• Youth

Varsity Corner

My name is Ingrid Booysen. I am a fourth-year Triumphant College journalism and media studies student.

My time in college has been extremely exciting; I'd characterise it as a "rollercoaster of anxiety and delight."

One aspect of varsity is that no one really prepares you for it; no one encourages you to make new friends, no one forces you to go to class – you're really on your own.

While some days are calm and pleasant, the majority are stressful. Learning online was not something I had anticipated doing for my first year when I started school at the same time as the Covid-19 pandemic erupted.

We only went to classes up until Covid, which made it awful. So, it was an unusual and interesting experience.

Working towards a goal

I've matured and learned a lot about life in general throughout the years, whether it be about budgeting, meeting new friends, or simply getting up to go to school. I've realised that I'm doing it for myself and no one else; I'm the one who needs to secure a bright future for myself and take accountability for every choice I make.

Now that I'm doing my internship, juggling that with school may be difficult for me, but I know that I can do it; all it takes is hard work and dedication because I really want to wear a graduation gown and I want to make myself proud of that.

Gratitude

As far as challenges go, none have particularly stood out for me. While meeting new people can be difficult for some, there are times when you simply need to step outside your comfort zone and experience your sociable side.

Overall, living on campus is a fantastic but eye-opening experience that I would highly recommend, both for the variety of feelings it causes you to experience as well as the delights it offers.

At the end of the day, nothing beats the sense of progress towards reaching your objectives. And, don't take it for granted if you have the resources to attend college – many people may not enjoy that same opportunity.