I Will Tell You My Story

Hey Dan

I heard that you’re coming to Rhodes this year; you must be nervous about O-Week and moving into res. I will tell you my story. Excitement, fear and anticipation were what I felt as I drove all the way up the hill to my new home. I saw my fellow first years, all looking pale from the night before, walking ghostly past me as I entered my residence: Centenary House. The experience was frightening because I knew I was going to have to say goodbye to my family in a few hours. Residence- life was going to become like home-life and I couldn’t understand how I was going to cope. To ease this experience I should have know a few things. I’ll tell you what I wished I had known. Your res-mates will become some of your best friends who you can count on through thick and thin. You will be exposed to cultures far beyond your own. Your previous conception of partying will be changed forever, when you meet your first real Rhodent at the Rat. Residence life will lead you to use legendary terms and to learn about how to survive your first year at University. Terms like naps, pre-drinks, average, dawnies and the impervious pull of the one they call DC++, a dangerous sounding drug to you on your first day, but now a good friend who gets you through those times of boredom i.e. Swot week. In order to truly help you through your days in residence, you should know that learning as you go is the best way to experience Rhodes. If I was to map out every aspect of my life now for you, I would ruin it for you. All I can say is that it will be surprising when you will realize that you can cope easily, when you realize that living in residence is not that far from home-life. You don’t need to worry about passing either, because res life not only provides you with some of the best times of your life, but also has a good support structure if you cannot cope academically. The best way you can settle in, is by being chilled when you arrive and not focusing too much on leaving your parents. Remember every other first year is feeling exactly the same as you.

Cheers Mate…

Letter to my younger and eager self

11A Celeste House
Cnr Somerset & African Street
Grahamstown
6140
25 September 2008

Dear Little Mpho

Remember that day when you were telling your friends that you couldn’t wait to go to university so that you could finally choose what you wanted to study, and finally do what you love? Well university is really a place where one gets such a chance but it is hard work hey. To save yourself any disappointment when applying at Rhodes University make sure that your Grade 11 results are outstanding, just in case the June matric exams don’t turn out the way you hoped they would okay (there’s a big chance they won’t be that great).

When you get to matric make sure you go all out with your subjects as well as your social life, because there’s a big chance that you and your mates won’t be as close as you currently are after matric. The one thing you realise when you get to university is that no-one has time to run behind you nagging you to come to practice, the onus is on you to make the see that you are dedicated to the sport. There are societies and sports clubs you can join when you get to varsity, the membership fee is a once-off price (about R120) and the best part is that you don’t even have to go to any of the practices and no-one will reprimand you.

The other thing about these clubs is that there’s a social team and the official one, so depending on your laziness you can decide what you want join. Everyone’s favourite part about societies and clubs is the events they host; a lot of cheese n wine events, plays, concerts, marches, protests as well as a whole lot of parties. That’s one thing no-one ever told you about Rhodes, this place is full of alcoholics watch yourself so that you don’t become one as well.

Love you tons and Best of luck

Big Mpho :)

If it was easy it wouldn't be worth it...

Dearest Jess (Fresh out of Matric)

I cannot tell you to leave your day dreaming at the door because you never will. If a time-machine existed and this letter could go back to you I know that you would not stop idealising University life. I know this because in the past months at Rhodes I’ve gotten to know you a lot better than ever before. I didn’t leave you behind at Fairmont, but instead I was forced to deal with all the problems that you had times one million.

Your first term at Rhodes will be alright. You’ll get homesick but still believe that you made the right choice. In the second term you will break down and want to go home. You will hate the person that you have become. You will wish that you had gone to AAA and moved downstairs with Christine. You won’t tell anybody this because you will not want to admit that you made the wrong decision. You will go home for the long weekend and make a stupid mistake that disappoints everybody, especially you.

Third term will change all of that. You will start to do the things that you want to do and not just what is expected of you. You will have so much fun and make so many mistakes. You will learn how to control your moods. You will accept the way that you are and start to enjoy it. You will realise exactly how drastically you have changed for the better and realise that it was all worth it. You will also find out how hard you are going to have to work to get where you want to be. You will force yourself to stop hiding behind your day dreams and face reality. Then you will go back to day dreaming.

Your first year at Rhodes University is not going to be easy. You will revert back to your old ways of dealing with things more than once. That voice that narrates your life with a condescending tone will still be there but you will learn to shut it up once in a while. You’ll grow as a person and then go home where you’re expected to be the same. Your first year at Rhodes will challenge you to re-evaluate who you want to be. It will also be the best year of your life so far.

I was going to warn you and give you advice that would help you to avoid all the mistakes that I have made but all those mistakes will shape you into somebody that you might actually like.

Have fun breaking all the rules you set for yourself.

Jess (First year Rhodes student)

P.S. Listen to your mom’s advice on New Years eve. She may know a thing or two.