In 2008 I started my degree as a correspondence student with Unisa. It was going to be tough to work and study at the same time, but my mother did her whole degree studying in her spare and ‘spare’ time when I was little. This letter she sent me when I registered, which I found again after she died in 2014, gave me the inspiration at the time and reading it today. Almost 13 years later, it still motivates me. These are her study tips…
Hi Dawn,
Now that you are about to study, I just want to give you a few pointers. You probably know all this & much more but sometimes its valuable to get some inspiration from elsewhere, especially someone who did it for many years.
It’s not important how many hours you put into the work, it’s the quality of the time you spend.
Work smart & you’ll get a lot more done in a much shorter time.
Don’t let your studies take over your life, make time for yourself & especially for your partner. I always used to tell the clinic mommies how important it was to make time for their partners even though, at times, the 24 hours in the day seemed to be stretched to the limit.
Make time to get some exercise too. You will find that the time taken for a brisk walk or in the gym, is well worth it, because your mind has been oxygenated & the quality thereafter will be so much more productive.
Buy a year planner, fill in your assignments & just work steadily towards your goal.
I know there will be times of stress & tension, but above all you must enjoy it otherwise its not worth putting yourself through the torture.
In my mind there is no doubt that you’ll be a success. I want you to remember that I will always be there for a shoulder to cry on or to vent your frustration on.
Your studies have now become your hobby. Enjoy the whole experience & you’ll derive so much more benefit from it!
Lots of love,
Mommy
Tesesa Denton
My mom, mentor and motivator. I leants valuable life lessons from her too, which helped me Survive Lockdown in 2020.
