University Application Considerations

Chris said:
Yip...if I remember when I applied to UCT all those years ago, they didn't even ask for "leadership positions" or "awards achieved". It's not like in the US or UK where extracurricular activities actually count (I suspect that a partial reason for this is that it would "retard" the transformation agenda of higher education institutions if they did include that as generally people from better schools do more extra-curricular stuff).

In summary: marks, marks, marks.
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Nothing, but marks should matter. They've never done it any other way and there is no reason to start now.
 
Don't worry about disturbing people. It is the job of HR [the rats that they can be] to be disturbed by people and have the hard questions thrown at them. You phone the companies, ask to speak to HR regarding vacation work and then you pose your scenario. Make it very clear what you want to achieve and that you are asking for no remuneration in return for the exposure. If they ask you to send your CV through, make the CV professional. Use proper grammar. Try and keep the CV succinct, 1 page preferably, 2 pages at the absolute most. I prefer to include a covering letter with my CV (usually a separate document) detailing who you I am, what I wish to achieve at that company and why I wish to work for that company. Research the company when doing your covering letter, it shows that you have an interest in the company as opposed to just fishing for a job.

In the event that you land an interview, remain calm - interviews are not as scary as people make it out to be, they're usually pretty chill. Most interviews are panel interviews and you will be asked questions by the entire panel. The panel usually comprises 1 HR rep, the manager of the Business unit you will be slotted into and a senior (in your case) developer. When one of them asks you a question, look them dead in the eye when they're asking the question, address the answer to all. Do not be afraid to interject between questions with questions of your own, it shows that you're not timid. At the end you will be allowed to ask your own questions, be thorough and engaging.
 
XennoX said:
Don't worry about disturbing people. It is the job of HR [the rats that they can be] to be disturbed by people and have the hard questions thrown at them. You phone the companies, ask to speak to HR regarding vacation work and then you pose your scenario. Make it very clear what you want to achieve and that you are asking for no remuneration in return for the exposure. If they ask you to send your CV through, make the CV professional. Use proper grammar. Try and keep the CV succinct, 1 page preferably, 2 pages at the absolute most. I prefer to include a covering letter with my CV (usually a separate document) detailing who you I am, what I wish to achieve at that company and why I wish to work for that company. Research the company when doing your covering letter, it shows that you have an interest in the company as opposed to just fishing for a job.

In the event that you land an interview, remain calm - interviews are not as scary as people make it out to be, they're usually pretty chill. Most interviews are panel interviews and you will be asked questions by the entire panel. The panel usually comprises 1 HR rep, the manager of the Business unit you will be slotted into and a senior (in your case) developer. When one of them asks you a question, look them dead in the eye when they're asking the question, address the answer to all. Do not be afraid to interject between questions with questions of your own, it shows that you're not timid. At the end you will be allowed to ask your own questions, be thorough and engaging.
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Wow. That was very informative. Thanks a lot! I am going to make work of this immediately. Sounds very exciting!
 
XennoX said:
Don't worry about disturbing people. It is the job of HR [the rats that they can be] to be disturbed by people and have the hard questions thrown at them. You phone the companies, ask to speak to HR regarding vacation work and then you pose your scenario. Make it very clear what you want to achieve and that you are asking for no remuneration in return for the exposure. If they ask you to send your CV through, make the CV professional. Use proper grammar. Try and keep the CV succinct, 1 page preferably, 2 pages at the absolute most. I prefer to include a covering letter with my CV (usually a separate document) detailing who you I am, what I wish to achieve at that company and why I wish to work for that company. Research the company when doing your covering letter, it shows that you have an interest in the company as opposed to just fishing for a job.

In the event that you land an interview, remain calm - interviews are not as scary as people make it out to be, they're usually pretty chill. Most interviews are panel interviews and you will be asked questions by the entire panel. The panel usually comprises 1 HR rep, the manager of the Business unit you will be slotted into and a senior (in your case) developer. When one of them asks you a question, look them dead in the eye when they're asking the question, address the answer to all. Do not be afraid to interject between questions with questions of your own, it shows that you're not timid. At the end you will be allowed to ask your own questions, be thorough and engaging.
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In this case a covering letter would be very important. Write your career aspirations and be exact where you want to end up one day. Phone the companies and ask them, they can only say no.

I am personally not a fan of aptitude tests, I've seen quite a few people follow the test religiously only to discover afterwards that they studied something that the wouldn't have liked in the first place.
 
Met with the career counsellor today. He told me I am basicaly screwed as universities only take end grade 11 marks or end grade 12 marks.

Told me I need to take a forced gap year or go to a technikon.

Really bummed :(
 
Laz. said:
Met with the career counsellor today. He told me I am basicaly screwed as universities only take end grade 11 marks or end grade 12 marks.

Told me I need to take a forced gap year or go to a technikon.

Really bummed :(
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You can still be accepted on your grade 12 end year marks. The grade 11 marks are only used for temporarily acceptance, if they differ with your grade 12 marks then you can be rejected.
 
I'm reasonably sure that you can apply with record exam marks.. Might have to pay late fee or something, but better than losing a year.
 
The final decision is ALWAYS based on your final Matric mark. You won't get a confirmed placement with your Gr11 marks or interim Grade 12 marks (you never do).

Nicodeamus said:
You can still be accepted on your grade 12 end year marks. The grade 11 marks are only used for temporarily acceptance, if they differ with your grade 12 marks then you can be rejected.
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Case in point: I had a provisional offer when I applied with my interim Gr12 marks at UCT but in the end it was declined (my final marks dropped below requirements).

