This transition may prove to be a challenge for students who are used to engaging with lecturers on a daily basis. It will also be harder for students who now do not have access to a dedicated study area, and those who have become accustomed to using the university library and all the other research resources available on campus, and those who belong to study groups.

Despite these challenges, we have to continue and persevere. The success or failure of your online learning experience and the results you will achieve, depend 100% on you. The first thing you should consider is to set up a daily routine and schedule for your studies, and to stick to this! Secondly, you should consider setting up your study space within your home and ask fellow house- or family members to respect this space and the time you have allocated each day to dedicate to your studies.

To be able to study on your own, you need self-discipline. A daily schedule with achievable goals will help in this regard. Here are some further hints to consider.

Make sure you have access to Moodle. If you do not, please seek help from the ICT service desk: email servicedesk@ump.ac.za

1. or call 013 002 0125.
2. Set up a study timetable. Use your term 1 class timetable and fill in the free spaces with different modules. Make sure you allocate an equal amount of time to each module. The advantage of using the class timetable is that at any one time you will be doing the same thing with your fellow classmates and you can engage with one another on the group chat on Moodle. Your lecturers can also engage with you on the chat to answer questions and explain concepts.
3. You have a module guide, which has learning outcomes. Read content that speaks to these outcomes. Use any available sources. These may include notes on Moodle, textbooks, papers or some material from the Internet.
4. If you do not understand certain concepts, please seek help from your colleagues or lecturers. You can post your questions on the chat in Moodle, WhatsApp groups or contact individuals.
5. Practice answering questions. These may be practice questions at the end of each chapter you read or past test/exam questions. Share your answers and comment on each other’s answers. Choose those questions that test your understanding and those that test the achievement of learning outcomes. When you disagree, you can make further consultations and these could include your lecturer.
6. Do all the quizzes, assignments and tests posted by your lecturers. Do them within the given timeframe. Do not procrastinate. Procrastination leads to shoddy work done hurriedly to fulfil submission and does not show your potential at all, and unfortunately it will determine your grade.

During the downtime we’ve all spent most of our time on social media. It’s time to prioritise and focus on your studies and online learning. Should you have any other challenges pertaining to your studies, please contact the relevant offices. First year students can also contact their mentors for assistance.

@ Source: Academic Staff Development Professional, Trust Nkomo. For more information contact: Trust.Nkomo@ump.ac.za 

The national lockdown and its immediate and long-term consequences have brought about massive changes in our daily lives as well. Any plans we might have had and anything we were busy doing has been put on hold indefinitely. Our schedules have been completely disrupted and we’ve had to become used to a strange new normal: studying at home and the uncertainty of not knowing if we will finish the academic year.

Collective trauma
What we’re experiencing can be described as collective trauma and while some might be able to cope quite well, it is completely normal to not feel okay right now.

UMP Clinical Psychologist Xolile Sibuyi notes that the national lockdown and current circumstances could lead to many people experiencing feelings of anxiety and depression. Students in particular might feel the stress of the unknown and feeling uncertain about their future at such a crucial stage in their lives more acutely.

“Our current circumstances are very challenging and students might be feeling very anxious about what the future holds and if things will ever return to normal again. But it is important for students to accept conditions that cannot be changed and focus on what they have control over,” advises Ms Sibuyi.

Stay in the present
As such, Ms Sibuyi advises students to focus on the here and now. Since Online Learning has resumed, students can focus on their studies and set up a study routine with daily targets. Students who live in large households, should consider working on their schoolwork at night when it is peaceful, she suggests.

It is important to get support. Keep in touch and connect with other students and classmates via various communication platforms portals available in order to get support from others.

“Students should remember that they are not alone in this trying time, university staff members are there to support them, academics and support staff members are also available.” 

How to maintain your mental health
It’s important to be aware of your feelings and to find ways to cope with what we are all going through. Here are a few ideas that might work for you:

• Relax your body and mind by doing things that appeal to you. This can be anything from dancing to your favourite music, to meditation or doing yoga or reading for pleasure.
• Stay connected with loved ones and talk often to friends and family via phone calls, social media and video calling.
• Limit the amount of time spent watching and listening to COVID-19 news.
• Focus on your studies now but it’s important to take breaks as well.
• Find ways to stay accountable and share your wellness plan with a friend or family member who can help to keep you on track. Think of the different areas of your life that may require different accountability plans – physical, emotional, spiritual, academic and professional.
• Take care of your physical wellbeing by eating well and try to exercise in your yard or house. Exercise releases feel good endorphins that automatically help to reduce feelings of depression.
• Make a list of things that you can do, that you are in control of, for example: studying, doing chores, exercising, doing things that you may have been putting off due to a lack of time.

