A lot of young people tend to realise that they may not have made the right choice about what they want to study for possibly the next three years of their lives. This realisation usually creeps in just after the mid-year examinations, the end of the first semester.
Dr Gillian Mooney, dean of academic development and support at The Independent Institute of Education said many of students may, for the past five months, have increasingly been feeling that the qualification for which they enrolled doesn’t match what they expected. Others may feel that less than great first semester results should be taken as a warning sign that they may not be cut out for the career they envisioned. Whatever the case may be, this is the time for cool heads, and hasty decisions should be avoided.
“On top of the doubt, the prospect of the first-year failure can cause a serious knock to the confidence of young students, and it is, therefore, essential that they seek assistance from student support services to help guide them on the road ahead,” said Mooney.
She said that the important thing that learners can take from this predicament is to remember that a bad start does not necessarily mean failure. It is important to sit down and work hard at finding the cause to their performance and work towards a solution that may be rewarding. If you give up, you may be putting yourself through the same thing.
Mooney said for many first years, this will be their first encounter with having to develop their resilience and making a potentially tough, adult decision. “In today’s world of work, being multi-skilled is not only beneficial but more often than not, essential. So chances are that even if you do decide down the line that you want to pursue a different field, career or qualification, your first qualification will stand you in good stead when you start job hunting and when you enter the workplace.”
Mooney added that while first-year drop-out statistics are significant in South Africa, those doubting themselves after the first semester still have a lot they can do to remedy the situation, and becoming part of the statistics need not be a given. “There are many factors contributing to the first-year failure, including difficulty adapting to a new environment and massively increased workload, personal or socio-economic factors, not to mention the freedom of being considered an adult coupled with the temptations of round-the-clock party opportunities.”
Mooney said that students should only consider changing direction once they have given it their absolute best, and have sought assistance from their institution’s support structures to help them navigate their current challenges. “So finish your second semester and give it your best. In the meantime, you can start looking at your options by doing online research and speaking to student advisors at other institutions which may have different, more work-focused and future-facing qualifications that may be more aligned to your vision and personality.
“But never lose sight of the fact that no knowledge will ever be wasted…getting some perspective on your situation before making rash decisions can turn negatives into positives – not only academically, but also on your personal development on the road to adulthood.”
Related article:
