Health Science Reviews

by Masilo Matlakala As an intercalated honours/MBCHB student, I had a lot of doubt coming into the year. Some of this doubt came from the fact that I was adding one more year to my tertiary education and moving into a completely new career path besides the one I intended to follow when I came…

by Raqeeba Kassiem As my honours year comes to a close, I can honestly say that my postgraduate experience has given me a taste of what the research world is really like. It’s helped me figure out what I like and don’t like. Whenever I tried to explain my field of study—immunology—to family members, I was…

By Anele Bovu Reflecting on my year as a Bioinformatics student, I can say it’s been a journey of growth, learning, and self-discovery. At the start, I was a mix of nerves and excitement. I was excited about diving deeper into the field and exploring the real-world applications of data and medical sciences, but I…

by Mpai Mollo At the beginning of the semester, I wrote down a list of the expected outcomes of my Honours project. I added this to the list I had made at the beginning of the year of things that I hoped to achieve by the end of the year. Some of the items on…

By Diamante Ngoie As the academic year comes to an end, I find myself reflecting on everything that this journey has brought me. It has been a year of incredible personal and academic growth, full of challenges, lessons, and meaningful relationships that have impacted me in ways I did not expect. The transition into an…

By Palesa Hutamo  As I reflect on my honour’s year, I am struck by the immense growth and learning that has taken place. Despite the challenges that have come my way, I have gained invaluable knowledge and skills in research, scientific writing, and lab techniques.  This year has not been without its difficulties. The loss…

By Hlaluko Maluleke The first three months of my Honours journey were incredibly tough. It was difficult to adjust to life in Cape Town, as I’m used to the hot and sunny weather of my home province. The cold and windy climate here made it even harder, and everything is so expensive. Being miles away…

By Robin Veitch This year, I’ve learned the hard way about taking on too much. I was often late, juggling too many extracurriculars. After a good chat with Prof. Gibbon, I realized it’s better to do a few things really well rather than everything just okay. It’s still a work in progress, but I’m trying…

By Layla Alexander I remember at the ice-breaker event at the start of the year, Professor Digby Warner suggested we take a photo on our first day of honours and another on our last. With just two months left of this degree, I’m pretty sure my “before” and “after” shots will look like the difference…

By Maboletso Letsoalo Change is an inevitable aspect of existence. For most forms of life, it drives a process called evolution, leading to adaption and greater chances of survival. However, with the human experience, change can have a deeper impact. It carries the ability to radically transform perspectives, behaviours and attitudes that do the opposite…

By Lundi Peteni After having been accepted for my honours, it came with great responsibility of having to adapt initially from a work environment to now academics, and I was quite excited because my previous job aligned very well with my honours program in forensic science. Though I was quite nervous at the same time.…

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…

By Juanita Nwachukwu Besides my ruined sleep routines, looming deadlines, and what seems like a fast-moving game where the player drops an avatar to play without reading the game’s rules or storylines, we all know what I am talking about: we all skipped those guidelines and told ourselves, “I’ll figure it out as it goes.”…

By Asanda Mlaba What an adventure it has been! I never anticipated having the experience I had with honours. Honestly, I only applied to the University of Cape Town (UCT) to make sure I would have a variety of possibilities for post-graduate studies. I was still in disbelief when I received the admission letter because…

By Buhlebufikile Sithole As I navigate the challenges of my honour’s year, I’m reminded that growth often lies just beyond the limits of comfort. This journey has been a whirlwind of intensity, pushing me to confront my academic and personal boundaries. Yet, amidst the chaos, I’ve found solace in the supportive community surrounding me. The…

By Andiswa Gabela  Gabela is my surname, and most people—especially the guys—love calling me by it. This year didn’t start off great, but I’ve found some favorite people who make it fun. Honours started with a big class… well, not that big, haha. The people are nice, and my IDI class? What a vibe! We…

By Tanith Fester This year started with high hopes in one hand and high stress in the other. I was excited for a new start, both academically and personally. Excited because Honours in medical science meant choosing a project in a field we were interested in. It meant lab work- which was the main thing…

