Grade 12s do not have it easy.
Aside from prepping for their final exams, Grade 12 learners who are planning on studying next year have to finalise their study options.
Dr Felicity Coughlan, Director of the Independent Institute of Education, has some tips for learners ready to embark for the world of tertiary education.
“If you’ve been putting off the admittedly hard work of investigating all your options, you need to sort out your study options in coming weeks,” says Coughlan.
“Don’t leave it until later in the year, because the stress and workload associated with preparing for exams will be taking up all your physical and mental energy down the line and you don’t want to be in a situation where you have to settle for second best because you put things off for too long.”
But now, more than ever before, prospective students need to scratch below the surface, because an individual’s choice about institution and programme is likely to have future consequences that may not yet be apparent. She says institutions are increasingly paying attention to developing the young people in their care holistically alongside the theoretical aspects of curricula.
“It is not just about what people can do, but also about the values and so-called softer skills such as a commitment to lifelong learning and resilience they have internalised during their studies.
“For an institution to claim that it goes above and beyond very necessary academic excellence, they also need to be able to tell you about their big-picture vision,” she explains.
Students should be comfortable that the institution at which they will study over the next three to four years will provide them with more than just technical textbook knowledge, Coughlan suggests.
