KRY JOUSELF DAAR BUITE VIR MINDER VERWYTE

Nica-May van Zyl

@n.i.c.a.vz_12_

English follows Afrikaans

Spyt kom altyd te laat. Wanneer jy vir die laaste keer van Potchefstroom na jou tuisdorp ry en in jou truspieël sien hoe die herinneringe flouer word, besef jy dat jy nog soveel dinge met jou tyd wou doen. Wapad het, met die hulp van ‘n paar Noordwes-Universiteit (NWU) alumni, net die raad om jou voor te berei vir ‘n goeie tyd op die NWU- Potchefstroomkampus, sónder verwyte.

In jou eerstejaar, moedig almal jou aan om deel te neem. Watter impak het deelname werklik? Palesa Maretiwa, NWU alumna wat BA Kommunikasie studeer het, het gesê dat sy die dankbaarste is om deel te kon wees van haar koshuis se tradisies.

Marais Cloete, alumnus met ‘n BSc (Agric) met Grondkunde en Agronomie graad, het gesê dat koshuisrugby vir hom uitgestaan het: “Die samesyn by die NWU was kwaai lekker.”

Hy noem ook dat hy dankbaar is vir die community wat hy by sy kerk, NG Kandelaar, gehad het. Hy het al die geleenthede wat Kandelaar in sy tyd geskep het, soos die sokkies, kerkkampe en sel, spesiaal genoem.

Melissa Roux, ‘n NWU alumna wast Bedryfsingenieurswese studeer het, moedig jonger studente aan om aan soveel as moontlik deel te neem. “Wees in ‘n koshuis, bou soveel bande met mense, leer hoe om met mense te werk en hoe mense hanteer wil word, die universiteit bied so baie platforms daarvoor,” het Roux gesê.

Die alumni was verder gevra wat hulle elkeen sou doen, indien hulle nog twee weke by die NWU gegun sou word. Hier is ‘n lys daarvan:

• In die Kalfyn swem
• By JOOL deurnag
• ‘n Patria July bywoon
• Varsity Cup rugby gaan kyk
• By die vlei gaan swem en braai
• Die sonsak by die dam gaan kyk
• Op die bib se gras gaan piekniek hou en roomys eet
• Op kampus gaan draf
• Saam met ‘n vreemdeling koffie drink
• Koshuisaksies bywoon
• Gaan karaoke by Musics

Cloete beveel eerstejaars aan om alles in hul eerstejaar te doen. Hy het gesê dat jy teen jou derdejaar nie noodwendig meer lus gaan wees vir aksies nie.

Maretlwa se raad is, “as jou vriende jou 23:00 vir koffie op die bib se gras nooi, moet jy dit gaan doen. Jy gaan vir die res van jou lewe ‘n grootmens wees, jy gaan net die drie of vier jaar op universitet jonk en dom kan wees en klas skip vir ‘n dag-trippie Parys toe.”

Maretlwa het gesê dat dit belangrik is om nie die tyd om te wens nie en dat dit soms nodig is om impulsief te wees, “Dit is altyd lekker om foto’s te sien van die spesiale oomblikke en om die liefde en nostalgie weer te ervaar, jou tyd was jou tyd, moet nie ontevrede daarmee wees nie.”

Roux se raad is om in stilte hard te werk, sy het gesê dat akademie eerste kom, “maar leer jouself ken, wees genoeg sosiaal, want dit is die sorgeloosste tyd van jou lewe. Geniet elke oomblik voluit, slaap kan jy altyd inhaal, herinneringe nie.”

Roux het verder genoem dat elke persoon se pad by die NWU anders lyk. “Jou pad hoef nie soos myne te lyk nie, maar op jou eie manier moet jy die beste van jou tyd maak. Elke dag wat jy jou oë oopmaak is ‘n nuwe geskenk. As dankbaarheid al is wat jy het, dan het jy meer as die meeste mense,” het sy gesê.

ENGLISH

When you drive home from Potchefstroom for the last time and all your memories from the North-West University (NWU) slowly fade away, you will realise that you still wanted to do so many things. Wapad, with the help of a few NWU alumni, have just the advice to prepare you for a good time on the Potchefstroom campus, without any regrets.

As a first-year student, everyone encourages you to participate. But, what impact does participation really have? Palesa Maretiwa, NWU alumna who completed a BA Communications degree, said that she was most grateful to be able to be a part of her residence’s traditions.

Marais Cloete, NWU alumnus with a BSc (Agric) in Soil Science and Agronomy, said that residence rugby stood out to him. He also mentioned that he is grateful for the community he had at his church, NG Kandelaar. He specially mentioned all the opportunities that Kandelaar created during his time at the NWU, such as the sokkies, church camps and cell. Cloete said that he met many good friends at Kandelaar.

Melissa Roux, a NWU alumna with a B.Eng. in Industrial Engineering, encouraged younger students to participate in as many student life activities as possible. “Be in a residence, build as many bonds with people as possible, learn how to work with them, and how people want to be treated,” Roux said.

The NWU alumni were also asked what they would do if they were given another two weeks on campus. Here is a list of things that they suggested:

• Swim in the Kalfyn
• Stay up all night at RAG (JOOL)
• Attend Patria July
• Go watch Varsity Cup rugby
• Go swim and braai at the “vlei”
• Watch the sunset at the dam
• Have a picnic and eat ice cream on the bib’s grass
• Go jogging on campus
• Go and drink coffee with a stranger
• Attend residence aksies
• Take part in karaoke at Musics

Cloete advised first year students to do everything they can in their first year. He said that by your third year, you won’t necessarily feel like going to aksies anymore.

Maretlwa’s advice was, “If your friends invite you for coffee on the bib’s grass at 23:00, you should go do it. You will be an adult for the rest of your life, but you will only be able to be young and stupid for your three or four years at the NWU, and skip classes for a day trip to Parys.”

She also said that it is important not to waste time and that sometimes it is necessary to be impulsive, “It’s always nice to see photos of special moments and to experience the love and nostalgia again. Your time was your time, don’t be dissatisfied with it.”

Roux’s advice was to work hard in silence. She said that academics come first, but to also “get to know yourself, be social enough, because this is the carefree time of your life. Enjoy every moment to the fullest! You can always catch up on sleep, but not memories.”

Roux also said that each person’s path at university looks different, “Your path doesn’t have to look like mine, but in your own way you have to make the most of it. Every day that you open your eyes is a new gift. If gratitude is all that you have, then you have more than most people.”