May I take this opportunity to wish you well in the coming examinations. I would like to encourage you, to approach these exams with a positive mindset - the kind of mindset which will allow you to exude confidence and calmness.
Exams should never be perceived as a threat. If anything, they are an opportunity for students to demonstrate their knowledge and competence in the modules at hand. When you sit for exams, you take charge of your destiny and your future. You, therefore, need all your wits around you. No place for stress and anxiety, especially if you could always keep in mind, that your lecturers are not out there to fail you but interested in giving you ample chance to demonstrate mastery over your subject matter.
Dr Angela Duckworth, an expert in the realm of performance in examinations, coined the concept GRIT.
GRIT is defined as the ability to work hard and stay focused on long-term goals, even when faced with setbacks. It also speaks to perseverance and passion for long-term goals. GRIT inspired the use of the following G words – to expand this message of well wishes: gather, garner, grasp, grind, grill , grant, gratify and give.
Let us take each of these in turn:
- Gather and garner all the information you need so that you are fully equipped
- Grasp the content fully
- Grind and process information fully so that you are aware of every nitty gritty pertaining to your subject
- Grilled - be ready to be intensely questioned
- Grant yourself breaks to sharpen your mind
- Gratify your ambitions by doing well in the examinations
- Give yourself a pat on the back once exams are over
In the true spirit of the UMP community, and the DNA of excellence, you are wished nothing but the best.
Let me conclude this message with a quote from a book by James Clear titled: Átomic Habits(Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results), 2018, p. 253:
"The secret to getting results that last is never to stop making improvements. It’s remarkable what you can build if you just do not stop. It’s remarkable the business you can build if you don’t stop working. It’s remarkable the body you can build if you don’t stop training. It’s remarkable the knowledge you can build if you don’t stop learning………small habits are like compound interest
All the best once more!
Prof Thoko Mayekiso
Vice-Chancellor