After a packed Orientation Week for new first-year students who learned all the basics of life at UP, we’d like to welcome back all our senior students. We hope you’ve had a great recess and are ready to focus on your studies again.

First-year students are reminded that while the first-year at university is a significant period full of excitement, it also comes with a number of challenges. At UP you are not alone as you start your journey to success. First-Year Orientation Week helps you, academically in particular, deal with the transition from high school to university. The First-Year Experience is a yearlong programme created to extend the support to ensure that you have the best experience in this critical year of your studies, and for you to maximise your opportunities for holistic growth and success. 

We have some really cool things lined up for all UP students this semester, so keep an eye on your emails, LED boards, posters and UP’s official social media accounts for more information. Download UP’s official app as well so you’re always up to date with what’s happening and when things are happening.

Remember to pay careful attention to the final closing dates for module changes and to choose your modules wisely. Monitor your semester-average marks, keep them as high as possible, and plan your time effectively. All of this will help you to graduate on time, so that you can access the job market quickly or start your own business.

If you’ve forgotten the basics of good academic practice, be sure to take a refresher course on referencing and plagiarism in the library. Download the library app and you will have a world of information at your fingertips.

UP’s hybrid teaching and learning model helps you to always be ahead of your studies by finding extra notes, tips, resources and videos on ClickUP, so be sure to check up on that regularly. You will find an improvement in your results if you work consistently. Remember to read up on the topic before class, take part in class and tutorial discussions, and to revise after class. Use all the resources provided for your benefit. Eating healthy foods and making healthier choices on a daily basis will also help promote a bright mind.

Many of you may have had the opportunity to spend some of your holiday doing vacation work. We hope that you made the most of that valuable experience and were able to apply your knowledge and skills well. Remember that you need more than a degree to get a job, so be sure to enrol in our Ready for Work and Entrepreneurship programmes, which will enable you to be a step ahead of other graduates in the field. You can register easily on ClickUP for these.

You will receive more information over the semester on these and other support offerings from UP, which are specially designed to enable each of you to live your best life and make a success of your studies and life beyond university.

Your success matters to us, so take advantage of all the extras UP offers to help you make a success of your life. THE UP WAY is our way of teaching and learning, thinking out of the box and innovating, and having a positive impact on the world; it’s also how we live as kind, ethical and hardworking individuals. Remember to be kind and helpful (especially to our new first-year students). Kindness is contagious, and a random act of kindness every day will improve your overall wellbeing.

All the best for 2020!

Department of Student Affairs