Assessment weeks kick off on Monday

The NWU assessment weeks for the first semester are set to kick off on Monday, 25 April, and will run until 6 May. Covid-19 regulations now allow for the use of 50% of venue capacity, therefore some students will still have online assessments only, whereas others will have sit-down tests.

Many students, both first-year and senior students, are panicking because they have not had sit-down assessments since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, with some asking “how different are university tests from high school tests?” Others also mentioned that they are not ready for the week because they do not feel well prepared.

Thubelihle Mathebula (19), first-year BA ancient languages student, described assessment week as “nerve wrecking”. She said that she does not know what to expect since she is new and will be having her first sit-down assessment.

“All I’m thinking about is passing so that I can qualify for exams,” she said. Mathebula will be writing her first university sit-down test this coming week. “I view it [assessment week] as exam season like we had in high school but there is just something different about it, because I don’t know what to expect.” Although Mathebula is panicking and feels unprepared, she mentioned that facilitation has helped her.

Writing sit-down tests is nothing new to Mukololo Magau, a second-year pharmacy student (21) who said that she has been writing sit-down assessments since her first year. However, “being in a new year, studying a new module, makes everything new because one does not know how the examiner will set the paper,” she said.

Although she does not feel ready, she said she is looking forward to it. She mentioned that she did not manage her time well, thus she is trying to catch up with the work.

“I am behind with almost all of my modules, so I am trying to catch up. I didn’t manage my time well,” said the student.  To Magau there is nothing like being behind with schoolwork because there is too much work to do but it is because of failing to manage time. “If we as students managed our time right, we wouldn’t be behind,” she said.

Thembisile Tshefu (20), third-year BA in sociology and labour relations management student, last had sit down assessments before Covid-19. Tshefu only has one contact module this year and her assessments are online, including the assessments for the contact module.