My experience at the ‘Student Excellence Awards Ceremony'.

Let us learn what made ‘them' to be invited, to receive certificates the ‘Student Excellence Awards Ceremony' and equip ourselves to be part of the next ‘Student Excellence Awards Ceremony'. 

Congratulation! To all the people who were part of the prestigious event, that is, the "Student Excellence Awards Ceremony", which took place on the 6th of October 2016. Everything was special about that event. The room was filled with grins and ululation as the Professors, Doctors, Masters graduates who are part of the University of KwaZulu-Natal community walked on the red carpet. These are people who are the driving force towards making UKZN be one of the top university in the Republic of South Africa and abroad. While some of them simply occupied the seats by the podium – the other lecturers were tasked with calling out the names of the students. The students I just referred to did nothing much but they – proved that hard work really pays off!

The event commenced on a very high note. The Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Humanities Prof. Potgieter shared her words of wisdom that kept the crowd nodding heads in agreement. She said, "Successful people are people that take opportunities when presented to them". She really shook me when she said we are very fortunate to be university students. Our brothers and sisters who could not make it to higher education were affected by life chances, their context's surrounding including the element of hard working.  She said you must be strategic in all that you do, that is, live a balanced lifestyle. I could not agree more with the latter statement because some students perform below their potential. Mainly, due to lack of living a principled lifestyle. While some fail because they are copycats, that is, they try to be something they are not. They study like their friends only to find out that is not in a manner that is well-matched with who they are – what tragedy!

Her last quote that I managed to pen reads, "Your attitude determines your altitude".  When Prof said this, I was reminded of a 4th-year student by the name of Melusi Mthethwa. When Melusi was a grade 12 learner, he was told he cannot make it when it comes to mathematics. These messages came from other fellow learners who were commerce stream majors. These are the learners who considered mathematics to be a ‘thing' for science stream majors. This negatively affected Melusi because when he attempted to practice mathematics, he was often discouraged as he remembered the negative statements about mathematics. The statements that were continuously said to him by fellow learners (the commerce stream majors). Sadly, when the results were released Melusi scored below 30% as his final mark for mathematics. Simply, put he failed mathematics.

During the orientation of first-year students at the UKZN. Dr. Ntombela and Dr. Maharajh brought it into learners’ attention that if you did pass mathematics in high school you have no choice but to complete a mathematics module otherwise you will not get your degree after four years of studying. After he heard the information, about mathematics from the houses mouth. He sat down with his friend, reflected back, as touching the businesses on the what was the cause for them to fail mathematics in high school, pondering on the negativities about mathematics by fellow learners

Melusi and his friend Nhlanhla sat down and calculated the costs of failing the mathematics course as university students and discovered that they had no choice but to pass it, if not, they were going to be delayed for one year because of failing a mathematics course. No only that, their academic record was going to be negatively affected.

After some minutes contemplation Melusi then realised his mistakes. His attitude was what spoilt everything about mathematics. He realised that the attitude towards something determines your likelihood of succeeding on it. He made an oath to himself that in 2014 (as a second year student), he was going to make sure that he passes mathematics to prove the people who told him he cannot pass mathematics wrong. 

Melusi and Nhlanhla made up their minds that they were going to pass the mathematics module before they even commenced attending its lectures. They worked hard during the semester frequently consulting with the lecturer, practicing previous tests and exam papers… at the end of the first semester (they were second year students) when the final results were out Melusi aced a Merit Certificate on that mathematics module while Nhlanhla his friend also passed with flying colours. When I asked Melusi and Nhlanhla how did you do it guys? They said, "we changed our attitudes brother and that made us pass the maths they said we can't pass in high school – with flying colours.". Melusi and Nhlanhla proved that indeed "your attitude determines your altitude".

Therefore, to be part of the student excellence awards scheduled for next year, you must live a principled life. Daniel is one individual you might want to imitate in order to ace it academically. He was a principled man. Even though the King had said that the people in Babylon for the next 30 days were supposed to pray to him lest they are thrown into the lion's den (See Daniel 6: 1-28). That decree did not move Daniel instead "Now when [he] learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before" (Daniel 6:10).

His situation did not affect his principles. Successful people in life are people who live by principles and not by any means by preference.  God made Daniel be successful - when thrown into the lions' den, the lions did not eat him. God can also help you to be successful only if you live by principles. To ace it in all spheres of life be a person who lives by principles. Remember! That our God is the God of principles!  

Furthermore, Mr Bheki Mthembu, a man who knows his story. He is my lecturer of English. During one of our lectures we had as English majors, he said: "You cannot infect someone with the disease you don't have".  In the same breath, the word of God says Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character." (1 Corinthians 15:33).  We all at one stage have heard about this quote "Birds of the same feather flock together". The premise of the preceding statements is that if you want to be a merit student, cum laude or a summa cum laude you must rub shoulders with students who are towards that ‘path'.

David Adebayo, Nhlanhla Ngidi,  Mnqobi Makhanya, Lindokuhle Mhlongo, Benele Mvelase, Sboniso Luthuli, Noluhando Ndlovu, Busisiwe Mkhize, Anitha Msweli, Lindelwa Tshabalala, Melissa Croucamp and Nosipho Hlongwane are people that I am related to in one way or another.  And we all somehow have infected each other with the disease of being diligent when it comes to our school work – little wonder we collected certificates for excelling academically at the aforementioned event!

From Left : Mthobisi Thabana, Nhlanhla Ngidi, Lindokuhle Mhlongo and Sboniso Luthulu - a picture taken while they were at the "Student Excellence Awards Ceremony". 2016

The awards were about success, therefore; I consider it ideal to bring in the concept of success. "Success is not a comparison of what we have done with what others have done. Why? because you will always find someone less than you and better than you. Success is measured by what you have done compared with what you were supposed to do" (Myles Munroe). To all who were part of the event in question there is a room for improvement. This is in light of Dr. Munroe's quote – if you got an aggregate of just above 75% you must work towards closing the gap between 75% and 100%. If you were not invited to be part of the event in question by now I would like to believe that you know what to have to do in order to excel academically.  Scientists have proven that the average human uses about 10% of their brain. So in order for you to be a Professor you need to use about 15% of your brain. God is disappointed when He sees us jubilation over our academic victories because he knows our real potential. The LORD will make you the head, not the tail… (Deuteronomy 28:13). "[You] can do all things through Christ who strengthens [you]" (Phil 4:13) So get up and reach out for God's best for your life!

Remain blessed and always ensure that you are in good terms with the God Trinity and the commands of the Bible, our Constitution as the Kingdom of God citizens.