Are students really living the “soft life” they portray, or is it all a big façade? On top of academic stress, students also endure personal problems such as financial difficulties, mental health struggles, and even food shortages.
Each year at the University of Pretoria, some students are unable to register due to historical debt and complications with exclusions and appeals. A final year student who wanted to remain unnamed said it came as a shock when friends and family believed it was “smooth sailing” manoeuvring these circumstances. The student further reported how in 2024, he had to resort to washing shoes for other students and those around him so that he could afford to buy food and the necessary toiletries.
According to Boningo, a second year BSc Medical Science, “life in Hatfield is busy and distracting due to the many clubs around the area.” It is mentioned in the article, “Hatfield: The Ultimate Student Hotspot in Pretoria” that Hatfield “is a playground for students looking for fun, relaxation, and entertainment”. However, the number of students that live near these clubs often complain on multiple social media platforms about the noise they must endure, both during the week and on weekends. As much as the clubs in Hatfield are a good get-away from academia, more often than not, they further perpetuate the struggles of students, resulting in them having to commute from their residences to the library or other quiet spaces at awkward hours.
The struggle of locating and securing funding in university is a great one and UP is no exception to this. According to the article “Higher learning students in limbo after NSFAS withdraws funding resulting in billions owed to universities”, Mashudu Sadike wrote on how thousands of students were left in an uncomfortable situation when NSFAS withdrew funding to universities across the country.
The University of Pretoria, however, has many facilities to alleviate some of these struggles, including those assisting with food, counselling, and financial aid. The Student Counselling Unit (SCU) offers a variety of services such as mental health programmes, where peer groups interact to share strategies to curb the most prevalent struggles faced by students daily. The Student Nutrition and Progress Programme (SNAPP) never fails to snap into action when students face food insecurity. The programme provides students with basic non-perishable food packages, allowing them to have food until the next time the packages are dispersed.
Many students believe the struggles they face are unique to them, that no one understands what they’re going through, but it’s articles like these that showcase how similar we are. As Santan Dave once said, “You know we’re all alone in this together, right?” So, students should shatter the “soft life” façade and teach those who may not understand the hard reality behind the “soft life” in Hatfield.
Visual: Mila Jordaan
