The Dr Pixley kaSeme Hall was bursting at its seams on 10 February 2025 when the first-year students were attending their Orientation. The freshmen and women are set to have a relaxed and productive time at the university after receiving very constructive messages from the university officials. Speaker after speaker appealed to the new students, asking them to take advantage of the opportunity they have been given by landing a place at MUT. In contrast, thousands of others who have passed grade 12 could not get in, particularly because of limited places at the country’s higher education institutions. Among the speakers was Professor Marcus Ramogale, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Learning and Teaching. Speaking on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Nokuthula Sibiya, Professor Ramogale impressed upon the young students a need to make the right decisions that would not only carry them through their stay at the University but will also benefit them in life beyond MUT.
A father, Professor Ramogale addressed the students like his children, clearly indicating to them that he desired a connection with them and that they now have a contract to do well and to be good future leaders and impactful community leaders. “Enrolling with a university is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Professor Ramogale said. He referred the students to a book by a very respected author, Napoleon Hill. In his book Hill talks about the laws of success, which is the title of the book. Professor Ramogale picked just five laws, out of the 16. “Never be a wanderer, have a mastermind and remember the fourth law which claims that success is possible if one cooperates with others. This is a version of a project when two minds come together. It is important to work with others,” Professor Ramogale said.
Next week, academic departments will host their orientation programmes that aim to establish a relationship with their new students as soon as possible so they have most of the teething questions answered and can settle down and focus on their studies. One of these will be the Department of Construction Management and Quantity Surveying. The department will have its orientation on 17 February 2025, at Bozzoli Hall.