Where are you planning to study? UCT allows you to apply with your Gr 12 and send updates too. Just apply regardless of your marks at whatever university and perhaps sneak in your Gr12 report. You could always ask the universities themselves since they're the ones handling the applications, not your school.

Alternatively, you could apply for the extended program. Just apply regardless, what do you have to lose?
 
Why dont you go to/contact the University that you want to apply to and ask them yourself? Hear it straight from the horses mouth? Im sure theyll look at your matric marks, it is your final school mark after all. Like what was said above, as far as I know your Gr11 marks "keep your place" untill your Matric mark can cement it.
 
Yagami said:
The final decision is ALWAYS based on your final Matric mark. You won't get a confirmed placement with your Gr11 marks or interim Grade 12 marks (you never do).



Case in point: I had a provisional offer when I applied with my interim Gr12 marks at UCT but in the end it was declined (my final marks dropped below requirements).

Where are you planning to study? UCT allows you to apply with your Gr 12 and send updates too. Just apply regardless of your marks at whatever university and perhaps sneak in your Gr12 report. You could always ask the universities themselves since they're the ones handling the applications, not your school.

Alternatively, you could apply for the extended program. Just apply regardless, what do you have to lose?
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Nothing! I really don't have anything to lose. Maybe I should apply after I receive my half-year exams so that I have 2 sets of marks to show.

Damn I'm so worried :(
 
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You can apply with your June results AFAIK, did that myself many moons ago. Your going to be at the bottom of the queue but at least you will be in.
 
Laz. said:
Nothing! I really dont have anything to lose. Maybe I should apply after I receive my half-year exams so that I have 2 seta of marka to show.

Damn I'm so worried :(
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Forget about all the in between at the end of the day your final year marks matters and nothing more. You can always try a later application. Make sure you pass matric well
 
Just wanted to give you guys an update: I got accepted into the University of Pretoria for BSc(Computer Science). Thanks for everything guys :)
 
OrbitalDawn said:
Congratulations. Good course that.
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Thanks a lot. It's been great so far, and I've really been impressed by the level of teaching some of the lecturers provide, especially those from the Computer Science and Mathematics departments. I've also experienced some really bad lecturers, but it's usually easy to fit in an alternate lecture group into my timetable, so it doesn't really affect me.

On a side note, I'd just like to keep this thread as up to date as possible, as I know what it would have meant to me if I had something like this to read in Gr.11/Gr.12

I've gone on to pass all my first semester courses (8 courses, 4 distinctions, 4 passes, 98 credits earned). I am registered to complete 185 credits in total this year.

Don't give up guys, no matter how bad your marks are at the moment, you can still turn things around. You just have to take stand and say "I want this, I am going to work hard for it". Good luck!
 
Laz. said:
Thanks a lot. It's been great so far, and I've really been impressed by the level of teaching some of the lecturers provide, especially those from the Computer Science and Mathematics departments. I've also experienced some really bad lecturers, but it's usually easy to fit in an alternate lecture group into my timetable, so it doesn't really affect me.

On a side note, I'd just like to keep this thread as up to date as possible, as I know what it would have meant to me if I had something like this to read in Gr.11/Gr.12

I've gone on to pass all my first semester courses (8 courses, 4 distinctions, 4 passes, 98 credits earned). I am registered to complete 185 credits in total this year.

Don't give up guys, no matter how bad your marks are at the moment, you can still turn things around. You just have to take stand and say "I want this, I am going to work hard for it". Good luck!
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The thing with tuks is that often the lecturers who have the best academic qualification and who is highly regarded in their field, are horrible at teaching. Keep up the work, before you know it your University days will be done.
 
Laz. said:
Thanks a lot. It's been great so far, and I've really been impressed by the level of teaching some of the lecturers provide, especially those from the Computer Science and Mathematics departments. I've also experienced some really bad lecturers, but it's usually easy to fit in an alternate lecture group into my timetable, so it doesn't really affect me.

On a side note, I'd just like to keep this thread as up to date as possible, as I know what it would have meant to me if I had something like this to read in Gr.11/Gr.12

I've gone on to pass all my first semester courses (8 courses, 4 distinctions, 4 passes, 98 credits earned). I am registered to complete 185 credits in total this year.

Don't give up guys, no matter how bad your marks are at the moment, you can still turn things around. You just have to take stand and say "I want this, I am going to work hard for it". Good luck!
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Well done mate.

How are you finding the specific course btw? I see the your first year is mostly programming. At my uni I had 2 programming classes per week for half a semester, the rest was a ****ton of calculus, applied physics and other theory.
 
HDS said:
Well done mate.

How are you finding the specific course btw? I see the your first year is mostly programming. At my uni I had 2 programming classes per week for half a semester, the rest was a ****ton of calculus, applied physics and other theory.
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The course is quite fun actually :D

Time spent on university stuff.
14 hours of CS(Software Modelling(Basically theory), C++ (Basically applied)) lectures/practicals per week.
14 hours of assorted maths(Calculus, Linear Algebra, Mathematical Statistics) lectures/tuts/practicals per week.
9 hours of other subjects lectures/tuts/practicals per week.
15 hours of math homework, coding projects, revising the days material etc. per week (about 3 hours per day).

for a total of about 52 hours per week.

Overall, its definitely worth the time and effort, and I see it having a huge positive effect on my endeavours outside university as well (Entelect 100k challenge, Standard Bank IT Challenge, coding side-projects etc.)
 
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