By Blake Stuart As the end of the year edges closer, I have found myself “reflecting” more and more upon my academic journey and I am surprised at how much my perspective has changed. Throughout undergrad, despite all the trials I went through and milestones I achieved, I never really felt like an adult. Technically,…

By Grace Van Heerden  I have always been told “life is not just black and white”, but that there are shades of grey. Honours has taught me to have this outlook, especially in terms of my successes. I have often had the mindset that once you set a goal for yourself, you go out and…

By Rirhandzu Precious Mkhari If I think very hard, I can probably make a plan and come up with a very good story that can be quite “convincing”. One that can make someone happy or sad, whichever is more interesting. However, I choose to be honest on this one. In fact, I opt to pill off…

By Sima Bongo Let us conduct a review of the journey of a young scientist to understand what makes a scientist. Background: In a perfect Disney movie, the story starts in a faraway land filled lots of joy and laughter and overall peace then suddenly something terrible happens, and the main character has to do…

By Dakalo Ratshivhombela My entry ticket into honours came from the intercalated program, an opportunity I hold with boundless gratitude and humility. I could have never predicted I would venture into this part of my medical school journey, and neither was I ever certain of it when I did. Every directive to pursue the next…

By Sherin Nkosi Oh my, where do I even begin? I suppose the best place to start is at the very beginning. My Honours year at the University of Cape Town (UCT) began with an unexpected twist—I was two days late for my first class. This minor delay could have set the tone for the…

By Dana Chiles “Red light, green light” was a game my mom and I would play after every day in primary school. I’d run over and she would ask “How was your day? What was your red and green light?”. So, I thought I would play it today with you. Your “red light” is a…

By Siyabonga Hlubi Honours has been a whirlwind of emotions there are some days where I wake up feeling like I am on top of the world and others where I question everything. I’ve learned to have faith in myself while accepting my flaws. Every single day, I feel incredibly fortunate to be here. When…

By Hayley Marais My journey to this honour’s year began in Grade 8 in 2016. I read a book called “Brain on Fire” and it sparked a deep dive into a rabbit hole of information about the brain, and from that moment on I couldn’t stop reading anything I could about the brain and all…

By Humaaira Wahab At the beginning of the year, I felt so overwhelmed for my honours year because I knew it would be more intense than my undergraduate years and I didn’t know what to expect and if I’d be able to cope. Looking at all the other honours students, when I first got here,…

By Yeuko Manganyi It goes without saying that school is difficult, well, maybe difficult isn’t the best description but definitely challenging. The time, effort and mental bandwidth it requires is something that I think a lot of us in the honours group have had to grow accustomed to, all the way through undergrad to what…

By Michaela Papangeli Our first semester of the Honours programme was incredible! From being on a new gorgeous campus, being part of an Honours group composed of the most amazing group of girls to learning so much about my field of interest: Human Genetics. Despite the change from an undergraduate degree to a post graduate…

By Nevada Nel This year has been both exhilarating and challenging, filled with moments that pushed me to seek balance and deeply explore my identity. For the first time since high school, I have paused to truly reflect on who I am and what I want from life. Although it may seem late for these…

By Athi Neo Macasa One word I would use to sum up my experience at UCT so far would be an exhilaratingly terrifying fast-paced ride in one of those toy cars for toddlers in a beautiful park (haters will say that’s not one word). What that means in English is that this experience was one I…

By Justin Amm ALREADY over halfway through my honours year and it has been a rollercoaster. Looking back, this year has been such an eye-opening experience. Coming from a different university and a completely different city, I have had so many experiences that I don’t think I would have had anywhere else. Starting off this…

By August Herbert My grandfather always said: “Life sucks and then you die” although a bit more crudely than that. To be honest, this year has been, as others have said, a whirlwind. From techniques courses to lectures to exams and now lab work, it just does not seem to end, and with a measly…

By Thato Mdi As I wrote the last words of the last sentence in my exam, a bittersweet feeling crept into my heart. I was relieved that I was finally done with exams, yet sad that the coursework portion of the degree had been over. Every lecture I had been a part of had been…

