Attending a university close to home does not always appeal to students but for Bachelor of Laws (LLB) candidate, Ms Seedashni Govender, UKZN was the best and the safest place to study.
‘UKZN was my first preference because it is close to my home where I have a good family support system. I also did research on the university and its faculties and the results were all good,’ said Govender. ‘Knowing I could go home at weekends and also getting support from my First Year Experience (FYE) mentor eased the adjustment to university life for me.’
FYE is a programme in which mentors (undergraduate students having already completed their first-year) are assigned to assist students with all aspects of their first-year experience, including social and academic support.
‘My first-year experience was better than expected, coming regularly to campus, and participating in campus events helped in making friends. I hope to excel in my upcoming years at UKZN.’ she said.
Govender said having friends doing the same course was also a huge advantage as they helped her understand concepts she was struggling with and reminded her of important events.
She scored excellent marks in her first-year modules and was recently recognised for excellent academic achievement in her first semester by the College of Law and Management Studies’ (CLMS) Unit of Teaching and Learning (UTL).
Sharing how she achieved this she said, ‘My study technique included taking notes throughout the semester which helped with the workload during exams. Making lists helped keep a record of assignment deadlines and readings,’
She said her goal was to achieve excellent marks when graduating with an LLB degree.
Words: Samukelisiwe Cele
Photographs: Supplied