Health Science Reviews

by Ané Kotzé

“Honours is such a busy year”, “You’re going to have very little time for yourself”, “It’s hard, but rewarding”. With a lot of uncomfortable and unhelpful comments, the year started as any other would, filled with fear and anxiety played off as just being nerves or excitement. Not only was I transferring from a completely different institution, but I also knew exactly 3 people of which only one studied with me. To say I was scared is an understatement. Improvise.

As the year progressed however, new friendships soon began to unfold and with that fear was also replaced by focus and determination. The honours environment was something like I’ve never experienced before. Students were all working hard and putting in the effort, something I was not accustomed to in undergrad. This just added fuel to the fire called motivation. I found myself in such a supportive environment, not only from my peers, but the faculty staff as well. Lecturers, however busy, were always ready to lend a helping hand to ensure that you understood the work, even if that meant they had to explain everything from scratch. There truly was nothing like a dumb question, and I often found myself in awe of the knowledge that was being bestowed upon us. Like some secret that only we were let in on.

When practical work for my thesis finally started, I was amazed by the patience and kindness of the supervisors and the grasp they had for the fact that most of us started university in COVID. Fear and uncertainty soon turned into laughter and joy even amidst the mistakes being made. The only expectation being that we leave feeling more confident than when we came in. Adapt.

Was this year just rainbows and sunshine? Certainly not, but the good definitely outweighed the minor inconveniences and obstacles. With great friends, diligence, and determination this year certainly is one of great value. Even as there is only little over a month left before the final thesis submission and stress is HIGH, I am reminded that life is not about the destination, but the journey. Obviously getting the degree is important, but the lessons learned, and friendships formed along the way are what will stick in the long run. Overcome.