By Haydn John Having had a very eventful semester, I travelled back home to enjoy some much-needed rest and relaxation. Much of my time at home was spent playing with my youngest brother, who is five years old and a bit of a “laat lammetjie”. He has grown significantly while I’ve been away in Cape…

By Julia Kampel As I reach the midpoint of my honours course in human genetics, I find myself reflecting on a journey marked by both significant challenges and profound learning experiences. The first half of the year has been an intensive period of growth, characterized by a demanding schedule of lectures and exams.  Each lecture…

By Chloë Brayshaw Embarking on my honours degree in Clinical Anatomy at the University of Cape Town has been an arduous yet profoundly rewarding journey. The challenges that have accompanied this path have been manifold, from grappling with the intricate complexities of human anatomy to the rigorous demands of academic and practical work. Yet, each…

By Hayley Budge As I embark on the second half of my honours journey, I find it only fitting to reflect on the whirlwind that has been this past year. I vividly remember my first day: getting a tour of the Human Genetics labs, meeting my fellow genetics colleagues, and feeling the excitement for the…

By Themba Stoep My journey in bioinformatics has lasted six months thus far, yet it feels as though time has leaped forward with incredible haste. Despite all the haste, these months have been densely packed with learning and growth, making the experience immensely fruitful. My interest in bioinformatics sparked during my second year of study, sparked…

By Kirstie Davies Time flies when you’re having fun—or should I say, when you’re working hard, learning new skills, and stepping out of your comfort zone. I cannot believe that we are already in July and nearing the end of this honours year. With exams just behind us, I’ve had some time to rest and…

By Ciarran White “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone “- Neale Donald Walsch This quote perfectly encapsulates the experiences I am about to share with you. One day, I decided to take a leap of faith in relentless pursuit of a long-held interest-cancer research.  I chose to study Radiobiology at the University…

by Isabel De Beer Rewind to the beginning… At the start of this year, I found myself entering a large, unfamiliar room on the medical campus, navigating buildings that seemed never – ending. It felt like turning corners only to end up in the same place, reflecting my journey to studying a medical Honours specializing…

By Jessica Kanyemba It feels like it was just yesterday when I was overwhelmed by emotions upon receiving acceptance into my dream course; I barely blinked, and suddenly I am halfway into the year?! During my first day of Honours the recurring advice to “cherish every moment as the year goes by very fast” resonated…

by Megan Chimi When I first received the admission letter from UCT to study Bioinformatics, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Firstly, I was applying just for the sake of applying (Yes, UCT, you were neither my first choice nor my second). And Bioinformatics? I was finally going to learn more about this mysterious course that…

By Onethemba Xoma When I first arrived at UCT, I felt like a kid showing up to Hogwarts for the first time, well minus the sorting hat and pet owl. Instead, I had my trusty notebook, probably a look that screamed “newbie” (You would think we are way past that, considering this was not my…

by Romi Blom As I reflect on my journey as an honours student in Bioinformatics at the University of Cape Town, I can’t help but feel a deep sense of gratitude and excitement. Being part of this vibrant academic community has been nothing short of intellectually and personally transformative. After the first lecture, I was…

by Bianca Obadic In 2022, I completed my undergrad in genetics and human anatomy at UCT. In 2023 I did not get into honours. Nothing could have prepared me for the defeat I felt, the doubt that was instilled in myself and my abilities. Nothing could have readied me for the jealously of watching all…

by Mené Muller Today my supervisor bought me a coffee. A seemingly insignificant occurrence since the short café latte at Food & Connect is a student staple – or at least for this student. But this specific treat meant more than just a few extra hours of productivity, it signalled the achievement of a long-awaited…

by Sarah Harding Honours 2024 started at full force and time has absolutely flown by! I cannot believe that it is already May. The lecturers are so encouraging and inspirational. It is a privilege to be exposed to professionals in the field, who have achieved great things, yet remain so humble. My supervisor and co-supervisor…

by Kiera Hürlimann Going into honours this year has been a big leap into the unknown. Not just because I’m starting a whole new degree that is run so completely different from my undergrad but also because I’ve packed up my whole life and moved to a new university, new city, new province, and there…