In the rear view mirror you see her standing next to her suitcases: a slight figure waving bravely goodbye before she steps over the threshold into university life.

Then, even before you leave the NWU’s premises, you start to worry: will Suzy be able to cope with the demands of being a student? What if she becomes depressed and emotionally overwhelmed? What if she can’t master her studies? What if she has chosen the wrong subjects?

And oh my goodness, what if she becomes part of the droves of first-year students in South Africa who drop out along the way – even before finishing their first year?

These may be the worries and concerns of many a parent, but rest assured – the NWU has various structures and services in place to ensure the emotional, physical and academic welfare of all our students, but in particular our first years.

Help from our first aid kit

Let’s first take a look at the wellness services offered by our three campuses. These include support to students who have social, emotional, behavioural and adjustment problems through services such as 24-hour crisis lines and psychotherapy consultation sessions.

In addition, the university provides health services through our campus clinics, supports financially needy students through projects such as the Meal-a-Day service and assists students with disabilities through our dedicated units on the campuses.

Career, course and subject counselling – based on psychometric evaluation – are available at a fee for first years, but also for high school learners who would like assistance in this regard.

Another wonderful opportunity where high school learners can obtain more information about subjects and make contact with staff members from the different faculties is the open days held on all three campuses.

But what about Suzy’s very tricky applied mathematics homework? And have you seen her tome of a psychology text book?

Well, that brings us to the academic support available to all our students, and especially our first years:

- All first-year students do academic literacy and skills tests to determine whether they would benefit from the additional academic literacy modules offered by the NWU.

- Supplemental Instruction (SI) is an internationally recognised student academic support system. SI provides extra study sessions in the difficult modules, facilitated by trained senior students who have already successfully completed the specific module.

- The University Preparatory programme (UnivPrep) is a bridging programme for students who would otherwise not qualify for admission to university.

- Refresher programmes in mathematics are offered to first-year students registered for programmes that include modules in mathematics.

-  Various extended BSc and BCom programmes enable students to complete their studies over an extended period of time.

So, it is clear that your Suzy does not have to face the challenges of being a first-year student alone.

Trained professionals and peers are standing by to take her hand and make sure that she not only survives her first year, but develops into a well-rounded NWU student and, eventually, a graduate everyone can be proud of.