Starting university, Nicolas had a clear picture of what his first year would look like. 

He expected a flawless journey. 

He would eat healthy meals, drink enough water, attend every class, keep his room and responsibilities under control, achieve good results independently and maintain a healthy social life. He expected to manage his mental health, overcome financial challenges and adapt quickly to university life. 

But university had other lessons in store. 

And some of the most important ones had nothing to do with what he would learn in a lecture hall. 

When independence becomes real 

One of Nicolas' biggest adjustments was learning what independence means. 

At home, everyday responsibilities can feel routine. At university, cooking, cleaning, managing his time and waking up on time suddenly became his responsibility, while he was also trying to keep up with a demanding academic schedule. 

Even maintaining a healthy lifestyle, as he had planned, proved more difficult than expected. With junk food often more convenient and academic demands competing for his time, making healthy choices required more planning and discipline than he had anticipated. 

Slowly, he began learning that independence is not about doing everything perfectly. It is about taking responsibility, adapting and finding ways to make things work. 

University taught him to work differently 

Academically, Nicolas quickly discovered that university required a very different approach to learning. 

He had expected understanding unfamiliar accents to be one of his biggest challenges. Instead, he found that the pace of lectures, frequent tests and assignments, and the amount of independent work required were far more demanding. 

Completing the work covered in lectures was only part of the responsibility, each module required additional learning and preparation. 

Then there were the practical challenges: finding unfamiliar buildings, navigating online platforms and figuring out where to access important information. 

University was teaching Nicolas something his school years could not fully prepare him for: success would depend not only on what he knew, but on how well he could adapt and manage himself. 

Finding his place 

Making friends was not always easy, particularly when meeting people from different cultural and language backgrounds. Nicolas had to become more confident in communicating in English, asking questions and interacting with people who did not share his home language. 

Even asking a question in class, something that can seem simple, required courage. 

These experiences pushed him outside his comfort zone. But they also helped him become more confident and adaptable. 

Learning that support is part of success 

One of the most important lessons Nicolas took from his first year was that asking for and accepting support is not a weakness. 

Through the Siyandisa Achievers expert webinars, he received guidance on nutrition and healthy eating habits, along with practical support for maintaining his mental well-being, especially during the demanding examination period. The webinar speakers from the different universities helped him understand aspects of university life he had not known about, including residence placements and navigating university resources. 

Financial support also helped him travel safely between home and his institution during the holidays, easing some of the pressures that can come with being a university student. 

For Nicolas, this support was about more than solving immediate challenges. It gave him guidance while he was learning how to navigate a completely new environment. 

What he would tell the next Achievers 

Looking back, Nicolas would tell the Class of 2027 and future first-year students to start preparing for university long before they arrive on campus. 

First, understand why you want to pursue your chosen career. 

A subject or career may seem attractive because it is considered easy, but that reason may not be enough to carry you through the difficult days. Having a strong sense of purpose can help you stay motivated when the workload becomes demanding. 

He also encourages learners to develop good study habits while they are still in matric. Building those habits early can make the transition to university easier. 

A year that changed his definition of success 

Nicolas began university believing that success meant having everything under control. 

He finished his first-year understanding that it means something different. 

Success can mean learning to cook for yourself. It can mean asking a question when you do not understand. It can mean reaching out when you are struggling, changing your study habits when they are not working, or simply getting through a difficult week and trying again. 

It was a year of becoming more independent, resilient and self-aware, and of discovering that growth often happens in the moments that do not go according to plan.