Study Tips: Part 1

We all think that it gets better with time but there is no getting used to the anxiety one gets when it’s that time of the year and that is…
SECOND SEMESTER EXAMS!!!

First and foremost there are those who are still crossing their fingers that they got exam entry and after receiving your fate you found that you made it… Now it’s the rush of putting all the notes together and asking friend’s notes in case you bunked some classes. If you are really desperate you will even attempt to email your lecturer or tutor at 1 am and expect them to reply. When that rush is over its somehow finding time to actually start with the studying. There are those who are internally motivated and already start making notes well off before the time. Then there is our old friend called Procrastination. It seems like you not really wasting time but deep down you know you better start with your work because days just go by faster lately…then before you know it ,its towards end of October and UJ is making you begin with exams on a Saturday and if they really love your presence they make you write two papers in one day.

This is the period where you ignore the fact that you have to buy data bundles or renew your BIS. The period where all of a sudden you remember that energy drinks actually do exist. 

Its the study week and for the next days we will hook you up on study tips to help pass your exam and dodge the monster “F7” .

So there you....

Study Tip #1

Understand your study topics in your own words: Your lecturer can explain something to you, you can learn it from a text book, your friends can study with you, even your own notes can explain it to you but all these explanations are of little use if, by the end, you can’t explain what you have learned to yourself. If you don’t understand a study concept that you need to illustrate in an exam to get top exam results, then you won’t be happy with your end exam result. To combat this, get into the habit of explaining w

hatever it is you are studying, in your own words, so you understand your study notes. The key to help improve your memory is to understand what you've learned when you are studying it. So don’t just memorise and tick off the list – make sure you understand your theory.

Don't be too trusting

Joburg comes with flashing lights and everything under the sun, don’t be fooled by it, this place is a jungle at its best, they don’t call it GP (Gangsters Paradise) for nothing,crime features strongly as one of the themes of Johannesburg. I’m currently doing my Btech at DFC, and I wish someone would have cautioned me during my first year about the real life dangers that students face on a daily basis. Yes, the university cautions us about consequences of not meeting academic requirement as well as taking care of our wellbeing, but I feel as though no one cautions us about the real life dangers we might encounter during our studies.

During my first year I was looking for promotional part time job to earn an extra buck ,  a guy approached us saying he needed promo girls at that time, I though “whoop whoop” just my luck. He took us to Melrose Arch to brief us about this particular event and insisted that we have a drink before we go because he didn't want any shy girls, he later span us a story about a Government event  that we would be working for that particular night, the event paid quite well and we would be required to be data captures for that event. He asked that we give our phones to one of our friends as no phones are allowed to enter the venue because of security precautions, we didn't think much of it because we just wanted the job as it paid very well. We were also required to bring our own laptops to capture the data. The girl that was chosen to take our phones left with the man to take our belongings to “Safe Keeping”. At this point, our friend was robbed by this man, he took all our phones and laptops and rapped our friend and dumped her by the Sandton Convention Center.  Moral of the story please be warned, DON’T BE TOO TRUSTING OF ANYONE! More especially when your safety is concerned.

Tips for students

•  Make sure you work for promotion companies that are well known and legitimate, do research on them if necessary
•   Avoid walking alone at night
•  Don’t talk on your  phone while walking, earphones also draw a lot of unnecessary attention to thieves
• Sugar daddies can bring you more than money, they rob you of your innocence and might leave you with AIDS
• Always carry cab money with you when going out
•   Don’t over indulge in alcohol , don’t do drugs, practice safe sex
•   Learn to take care of yourself
•   Don’t take lifts from strangers 

Forming relationships in varsity

Your undergraduate years are labeled as “the best of your life” for many reasons. You meet some of your closest friends, you try juggling your school work with your social life and you build new relationships.

Dating at university appears to be a war zone we work through. During my second year at varsity I met this guy who was doing his honours degree, we started dating for a while and he  evidently  finished his studies before me. Our relationship was great because he understood that we both had to manage our time effectively in order for me to balance our relationship with my studies. If your partner is not studying, make sure he/she understands your school schedule and supports your studies, you need to find a partner who recognizes the temporary nature of your schooling, who sees the potential in you that your education is helping you realize, and is willing to be flexible and supportive, even if you’re pulling an all-nighter on a Friday.In the end, it’s about the two of you coming together and agreeing to make the relationship work despite the sacrifices you both have to make. Make use of the UJ health clinic, it offers Reproductive Health Care (Family Planning) and HIV/Aids Counseling and Testing (VCT). If you’re sexually active, remember to practice safe sex at all times.

Another exciting part of your undergraduate is meeting some of your closest friends. I’m sure you've heard the saying; a rotten apple can spoil the whole bag. Let’s say you happen to have a basket of delicious ripe apples and there’s one spoiled apple amongst the bunch, you can rest assured within days all the apples in the basket will start rotting.  Friendship takes on the same approach, bad company can ruin good character; choose your friends accordingly because they will affect what you become. With that being said, have fun and build meaningful relationships.

Exam coping strategies

Throughout your school career you have been writing exams, and currently at the university you are again required to sit for exams as they are an important and non-negotiable part of education. Because exams are used as progression guides, it is essential to thoroughly prepare for them.  Let’s look at some exam taking strategies:

•  Revise your work well in advance
• Organise your study material well. Test yourself
• Form study groups
• Finish your preparation at least three days before the exam
• Organise the material you will need for the examination a night before
•  Plan your time, eat healthy and drink a lot of water

Remember that the University offers supportive structures that can help you prepare for exams. Visit the AcademicDevelopment Center and find out more about the Learning Development Unit, this unit assists students with a series of workshops/trainings aimed at maximizing student learning experience and capacity. The Writing Center will assist any student who wants to write better, areas such as structuring an essay, expressing ideas clearly and coherently, and developing self-monitoring skills are focused on. Make use of consultation times with lecturers and tutors .

