the advice psychologist Nkululeko Mhlongo gave to first year students.

Mhlongo said first year students face a lot of anxiety in the unfamiliar university environment.

Among the causes of anxiety is uncertainty about the future and being away from the friends, family and society that had been providing support to them over the years.

He said anxiety affects performance at the university.

“We do research on how the students perform in the first six months at university ... it shows that it is difficult for them to keep good marks that they had at matric in that period. Performance drops because of lack of support  and social support coming from family and society at large.

“It is very important to find social support at the university through initiation programmes where you get to be socialised and get new friends. There is also sport and other student formations like yoga or karate that are there to form communities within the university which provide support for the new student,” Mhlongo said.

More than 200,000 matriculants achieved a Bachelor pass in the class of 2022, while over 190,000 got a diploma pass.

Universities cannot absorb all the matriculants who passed in 2022, which means some have to look elsewhere to further their education.

Mhlongo said it is important for parents to support matriculants who did not do well as they face a difficult time.

“The matriculant needs to know what are the options that are available for them – one of which is upgrading the results. They need to be told that while they have not succeeded that well, their journey has not ended.

“Parents need to explain to the matriculant that there have been people in the family that have failed but still made it in life. They need to tell their child we accept you for who you are…” he said.

dlaminip@sowetan.co.za