Signs and symptoms of depression
Depression and anxiety are very real. You might not be aware that what you are feeling could be symptoms of a mental illness. Here is what to look out for:

1. Feelings of helplessness, hopelessness and worthlessness.
2. Loss of interest in daily activities.
3. Appetite or weight changes.
4. Changes in your sleep patterns, either insomnia or sleeping too much.
5. Anger and irritability.
6. Loss of energy.
7. Concentration problems. Trouble focusing, making decisions, or remembering things.
8. Recurrent thoughts of death or having suicidal thoughts.

If the suggested methods of taking care of your mental health do nothing to help to alleviate your symptoms, please do contact any of the organisations listed below.

Where to get help

1. Anyone in the UMP Community may contact Student Counsellor, Ms Xolile Sibuyi on: Xolile.sibuyi@ump.ac.za
2. Contact SADAG. The organisation provides FREE telephonic counselling, information and nationwide referrals to support groups, psychologists, psychiatrists and clinics. To speak with a counsellor, call 0800 21 22 23, available 7 days a week, from 8am-8pm
3. Adock Ingram Depression and Anxiety helpline: 0800 70 80 90
4. Akeso Psychiatric Response: 011 234 4837
5. Lifeline: 0861 322 322

@ Source: UMP Counsellor, Ms Xolile Sibuyi. Additional Information: Cleopatra Makhaga. Pictures @Chrisplphoto

The musician, who hails from Nhlazatshe near Badplaas, says he decided to record the song after realising that he had a lot to say – not only about the virus and its devastating effect around the world, but also about people’s lack of awareness and how the virus affects us all.

Not one to shy away from social commentary, matters of the heart and speaking his mind, Atchaar felt frustrated seeing people in his community going about their daily business as though nothing was wrong and nothing had changed after the lockdown.

“We had a situation in which people were not listening to the lockdown rules of staying at home. They were trying to be clever with the police and went out into the street instead of staying indoors as requested by our president.”

Written and delivered in Nguni, Atchaar hopes the song will send the message home and reach people more readily than traditional news and social media channels.

“I decided to record the song because music is something that can be used to communicate to the masses in a short space of time and has the potential to change the way the public perceives the situation,” he adds.

Getting the balance right
The Diploma in Agriculture and Plant Production student has always loved music and hit the entertainment scene back in 2013 with his crew called Pro League. When the group failed to make it big, he decided to pursue a solo career. He’s managed all of this while also continuing his studies.

“Most people wonder how I manage to do music and study at the same time. Time management is key, me and I’m very serious about my studies. Last year I was doing 11 modules. I received five distinctions and passed all of my modules with no less than 60% and an average of 79% overall.

“When I'm not performing or busy promoting my music, I make sure that I study. During study breaks I try to maintain my social media presence as an artist. It’s important to stay relevant and current and make people aware of what you are doing.”

“The award really means a lot because of the effort I've put into planning and organizing cultural events on campus. It also showed me that hard work does pay off. It’s not every day that hard work gets recognised and awared, so I’m very grateful to have received this accolade.”

Atchaar has shared the stage with famous groups such as Afrotraction and the Chissa Band. Some of his credits include being nominated for a SATMA Award, he was also nominated at the 6th Annual Mpumalanga Gospel Music Awards for Best Hip Hop Gospel Song and tried his luck during the 14th season of Idols SA.

@ Story by Lisa Thabethe. Pictures @Chrisplphoto.

Professor Tembisa Ngqondi, Head of the School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences at the University of Mpumalanga warns that personal information could be compromised in the midst of all the COVID-19 information that is being shared on social media.

She warns people to take caution before opening any video, voice and picture attachments. “With the amount of information and videos currently being shared, hackers may take this opportunity to target you and hack your device through the flow of shared messages.”

Furthermore, people should carefully consider their sources of COVID-19 news as some cybercrime perpetrators circulate “fake news” with the aims of causing unnecessary panic and anxiety. Under the State of Disaster, it has also been declared a criminal offence for which you could face up to six months in jail for spreading fake and false news. 

