Health Science Reviews

By Kian Visser

I’ve had some time to reflect while on leave recently. It’s been a good year, and I’m happy to have finally made it to UCT. I’ve lost count of the number of rejection letters I’ve received over the years, so to finally accomplish something that has been a long time in the making is a great feeling.

It’s been everything that I hoped it would be. I enjoy what I do, but the transition from working life back to studying (and having no money) has been challenging. It was really nice to have a break from uni. Now, being back in my mid-twenties and still having to worry about exams feels strange to me. I have friends who are working full-time as actuaries, and old high school classmates are getting married. Everyone I know is living such different lives.

This has left me wondering about what I’m doing with my life. Thankfully, this year has provided some much-needed direction. I now know that I want to complete my masters and possibly go further, just not anytime soon. Even though I’ve undergone an unexpected project change, I’m enjoying the researching process. I feel very let down by some of the staff in my division as I must now start and complete an entirely new project in just 3 months. I do not have much motivation to get this all done, but at least it is only 3 months.

I’ve met some interesting people who have been great to interact with and learn from. I’m lucky, as my journey leading up to this point has been quite messy, and if you had told me a couple of years ago that I would achieve every academic goal I set, I wouldn’t have believed you. It’s a bad habit of mine to never really celebrate achieved goals; my mind instantly just jumps to “what’s next?” I think I’ll take some time to appreciate how far I’ve come once my project is finished.

I’ve had a great year so far, and despite what everyone told me leading up to this, honours is completely manageable. If you’re able to be consistent, you’ll be fine. I’m feeling grateful that I’ve found something that I enjoy, and I’m looking forward to making my way back to UCT sometime in future.