“Sorry I’m late!” These were the words of first year student Anele Ngwenya as she sauntered into the room sporting a warm, yet timid smile. “My show went on a little longer than expected” she sighed. The show she referred to was Good Morning Grahamstown, the fruits of her proudest achievement thus far; winning a coveted spot at Rhodes Music Radio as a DJ. Anele is one of many first years who have suffered what she terms as ALL, “Academics, Love and Longing!” she stressed, counting each point on a specific finger then following through with laughter. Acknowledging that she had, not a culture shock but a reality check when she came to Rhodes, ‘Anelle’ as her friends call her, divulged the unconventional ways in which she managed to deal with it ALL.
School work, she claims was the most difficult adjustment she had to make when she came to university. Explaining that it was not the work load that aggravated her but the marking scheme changes. “I came fresh out of high school having passed Matric exams and having never heard of negative marking!” Despite all the hours Anele put into her work she couldn’t reach the 80 percents she had by the neck in high school and quickly realized that things in varsity were different. Early in first term her academics were putting such a strain on her life that she dropped a subject. “It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do,” she mumbled, “I felt like a quitter, like I’d let my parents down”. Instead of opting to lock herself into her room or make New Street’s Rat and Parrot her new home, Anele took it as a sign from God to go out on a limb and find alternative paths to success.
First on her list was getting the RMR hoodie which she did and as a result now has her face covering campus walls on posters as a part of RMR’S ongoing ‘Revolution’ Campaign. “I like my poster because the photographer made me look tall which as you can see I’m sooo… not!” she mused but later admitted that her height had only ever been an issue when she would try to reach the hidden peanut butter at the top of the pantry cupboard back at home. Second on her list was applying for Housing Committee in her residence and being actively involved in her church activities. “I’m still waiting on the house-com results but my parents are really proud that I’m taking all these opportunities. At home I used to be all school now I’m a little more social.”
Aneles’ success outside of school however has not over shadowed her academics, commanding an average of between 68 and 70 percent she is still one of the most promising students in JMS 1. “I just didn’t want to be one dimensional ya’know. There’s so much more to a person than lectures and tutorials.”
Like many girls at Rhodes Anele has also experienced the bane that is the campus crush, jokingly identifying the cause for her crush as cabin fever she re-iterates that having a social outlet like being a DJ prevented her from succumbing to the pressure of dating. Whilst admitting that on several occasions she felt left out when seeing couples acting out PDA (Public Displays of affection) she resolves that settling for someone because other people think he is cute is not a valid enough reason for her to date them. “I’m still exploring what’s out there for me, what I’m capable of… I’m not ready to do that with another person.”
The second hardest crossroad Anele experienced was that of telling her parents about the subject she dropped. Detailing the incident, she explained how at first they were disappointed but later accepted her decision telling her the words that ring in every first years ears after Orientation week “the onus is on you to make sure you pass”.
“I realize that I may never make it onto the Deans List”, Anele says, “but its ok. I want to show people that you don’t have to have a pocketful of firsts to be success or make your parents proud”.
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