Dichochi Ramotlou continues to thrive academically

POLOKWANE – Balance, time management and self-discovery.

These are the the three things that Dichochi Ramotlou believes will help the Class of 2022 settle into university or college.

Ramotlou was the top learner in Limpopo in 2021 and a year later, Review followed up to see what he has been up to since he was thrust into the spotlight by his amazing academic performance.

Ramotlou is currently a mechatronics engineering student at the University of Cape Town and shared that his first year of university was an awesome experience filled with adventure.

“It was a bit challenging academically but I was able to pull through with great marks, as always,” he said.

He shared that he does feel the pressure to maintain an excellent academic track record but the pressure drives him to always be on his A-game.

“Sometimes it is difficult to cope with external academic and internal pressure but I keep myself focused on the prize by reminding myself how far I’ve come and why I cannot afford to fail,” he said.

For Ramotlou, university is everything that he expected it to be; One with academic pressure and of self-discovery, making new friends and meeting new people.

“It gave me a glimpse of independence and I can truly say it was certainly more amazing than I expected. 2022 was a year of growth and self-discovery filled with lots of achievements. I discovered a lot about myself and explored new hobbies such as reading and researching philosophy,” he added.

His advice to the Class of 2022 going to university is to believe in themselves and never forget where they come from.

“The key to surviving university/college is discipline. Some will experience independence for the very first time and are likely to be caught up in the mood and grow complacent. Beyond academics, always make sure that you find yourself because this world has so much to offer,” he said.

He advises that they find balance and make time management their friend.

For the current Gr 12’s he says that there is no excuse to not be the best version of themselves.

“There are many socio-economic issues in our country but that should not hamper Gr 12’s from achieving great results. As a matriculant, I was fighting two main battles; an academic and psychological battle. I won both and achieved the best results. As a Gr 12 learner, you need to make sure to take good care of your mental health as it comes with a lot of external pressure. To survive academically, first prioritize your mental health,” he concluded.