I look back at old issues of the paper and it leaves me in awe that I can be part of something like this. It makes me realise that we should see ourselves as a brand, our names are what we present to people at the end of the day. We attend university to better that brand and get future employers to trust something behind your personal brand. I think that it’s very important to make sure you keep this in mind and always work towards protecting this brand. University is a place to have fun, to discover yourself, your strengths, and your weaknesses. Don’t throw it all away by doing something stupid, sadly you wouldn’t be the first.
Learn to stand on your own feet. If the university feels like some sort of prison, it’s because in a way it is. Apart from the over-the-top security that leaves you wondering if you are being protected or if they are protecting themselves from you, most of the time no one cares about you and you need to be able to sort your own problems out. Learn to deal with these situations calmly and rationally. But look for those few who do care about you. Be friendly to the invigilator in your first test, you’ll probably see that same face at every test or exam for the rest of your university career – it helps if that face is friendly. Go to your lecturer’s office during their consultation hours and chat, you might end up understanding your work better or asking a question that might help you in your semester tests or exams.
Don’t take life too seriously. You could spend years of your life at university. Don’t regret your time here because you were too scared to come out of your skin every now and then. Wear a onesie to campus. Experiment with hats. Get a fringe. Go on a blind date. Prank a stranger. It could be fun, or it could turn out to be a funny story.
Series are the devil. I feel like every senior student has been sucked into the life of wantonly watching series because your mom isn’t breathing down your neck. Take some advice and try to keep away from series from the beginning. Read a book instead, and if you get really bored, maybe do some work or study prep.
Question yourself. You arrive at university bringing only the cosy lifestyle you’ve been in your whole life. Not everyone is the same, what you know as normal is alien to others, so question yourself, your beliefs, your opinions and practices before questioning those of people you may meet.
Get passionate. Find something, let it consume you, get behind it and fight for it. Make people groan when they see you coming and find people that are just as passionate as you. You have the time to make a mark or just learn something cool.
Read Perdeby. We are a wealth of entertainment and interesting information. Stay up to date with what’s happening on campus and in the student life around Pretoria. In my opinion, this newspaper is the best, and I’ve given good advice, I think, so you should listen to me.
Go wild
Shaun Sproule
Editor - 2018/2019
Editor of PDBY
The Editor is elected by the staff of PDBY each year. This role has been held by different Editors over the course of this website's archives. To read more by the Editor of this article, click on their bio below.