Some of you might feel stressed or overwhelmed prior your exams, WORRY NOT! PsyCaD assists students with their emotional well-being. Good Luck with your exams, REMEMBER IT’S OK NOT TO KNOW EVERYTHING, some questions are designed to challenge the limits of your knowledge at a grade level above your current grade.

Student societies: It’s not just about making friends…

A student society is a group of students that come together for a particular purpose; these individuals usually share the same interests. The University offers a vast number of extra-curricular activities that exceed what most first years could hope for,  from political societies to religious societies, academic societies and social societies,

The obvious benefit of joining a student society is the impact it will have on your social life. Coming into university as a first year and entering a newly presented environment you may feel alone at first, joining a society is a great way to meet people and feel part of a community.Societies are real advantages in terms of CV boosters as well. The skills you acquire, qualities and knowledge society’s offer may give your future employee the insight that you can successfully adapt to life as a graduate in the workplace. Employers want more than just a “Brainy” they want someone who also knows how to have fun by being part of a society, this may separate you from someone who has the exact same Degree as you when apply for a job. Student societies also provide you with fun; they keep you fit and healthy and increase your socialising.


Mpho a 3^rd year Public Relations student says her curiosity swayed her to venture out and meet new people who shared the same love for PR as she did, through her journey she become a member of (Student’s Public Relations Associations “SPRA”) . “Such societies that the University offers pave the way for students to explore their own unique interests while mounting their potential” she said. “I am now doing my internship and all the voluntary work I did for SPRA contributed incredibly to my CV, the public speaking, organising events, and writing articles really helped."Thabo a law student who usually volunteers at RAG during his spare time explained how this society broadened his experience as a UJ student while helping a good cause.

Usually there is a small joining free for some of these societies but I believe this is irrelevant considering the benefits you are getting in return. University is a place where you meet your life time friends, form relationships and find your inner being. I encourage all of you to join a society and participate in student life activities, TODAY!

Goal Setting is a vital tool to university success...

Setting and achieving goals are overall the most underestimated skills for success in university. When I started my first year in 2010, I came into university with the wrong mind-set (a high school mentality of learning, I wanted to please my parents because I felt like it was an obligation, I wanted to enroll in university because that was the next step that society conforms us to do I guess) this kind of thinking set me right off the bench.  My reasons for coming to university were over shadowed by all the wrong motives. As the year went by, I had no interest in school, and my attention was drifting to all the wrong things. My marks started to deteriorate and failure was becoming a terrifying reality.

That’s when I sat down and asked myself “what am I doing, and how will this benefit and shape my future? “ the red light sent off ringing alarm bells, I didn’t have goals…Motivation comes from 1 source and 1 source only: YOU going after something YOU want.. Although goal-setting may be challenging, it is generally worthwhile. Its intention is to increase efficiency and effectiveness by specifying the desired outcomes.

Much is learned after a journey begins. Resetting of Goals - You must reset your goals after they are achieved if you wish to stay motivated. Goal setting and achieving is a lifelong process for those wishing continuous success. When you do not reset goals, it is normal for feelings of achievement to stop. Stagnation, aimlessness, and frustration often take over as motivation fades. Setting, achieving, and resetting goals can become a habit, and so can experiences of success,  if you choose to do what is necessary to achieve goals and become successful.

This is why there are different degrees of success among people. If you are willing to master the process for setting and achieving goals, you are one of the few who choose to do what it takes to be successful and to make success a habit. Don't underestimate this skill so vital to university success.

The importance of goals:

·         Keeps you focused on what you need to do

·         Stops you from wasting time, money and energy on activities that can prevent you from reaching your goals

·         Helps to motivate you

·         Helps you to keep on working towards your ultimate goals

·         Helps you to know what you need to do or need to know in order to attain your goal.

"Success is an inside job” – Ralph M Ford

goal setting is a

Process .



Attending class: Luxury or necessity?

attending class: Luxury or necessity?





I once spoke to a student at the end of his first year and asked him the question: ”What was the biggest lesson you had learnt about life during the year?”  He replied: “The freedom sir, the freedom.  It will kill you!”.  I thought this response was both funny and profound.  One of the main attributes of university studies is the fact that you are given all the freedom to take your own decisions about what you will and won’t do.  As I am sitting here now one can clearly see one of the effects of this freedom here on campus.  During the first few weeks of class the campus is abuzz and you can barely find a space to sit in most classes.  Now however the attendance (based on people on campus any given day) seems to have dropped by about 40%.  This implies that many students have started using their freedom to decide to not attend class anymore.  I think this is a HUGE mistake.  I know some classes are boring and some others are early in the morning, but if you are not attending all (or at least most) of your classes, you are setting yourself up for failure.  Who do you think will be setting your tests and exams?  The lecturer will be doing so.  If you are not in class, you won’t know what they have emphasised and what they have said is not that important. In other words, you will not know what to study.  Secondly, you have paid a huge amount of money to come and “sit at the feet” of a real expert in their field.  You are wasting that opportunity by not being in class.  I have seen from some research that I have conducted that there is a direct link between class attendance and academic performance.  The link is so simple, it almost seems obvious: Those who attend tend to do better and those who do not tend to do worse.  Please do not believe that you will be different.  My advice would be: ”Do not let your freedom kill you academically!  This starts by attending all of you classes!”

-André van Zyl (PhD)

  Academic Development Centre (ADC) Acting Director