Health Science Reviews

by Sharief Hendricks The real heroes (or heroines if you like) of our tertiary institutions are the administrators and support staff. And like true heroes, their superpower often goes unnoticed, unrecognised. No doubt, a University will not function without the work of the administrative and support staff. Our research, travel, teaching, and every day would…

by Kaylene Baron What makes the university experience more valuable is time spent with classmates and other students outside the lecture theatre. Due to COVID-19, that was minimal as all our lectures were online. With only a select few that were in person. Whenever we have a contact lecture or contact meeting, we have to…

by Astrid Kühn The first part of my year was spent in the pam lab, a small dissection hall, a temporary home to six bodies. My initial feeling upon entry to the lab was that this was a sacred space, housing those who had made a huge and noble sacrifice in their death, to teach…

by Lwanda Ndwandwe To whom it may concern It took me a while to figure out what I could say my honours year has been like, I’ve had so many mixed emotions and I haven’t taken the time to process everything. So instead, I thought to write a letter, a letter to myself 6 months…

by Sagel Kundieko  At first, I thought it was a new virus that was practically wiping out the Chinese population. It was unrealistic that it would actually spread to the entire continent and cover all the many kilometres that there is to cover. Then we heard of Italy and the consequences of their stubbornness. Then…

by Jesmika Singh Am I really writing a piece about being in HONOURS? I still feel like I was just yesterday sending in applications for my first year of university. When they say university is over before you know it, they really weren’t joking. Regardless, it has been an exciting ride (even though parts of…

by Nkosazana Shange As time goes by, I think to myself, when is the end coming, I need a Holiday. I had already imagined in my mind what I will do to relax my body; sleep all day, watching TV with my family or going out to eat at a fancy restaurant with my friends.…

by Robyn Lesch I’m tired. I’m lonely. I’m bored. I’m happy. I’m excited. I’m torn. Honours has been a wild ride – the best year of my life and simultaneously the most emotionally, academically and mentally taxing year of my life. I knew it would be crazy from start to finish, but I wasn’t prepared…

by Muhammad Adeeb Fakier Before starting the Honours Programme, my expectation was that it would be just another extra year of sacrifice and that it would be relatively straight forward. This idea was especially brought on since lockdown regulations prevents student from going to campus and therefore everything is online. I was basically picturing the…

by Sahar Jamal It is hard to wrap my head around the fact that I have just completed one of the last major exams of my life. I am both excited and daunted by the future. It feels like a ‘coming of age’ experience, to be focusing on research as opposed to studying. I am…

by Oscar Megan Since I was a toddler I have always loved computers. Fixing, building, optimising; you name it! I’d never pictured myself in a lab with a white coat, working with my hands. I’ve always aspired to be the gremlin in the computer lab learning to shave minutes off the time it took to…

by Imaan Amien Upon finishing my third year of medicine and a year of molecular medicine I was excited to be able to take a break away from the stress and anxiety that comes with being a full-time medical student (although I am sure this sentiment is common amongst all undergraduate programs).  I had heard…

by Mbalentle Madolo If someone would have told 23-year-old Mbali, a young budding scientist that had just been accepted into the honours programme of her dreams, that her honours year would leave her feeling emotionally drained, she would have told you that you are lying, but sadly it is absolutely true. Now don’t get me…

by Luxolo Mdolo This year has been long. Students have literally seen flames. Many times, I find myself trying to exist in isolation from the world we live in because the show must go on. There have been wars raging in the streets on which I walk. Severe taxi violence incidents have left us fearing…

by Marlu Mclean When I started Med School in 2018, I was intrigued by the intercalated program they offer at UCT.  I immediately knew I wanted to do it and that it would require me to do well to continue with honours.  Going through the first three years of Medicine, I really enjoyed and gained…

by Vennesa Subbiah In my short life, there are many experiences that could qualify as metamorphic. At one time or another, every new experience was the first experience and for good or bad, each instance has altered the trajectory of my life. But none have been as daunting and transformative as the day I walked…

by Aishah Taliep Transferring from another university, everything seemed a little scarier, everything was unfamiliar, and everything was new. But this was supposed to be a new beginning, where the road towards the rest of my life should have begun. Having faced numerous disappointments after high-school, being rejected from what I initially wanted to pursue…

by Marischka Lee Ford “Change is the only constant in life. One’s ability to adapt to those changes will determine your success in life.”- Benjamin Franklin. If 2020 taught me anything, it was that change is the only constant in life. Finishing a degree amid a pandemic taught me that you always need to flexible…

by Indiana van Rensburg 2021 has been nothing short of a roller coaster. To think that we are already halfway through our Honours degree, have successfully finished possibly our last set of theory exams ever (if we’re lucky), and are on our way to beginning our research projects full time, is definitely something to tap…

by Zwile Zungu It’s been decades after the last pandemic, although we have seen outbreaks of some diseases in some regions of the world like Ebola, no one predicted the impact of COVID-19 on our livelihoods. The words “new normal” have been mentioned several times, but is everyone prepared for the new way of living?…

