Here’s a rude wake-up call on a Monday morning: there are only three months left before the final exams. But … breathe out, relax, it is very doable. Your course was designed to fit into this window of time. All it takes is for you to do your part. Here’s what a first-year BCom student at NWU … 11 August 2025 – The Boring Essentials: Structure and Discipline
One of the most overlooked but essential skills for success – at university and in life – is the ability to set realistic expectations. It’s not flashy. It doesn’t get headlines. But it shapes your energy, your confidence, your wellbeing, and ultimately your performance. As the semester unfolds, and the pressure of assignments, tests, and … 04 August 2025 – Setting Realistic Expectations: The Power of Perspective
Have you ever tried to build a jigsaw puzzle without the picture on the box? You open the packet, pour out hundreds of tiny pieces, and you’re immediately faced with chaos. The colours and shapes seem to have no meaning. It’s not that you’re unintelligent — it’s that you can’t see how the parts fit together. … 28 July 2025 – Understanding is like building a puzzle
The second term has started. Whatever happened last term is over and done with. You can either build on it, or if necessary, find a different way. Start in week 1 and use this brand new term to build a path to success in the end-of-year exams. University studies can feel dizzying and overwhelming, because … 21 July 2025 – Studying: Juggling Multiple Modules
One of these days you will be returning to university after the winter break. It may feel daunting! Take a deep breath and acknowledge how far you’ve come. This isn’t just the start of a new academic term. It’s another milestone in your journey. For many of you, university is about more than just education. It’s … 14 July 2025 – Back to School
I hope you’re enjoying the holidays! It’s such a relief to be free of schedules and timetables for a while, right? As we said last week, rest, reconnect, enjoy being among your people. You need it, and you’ve earned it. However, I do want to suggest two things that you may want to spend some … 7 July 2025 – With Time to Spare: Clearing a Tangle and Thinking about Goals
It’s holiday time, and many of you are going home for the first time since leaving to come to university. As you pack your bags, take a moment to pause and breathe. If you’d rather listen to this newsletter, click here. (This one is slightly different from the usual, more personal and emotional. Try listening.) In this year, starting your … 30 June 2025 – Going Home
You’re almost done with your exams, and you’re exhausted. You must find the strength and the energy – the GRIT – to keep going in the last stretch. How does one do that?! Prof Angela Duckworth of the University of Pennsylvania in America wrote a book called “GRIT: The Power of Passion and Perseverance”. (It … 23 June 2025 – GRIT
It’s exam time. Sometimes you may feel so anxious that you cannot breathe. Let’s see if we can give you some pointers to help you give your very best. 1. Accept your tension as natural. If you were an athlete waiting for the starting whistle, you would experience the same symptoms, but you would see it … 16 June 2025 – Coping with stress
It’s exam time, often a time of stress and tension. Next week we’ll give you some support in dealing with that stress, but for now it’s about the practical stuff: how to give your absolute best when you sit down with the paper. Just one thought, before we get into that. Try not to get … 9 June 2025 – Writing Exams with Confidence