The University of Mpumalanga together with NEMISA has been up-skilling communities through their Cyber Security E-skills CoLab. The initiative is aimed at enhancing communities’ digital skills and competence by making sure they understand how to protect their information while proficiently using their digital tools.

Professor Ngqondi explains that addressing Cyber Security threats requires a holistic approach that can be offered in layers. In short, it’s a thematic area that focuses on creating e-awareness, developing a working framework, creating policy guidelines, providing training and equipping users with digital skills, Cyber Security awareness for data science, and establishing computer ethics and e-literacy.

Since 2019 the UMP CoLab initiative has seen their e-skills being implemented provincially across small business as well as public entities. Professor Ngqondi explains that her department has done work in various areas.

“We have done training and empowerment projects with SMEs and government officials. Our role is also to identify skills shortages in cybersecurity spaces.”

@ Story by Lisa Thabethe. Pictures @Chrisplphoto and supplied.

A quick intro, who is Godfrey Thwala?
Currently, I’m the founding director of Ingcomondvo Agri Media, we publish Agripreneur Magazine. I’m also a member of the UMP Convocation Committee. I studied Agricultural Extension and Rural Resource Management at the University of Mpumalanga and now head up Buhle Bemvelo Farms, which produces and supplies vegetables and fruits in the Bushveld region of Mpumalanga.

Is farming something you’ve always wanted to pursue?
Yes. I was raised in a village called Pienaar by a family who made a living from selling. I became a salesman at a tender age. I sold snacks, sweets, and vegetables to my community. My entrepreneurial skills were nurtured from a very young age.

The teachings I received from my grandfather made starting a business my ultimate goal. I wanted that more than anything. I also grew up working on an agronomy farm, which belonged to my family.

I was later given the task of supervising the entire production process on the farm. This truly nurtured and fuelled my love and passion for agribusiness.

How did Buhle Bemvelo Farms come about?
We started as a group of five – all graduates from UMP. Within two years three left and the vision was under siege. We were left with no choice but to search for other candidates. We then recruited another three graduates from UMP.

We attempted to pitch to a number of government parastatals but were rejected and then resolved to fund our business through crowd funding. We started with furrow irrigation, then overhead sprinklers, and then we moved to a drip irrigation system.

A year later the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) approved our application, which made a significant contribution towards developing our business. The Department of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries through their CASP Programme came to our rescue with funding for the infrastructure of our business.

What has been your biggest challenge thus far?
Our greatest trial was the large-scale loss of produce to the value of R350 000. Due to the water crisis at the time, and our failure to insure our crops timeously, we suffered a great financial loss.

So, no matter how smooth your business is running, it is fundamentally important to put measures in place that will shield it during difficult times. We had to start afresh and raise money through crowd funding for production inputs. We also opted to cover every production we undertake with a reliable insurer.

What makes you content?
Money alone cannot liberate us. It is painful to work in a field that makes you money but leaves you drained and unhappy. Pleasure doesn’t come for money. It comes from seeing your creative thinking manifest into reality.

What matters most is the sustainability of the business itself. Akinwumi Adesina (President of the African Development Bank) once predicted that the next generation of billionaires in Africa will be farmers. Financial freedom can be obtained only if one invests in hard work, innovation, perseverance, persistence, and remaining positive in your endeavours. Money becomes the reward of your craft.

How has studying at UMP impacted you as a person?
The content and principles I received during my student life at the University of Mpumalanga has played an enormous role in my life and the daily running of the farm.

What is your advice for a student who looks up to you?
If you have a vision, a goal, a purpose, and a plan, the future is now. You must start now to conduct that market research, start now to do your feasibility study, start now to gather relevant data. And spend quality time with likeminded people.

Find a mentor. Read relevant books. Attend business seminars. Last but not least, master the knowledge of SELF and never stay within your comfort zone.

Lastly, what are your thoughts on COVID-19 and its impact on farming in South Africa?
The coronavirus pandemic is a wakeup call for the agricultural fraternity in South Africa. It will have a direct impact on production inputs, logistics, and the day-to-day operations of farms and other agricultural businesses.

This is going to have negative impact in the Consumer Price Index. It is high time that policy makers start reconsidering subsidised farming and looking at ways to make it more sustainable.

@ Story by Lisa Thabethe. Pictures supplied by Godfrey Thwala.