The ADJ (usted) Student
STELLENBOSCH UNIVERSITY 1995 - 1998
when you have a chance, please take a look a few of my stories from my four years as a student in the mid to late 90's.
My time in Stellenbosch was truly awesome and while many of you reading this actually studied with me and will relate to the stories I have added, those who either did not go to the UNIVERSITEIT VAN STELLENBOSCH (US) or any other tertiary institution will probably find some of these stories amusing AND/OR embarrassing. And that is just it - while I do get red faced at times, it takes a real horribly timed moment in time to get me properly blushed !
That said, for those who dont have the time to go through all the stories...take a look below.
4 NOTEWORTHY STORIES
OPGEHOOPTE WAARDEVERMINDERING
...Back to my exam....in my first year ONLY, students had the option of choosing an English or Afrikaans exam paper for their exams. The rule was, you could ask ONCE to change your paper from one language to another but once you had opted for the other paper, you had to hand in the one you were asking to change - and then you had to stick with the new one - no more changes allowed.
Quite honestly, I did like this offer and am grateful that it was available.
As mentioned, all my lectures were in Afrikaans but I studied with English text books and for this reason, I always chose the English exam paper as it was based on the English text book.
BUT...
About 90 minutes into my first first Accountancy exam ever, I was lost and feeling a bit overwhelmed. I battled though most of the paper but I had about one hour left to try understand the one question - which counted for about 40% of the entire paper.
20 minutes later....my page which required an answer here was still completely blank !
I slowly raised my hand and then asked the invigilator to please hand the AFRIKAANS paper to me. She explained the process and once she told me there was no asking for the English paper again, I GULPED and then NODDED - time to face the truth....what were they actually asking of me in this question ?
Long story short, HUGE RELIEF when I saw the question in AFRIKAANS. I remember that I went from one blank page to 2 full pages of explanations and answers : and I passed (SLAAG) the semester mainly because I did well on this question :
the question in English - the one that I did NOT UNDERSTAND - was simple enough :
PLEASE CALCULATE THE ACCUMULATED DEPRECIATION ?
IN AFRIKAANS ?
BEREKEN ASSEBLIEF DIE OPGEHOOPTE WAARDEVERMINDERING ?
2. HUIS VAN RIEBEECK
...anyway, just a quick update on my first year spent at HUIS VAN....65% of the students were actually local young lads who were, quite honestly, KICKED out their houses for one year - 90% of these guys were only accepted to STELLENBOSH COLLEGE (SC) as left overs from local schools that didn't make it to US. I discovered very early on that the proverbial '6 MONTH BUS' always arrived early at HUIS VAN as more than 50% of these SC guys were kicked out of college for bad grades (or in fact NO GRADES AT ALL) or BAD BEHAVIOUR after 4 months. These guys were at SC for one thing and one thing only....a massive non-stop uninterrupted JOL.
ODDLY enough for me, with blonde hair down to my shoulders (...oh I remember those sweet days...) I found this both awesome and at the same time, very frustrating. I was studying in AFRIKAANS and taking subjects that were hugely foreign to me - like RENTEREK and INLIGTINSSTELSELS (in English : The theory of Interest and Information systems...or computers)
3. ATTEMPTING FINREK 3
In January '98 - my final year, with only 3 subjects left to complete my degree, I got ARROGANT !
Remember that I really battled in my first year to pass accounts 101 taught in Afrikaans. (First story above....) My two majors were going to be ONDERNEMINGSBESTUUR (Business management) and EKONOMIE (obviously Economics)
ONLY 3 subjects left to finish my degree...why not major in three subjects ??? WHY INDEED ! I signed up for FIN REK 3 (Financial Accounts) and boy was this a mistake ! Long story short (again) here...BUT at the end of the first semester test, my lecturer called me in one day to chat ! HUH...never a good sign. His words were both sincere and empathetic but also very clear.
DO NOT COME BACK FOR ANOTHER LECTURE...YOU DONT NEED THIS SUBJECT AND I DONT HAVE TIME TO PUSH YOU THROUGH THE YEAR !
Then he handed me my paper : 3 out of 50
OUCH....but then he took it back and told me that he needed to shred the paper as he had given me 3 marks for having the balls to actually put my real name on the paper.....2 marks for putting my name down and an extra mark for spelling it correctly !
4. SERRURIA HUISDANS 1995
Now, this story only came to me this morning upon speaking to my daughter - in matric and getting ready for her FINALS
BUT BEFORE THAN, she has her Matric dance. (COVID PERMITTING)
Upon asking her who she was going to invite, her reply was simple enough...'
''no one in mind dad...''
My advice then to her was simple enough :
Please take a friend rather than someone you like...
sound advice I believe but it comes thanks to one regrettable day 26 years ago....
The first nine months of my economics 101 class in my first year was when I really got close to (and enjoyed the company of) a certain person called (mmmm) SAMANTHA.
My intention was to find an opportunity to take the friendship to a more committed level even though it was clear to all those around me ( but not me of course) that she just enjoyed my company as a friend - she really didnt want anything else.
However, when she invited me to her first year Huisdans, I thought that this was my chance to make my move !!!
PRETTY WOMAN MOMENT HERE :
BIG MISTAKE…..HUGE, HUGE MISTAKE
It became very clear early on that she was not interested in me romantically so I did the next best thing…I TOOK A FEW SIMONSBERG BREEKERS ON in a drinking competition.
Mmmm…this was pretty much the end of my friendship with SAM as she had to find her own way home…I woke up hours later (around 3am) from my mid-dance kip on the main table at the Dance with absolutely NOBODY left in the hall ! Havent spoken to Sam since...
