The DLS would like to congratulate Ernest Sefolo, Carike Schoeman and Sixolile Dlungwane for graduating. We asked them a few questions about their journey and this is what they said:
Can you just give me a sentence or two about your feelings now after your graduation ceremony?
Enjoying a bit of free time again and contemplating what is next.
How did the library assist you in your studies? Did it play a role at all?
Luckily, I work in the library, so I was not really dependent on my colleagues.
Did you have any hardships along the way?
Working full-time has its own challenges but COVID-19 really threw a curveball at managing my responsibilities whilst working from home and hoping to complete my honours degree in time.
How was studying during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Not only should the class of 2020 and 2021 be proud of enduring all the surprises and adjustments that kept coming, but we should also be very thankful for the lecturers that kept us going. Their encouragement and focus on the finish line really pulled me through when I thought of putting my studies on ice while we deal with COVID-19.
Can you just give me a sentence or two about your feelings now after your graduation ceremony?
When I was four years old, I "promised" my mom to graduate and that I will wear a gown & a cap one day...."just like our neighbour who was graduating at that time". My mom has never mentioned this to me all these years (she only told me about this "promise" on my graduation day) and I am happy I DELIVERED THAT PROMISE (I called it the "unpromised" promise).
How did the library assist you in your studies? Did it play a role at all?
YES, the library played a great role in finishing my studies. Using the library e-resources and knowing how to navigate around different e-resources helped me a lot.
Did you have any hardships along the way?
Studying while working is not easy, but through determination, a little push from my family, colleagues and the lecturers did help towards my studies.
How was studying during the COVID-19 pandemic?
For me, the pandemic was a blessing in disguise. I had more time to dedicate to my studies (no worries about travelling to and from work). I used that extra time for my assignments and ultimately for the preparation for my exams.
Can you just give me a sentence or two about your feelings now after your graduation ceremony?
It still feels like a dream! I am extremely excited to have reached this milestone and to see the hard work and sleepless nights pay off!
How did the library assist you in your studies? Did it play a role at all?
Yes definitely! The library e-resources helped me a lot, especially with finding journal articles that were relevant to my research. The library website was easy to use and enabled me to search for relevant keywords and as a result, saved me a lot of time sifting through irrelevant articles.
Did you have any hardships along the way?
The programme was very demanding with tight deadlines and fully virtual. I think my biggest challenge was collaborating with classmates for group assignments without being able to physically see each other. We found creative ways to work around this and we learned a lot about one another.
How was studying during the COVID-19 pandemic?
It was challenging at first, but I soon got the hang of it. I decided to look at it from an opportunistic point of view – I had more time to balance my school and personal life as we were not travelling to campus.
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