Varsity students drop out like flies

[silkenphoenixx]

He told me that 3rd year equipment was expensive, and the budget is influenced via the number students enrolled in the department's courses. So they made sure students passed most of first year to effectively increase the budget. They would then proceed to filter out 90% of the students for 2nd year (where the real challenge starts).

Probably true in an engineering course, but I suspect that history, languages, economics, accounting, etc. - these degrees don't need equipment. In any year.

We never had one single drop out because a student is assigned a mentor, coach from 1st year right throughout their development.

That sounds great. Isn't it quite expensive to operate though? Even if you use students, the number of 1st years >> number of those in higher years (i.e. the successful ones who could act as mentors). So it must prove quite taxing. Unless you work with a limited programme to keep the numbers steady.

Ah yes the old started with X and ended up with Y students by engineers.

You'll find this in any endeavor.

An excellent point...

 

[Nicodeamus]

Ah yes the old started with X and ended up with Y students by engineers.

You'll find this in any endeavor, uni classes (pretty much all of them), gym intake at the beginning of the year, number of white belts to brown belts in karate classes, beginners to advanced students in language classes etc.

People have many reasons for not sticking it out in their pursuits. Though we should be trying to minimise it, an exponential decrease is natural to a great extent.

That is true, in my opinion it is more about resilience. I only managed to get through University by doing the ABC principle: apply bum to chair.

You need a certain aptitude for mathematics, but other than that it comes down to your vasbyt stategies. A lot can also go wrong in 4 years, it is natural that people fall out.

 

[dlk001]

When did you graduate?

Dec 1997, Civil Eng

 

[buka001]

Dec 1997, Civil Eng

2003 here.

My first year had plenty of drop outs. Dont remenber a mentor being assigned to me specifically.

2nd year was a killer for a good few as well. Maths (Prof Alan Rynhoud) and civil engineering statics (Civ230f) cut through alot of people.

 

[TheChamp]

2003 here.

My first year had plenty of drop outs. Dont remenber a mentor being assigned to me specifically.

2nd year was a killer for a good few as well. Maths (Prof Alan Rynhoud) and civil engineering statics (Civ230f) cut through alot of people.

I don't think he meant having a mentor assigned to you at University.
He was talking about this

This is for our Professional In Training Programme to develop Geotechnical Engineers. 7 years from grade 12 and 3 years for graduates.

 

[dlk001]

That sounds great. Isn't it quite expensive to operate though? Even if you use students, the number of 1st years >> number of those in higher years (i.e. the successful ones who could act as mentors). So it must prove quite taxing. Unless you work with a limited programme to keep the numbers steady. An excellent point...

Its expensive but its a risk-reward or cost-benefit decision we have to take. It takes 3-7 years to develop a professional. If that process fails, we have 7 yrs of succession lost which puts more pressure on seasoned professionals. As it stands, the gap between young and season professionals is widening. That is a huge risk to our engineering profession and I personally speak of Geotechnical Civil/Mining engineering.

 

[Craig_]

Yeah, don't drop out, FFS! Just keep doing what you doing. You will get your free degree.

Have you actually got a degree?

 

[dlk001]

2003 here.

My first year had plenty of drop outs. Dont remenber a mentor being assigned to me specifically.

2nd year was a killer for a good few as well. Maths (Prof Alan Rynhoud) and civil engineering statics (Civ230f) cut through alot of people.

When I was at UCT, there was a programme called ASPECT 'Academic Support Programme for Engineering in Cape Town'.

This programme was developed in conjuction with private sector e.g. Goldfields, DeBeers, Anglo, Sasol, etc. Each of these companies had an undertaking to support development of engineering students from grade 12 right until Pr.Eng registration.

The mentorship, coaching was the duty of personnel who were employed at these companies from HR to Technical Staff. You would often see them at UCT quarterly, especially during first year, to check on their students.

 

[buka001]

When I was at UCT, there was a programme called ASPECT 'Academic Support Programme for Engineering in Cape Town'.

This programme was developed in conjuction with private sector e.g. Goldfields, DeBeers, Anglo, Sasol, etc. Each of these companies had an undertaking to support development of engineering students from grade 12 right until Pr.Eng registration.

The mentorship, coaching was the duty of personnel who were employed at these companies from HR to Technical Staff.

Ok.

The name rings a bell.

But I think it was a function of the cyclical nature of civil engineering, but in my 4 years there we were only visited by one company - Ninham Shand and that was only in final year.

Never saw the likes of SASOL, Anglo or De Beers there at all. None of the major construction companies either.

 

[Nicodeamus]

I don't think he meant having a mentor assigned to you at University.
He was talking about this

As a University student I would only have used my mentor to give me tips on chasing tail, where to get a drink and how to enjoy rag.

 

[TheChamp]

As a University student I would only have used my mentor to give me tips on chasing tail, where to get a drink and how to enjoy rag.

 

[RyanPCMR]

I felt disappointed for not having had enough money to finish my honors degree and I definitely don't know how life could've turned out but I am sure happy that I was given the opportunity to work hard and achieve what I can be proud of for years to come.

 

[Johnatan56]

Well, just graduated.
My course graduated now (looking at the book which has the list of people): about 50 out of 250 across all streams if we count those ~4 people that I know who will be re-writing the one subject. Guess we're lower than the average.

Most dropped out in first year though, from 250 to ~70.

 

[Solarion]

Far too concerned with acting like a bunch of hooligans at UCT and your studies are going to fail. All those days throwing bricks and toi toying and disrupting other peoples classes are days that you fell behind in an already hectic university schedule.

Edit: Everyone warned you. Your parents must have warned you. Now you reap what you sowed shamepies.

 

[RedViking]

They will be back when something needs burning....

 

[krycor]

Back in my day, early 2000s, we had lots of white kids drop out in 1st year as well, so it's not just the typical financial aid students.

In engineering in the same time period when I was there I saw lots of people drop out myself included (but I went back and finished.. I hate doing course I’m not interested in). Granted UCT eng is hard but.. reasons differ.. eg A Levels students seem like they have their life sorted right?

Wrong.. 1st year is boring as they covered 50-75% of material already so you find these guys drop out in 2nd and 3rd year when loafing and relying on good background from school no longer counts as much.

Then you have the academic ones that hate writing and struggle with thesis or ones that get past everything but applied maths & senior engineering course like Digital Signal Processing or even Control Systems (notorious in elec eng).

Anyway my point is.. based on foundation you have at school you may fall out at different levels. Poor school or too lazy you fall out in 1st year, good schooling 2nd or 3rd, bad Project Management or knowledge dept lacking from 1-3yrs means you struggle in honours/4th year.

But these CAN be overcome.. just don’t sit on Jamie steps so much, attend classes and go for help lecturers and tutors. Protesting just means you won’t do the above and likely won’t be there to see the change that you were protesting for.. haha

 

[RedViking]

Protesting just means you won’t do the above and likely won’t be there to see the change that you were protesting for.. haha

Sad but true. Unfortunately what they leave behind is a broken institution for the next generation. The so called students couldn't care less about the future.