Research over many years into student performance at South African universities has shown conclusively that students who successfully complete their first year of study stand a good chance of completing the rest of their studies in regulation time. With student success being the University of Venda’s primary strategic thrust, it is incumbent upon us to ensure that first-entering students receive the necessary support to pass all their first-year modules in their first year of study. This support is not only academic, in terms of improving writing and communication skills and navigating new modes of teaching and learning, but also psycho-social, in terms of assisting them with adjusting to a completely new environment of relative personal freedom, where self-discipline, and a strong focus on their studies is crucial.
The FYE (First Year Experience) programme of the Academic Development Unit of CHETL (Univen’s Centre for Higher Education Teaching and Learning) aims to prepare our first-entering students for university life and to assist them with one of the most important transitions in their lives not only from school to university, but also from childhood to adulthood. This transition, if navigated appropriately, has positive life-changing and long-term consequences for our students, and opens up a future of sustainable work and work opportunity. We encourage all our first-entering students to avail themselves for the FYE programme activities, and we thank our dedicated CHETL staff for their commitment to the academic success of the Univen 2022 first-year class.
Click here to download First Year Experience Guide
