As the higher education application season for the upcoming cohort of students is near, it is essential to reconsider how life orientation can be enhanced to give pupils with the practical skills needed to succeed in university.
Each year, thousands of first-year students enter South African universities, with hopes, dreams and aspirations yet lacking the academic and social skills needed to succeed in this new environment. Our existing system continues to believe that achievement in higher education solely depends on academic matters. However, any university lecturer, academic adviser or residence administrator will tell you that students not only face challenges with their studies, but also often have difficulties with the fundamentals of university life.
We should reconsider how we orient and equip students for the expectations of higher education. Referencing, academic skills, campus living, computer skills and overall university orientation are not minor concerns. They are the cornerstone on which each student’s success depends.
What many fail to understand is that higher education includes a “hidden curriculum”, as stated by Ndamase and Lukman (2024), an unspoken array of skills and norms that students are expected to grasp yet are seldom instructed in. Consider referencing, for instance. First-year students typically learn about plagiarism policies before they completely comprehend what plagiarism actually entails. They are expected to manage APA, Harvard or Vancouver referencing formats in their initial assignments, using only a pamphlet and a manual. In the same way, academic literacy, the capacity to critically read, write and think in a scholarly environment, is not inherent. It needs to be instructed, exercised and encouraged.
The notion that every student is born digital is fundamentally flawed.
Numerous students come from educational settings in which memorisation is the standard. They are quickly required to construct arguments, assess sources and participate in peer-reviewed discussions. Without organised assistance, the transition is harsh.
In today’s digital environment, fundamental computer skills are essential for survival, not just an advantage. Students need to be digitally proficient from the start, ranging from submitting online assignments to accessing course resources, navigating learning management platforms and attending virtual lectures. However, the notion that every student is born digital is fundamentally flawed. Many come from disadvantaged high schools where computers are limited or do not exist, data is costly and typing a document is a new experience. We should not equate smartphone skills with digital educational proficiency. The ability to create a TikTok video does not imply that a student can format assignments, send a professional email or upload coursework on Moodle or Blackboard.
Integrating higher education aspects into the overall high school life orientation curriculum is now essential, not an option.
University residences serve not merely as a sleeping place, but also function as unique learning environments on their own. This is where students acquire skills for handling conflict, planning meal budgets, ensuring hygiene and understanding various cultural norms. It is also the place where numerous individuals encounter independence for the first time. However, we rarely offer organised guidance on how to thrive in residence. Factors such as time management, mental health, communication and learning to seek help are essential life skills that influence academic success and social adaptation. Integrating higher education aspects into the overall high school life orientation curriculum is now essential, not an option.
High school life orientation should transform from a general subject into an effective resource that equips students for higher education. Practical instruction on referencing, plagiarism, academic writing, time management and university culture ought to be integrated into the grades 11 and 12 curriculum. Rather than merely instructing on career options and principles, life orientation should now be redefined as a pathway to success in higher education. This initial exposure would clarify university life, decrease dropout rates and instill confidence in students that they have a place in these environments, not only socially but also academically and professionally.
We cannot keep sending students to higher education and be shocked when they find it hard to meet even the most fundamental expectations of higher institutions. Nor can we leave these crucial skills to chance. To enhance student performance, retention and graduation success, we need to establish more strong foundations. Let us show them how to thrive not merely in exams, but within the system itself. We cannot keep pushing students into the deep end and assume they will succeed without instructing them on how to breathe. DM
Maxhobandile Ndamase is an emerging researcher in public administration, with a scholarly focus on technology, higher education and monitoring and evaluation, particularly in relation to governance, policy implementation and institutional effectiveness.