Health Science Reviews

by Dzunisani Phaweni

So, here I am, diving into my Honours year, armed with determination and a hint of desperation to prove myself. A born and bred Capetonian, the plan was always simple: school, UCT, conquer the world. Needless to say, the wisdom of hindsight reveals my naïveté, as clearly, I thought life was just a straight line.

Skipping ahead – high school ends, UCT politely says “No thanks,” and reality smacks me in the face. After a whirlwind of four years hustling through undergrad and dabbling in a few internships, guess where I find myself? Yep, a BSc Med Honours student, at that infamous university on the mountain, finally doing the stuff I’ve always dreamed of. You’d expect me to be jumping with joy, right? Well yea not really, and I guess that’s why I’m writing this reflective piece.

Looking back, my story reads like an epic climb – non-stop striving, pushing for the tippy-top, and charging toward where I thought I should be. These are qualities with the most positive of connotations, and leaning into them has awarded me many opportunities, however, such exhaustive searches for gratification of course come with their own unique downsides. This Honours year was supposed to be a victory lap, a “Woo-hoo, we made it!” moment, standing triumphantly on the peak, basking in the glow of a potentially shining future. Yet, in all honesty, I’ve treated it much like an obstacle course, or some kind of academic hunger games, something to survive before the master’s degree marathon.

This year has definitely been no cake walk, I can say with certainty that I have never in my life been so strained academically, rattled mentally and unsure of my own abilities. But still, amidst the struggles I admit I’ve had my fair share of high-fives. They say the strongest bonds are forged in shared trauma, and let me tell you, the support from piers and faculty alike has been phenomenal. To say this journey has been painless would be a lie, but to say that means the experience has been anything less than a good time would be an even bigger one.

I’ve learnt that this year is about more than just submitting assignments and chasing the next distinction, more than just a means to an end. It’s about morphing into a researcher with skills beyond parroting textbooks – it’s about networking and building relationships likely to survive longer than the duration of whatever degree you’re pursuing. Chasing one accolade after another might seem like a good idea, but really, it’s like climbing one mountain after another without taking a breather to enjoy the view. You might get far, but you’ll feel like you’ve run a marathon without a chance to catch your breath.

All in all, my advice for anyone coming into this is simple, work hard, aim high but don’t take yourself too seriously. Remember to savour your victories and relish the view from each peak before racing to conquer the next one. Life’s short, and it’s not all about the grind – take a moment to actually live it.