by Emily Higgitt At the end of my undergraduate degree in 2020, I made the exciting yet challenging decision to move universities and provinces to pursue my dream of studying neurosciences. When I reflect on this year, I see the many challenges I faced due to leaving home for the first time and the uncertainties…

by Jessica Garlick The build-up to honours was immense. Throughout my undergraduate degree, we would all speak about the plans we had for after our BSc and our ideal career path thereafter. Once third year rolled round and conditional acceptances were being given, there was an even greater pressure to succeed in our undergraduate degree…

by Leoné Pretorius Even though the year 2021 and its academic activities have not yet come to an end, I think most of us will agree that the first part of this academic year has been filled with a lot of events and challenges that it has felt that we have experienced a whole year…

by Kate Morris Being a fairly anxious person, I was a ball of nerves as the start of my honoursyear loomed closer and closer. Would I cope with the workload? Am I cut outto deal with the stress of postgraduate life? Will I manage to adapt to thetransition and bid farewell to my days as…

by Jason Bosch Every university student has uttered the phrase “I just have to survive this week” multiple times to themselves, but in my honours year, the phrase took on a whole new meaning. Though your honours year may be rewarding and exciting, your undergrad does not prepare for the fast-paced and content heavy journey…

by Samar Abrahams Initially I thought Honors was finally going to be my year off to relax after a rather intense third year of medicine. However, I was quickly brought back to reality the second lectures started and work started piling up. I quickly had to change gears and adjust my frame of mind. Once…

by Carl Belger Countless friends from my old high school have transferred degrees, taken gap years and even dropped out. It is so difficult to know what you are supposed to do in this world; to have a calling. I am one of very few blessed individuals who has always known what they wanted to…

by Katleho Matlatse The year 2021, came with a lot of surprises, more like miracles. I was given the opportunity to further my honours degree in BMedSci Medical Biochemistry at the University of Cape Town under the Integrative Biomedical Sciences department. Apart from being an independent and disciplined learner (Thanks to three years at UNISA),…

by Eden Levi Back in high school when I started Physical Sciences, my intrigue and love for chemistry and working in a laboratory started to blossom. I knew that this field was one that had more to offer as my understanding developed, and that there were so many directions I could take. Most importantly, these…

by Motshidisi Matela In my short life, there are many experiences that could qualify as life changing. Every new experience was, at one time or another, the first experience. For good or bad, each instance changed the course that my life has taken, but the most transformative experience was being accepted into honours. I was…

by Kili James I’m tired. I’m drained. I’m cold. And, my eyes are sore. These are some feelings I have at the end of my examination period of 2021. The same feelings I have as I head towards the end of my second year of online learning. Online learning; I always knew was the way…

by Upendra Naidoo I had long thought that 2020 was the worst year I could have experienced given the start of a global pandemic, but along came 2021. It’s no secret that I found my undergraduate degree challenging. It was filled with loss, growth, a search of identity and at the tail end a steep…

by Averil Bauer-Kong In 2020, media and day-to-day conversation was dominated by a common theme- the lifestyle adjustment to at-home isolation in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. One of the major adjustments for parents, teachers, and students globally was the transition to an online learning environment, affecting both grade schools and universities. Now, as we…

by Babalwa Yekelo  I’m from Keiskammahoek, a disadvantaged neighborhood in the Eastern Cape. However, I was fortunate enough to be raised by a mother who valued education and worked really hard to ensure that I had the education I desired, despite the fact that she never had a stable career. I was determined to work…

by Kelly-Robyn Singh “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.”- John F Kennedy. I would like to share this quote with you and ask you to ponder it with me for a moment, relate it to your own personal experiences…

by Talia Gabay It was 2:45am. I woke up and found myself drenched in sweat, completely overheating. Almost autonomously, I leaped out of bed and went to go lie on the chilled tiles outside my bedroom door. While I lay there in the passage of my apartment, letting the tiles cool my burning skin, I…

by Moses Malebana  Destiny! Coming into my honours and taking a year out of my medical studies was not an easy decision to make. I came into honours because I wanted to get involved in research at some point in the future. That was the only reason I had, but I kept getting haunted by…

by Chelsey Voegt It’s been approximately 140 days since I began the most thought-provoking and demanding but overall, the most enriching season of my life. I really mean that. The 15th of February 2021 brought with it excitement, lots of enthusiasm but also lots of nervousness. After having finished the entire undergraduate degree online, with…

by Saleha Suleman When I started my undergraduate degree three years ago, the first thing our lecturer told us in our very first class was that she had reviewed 126 applications from students for the Honours programme in that year, and only 12 were selected. This of course was met by gasps throughout the class,…

by Belinda Nzadi If there was one word I could use to sum up my 2021 studying experience, I’d use “relaxed”. These aren’t exactly the words one expects to hear when describing a studying experience, but surprisingly this has been mine (I’m living the dream). I wouldn’t have anticipated that my honours year would be…

by Sarah Mccarley I have to be honest; I thought honours would be a breeze. This, however, is not the case! I always seem to have deadline, upon deadline, upon deadline. There are live lectures, assignments, presentations, project proposals, literature reviews, just to name a few. The most helpful thing I have learnt is: keep…