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First-Year Success Orientation
Orientation is a series of events and activities designed to help new first-year students to adjust to university. You will meet people, find out about resources on campus, learn how to find your way around the campus and have some fun too.
However, Orientation is more than just a week of activities. It's about our commitment to help you explore opportunities for involvement on campus and to ensure that you achieve success in all spheres of life. It is our hope that you will leave Nelson Mandela University as a well-rounded individual.
Orientation should not be confused with Initiation, a humiliating and dangerous practice at some universities in the past, and one which is definitely not tolerated at Nelson Mandela University.
Research has shown that students who attend Orientation have a much better chance of succeeding at university. First-year students who attended Orientation have this to say:
Yes, it is. It will help you settle in quickly. It will give you the edge over others who don't.
You will miss out on meeting other students doing the same course as you, in an informal setting. Networking with others should not be under-estimated in order to achieve success. You will miss out on meeting faculty staff. You will miss out on finding out about how to construct your curriculum (where electives are an option). You will miss out on having the opportunity of listening to the experiences of senior students who have dealt with challenges in your course. You will probably get lost and not know where to find your lecture venues or important resources, which could put you off to a bad start. You might remain completely unaware of all the resources available to help you at Nelson Mandela University. You will miss out on a great deal of fun!
First check on your Faculty website, then on the dedicated Mandela Uni registration webpage. If you still cannot find the answers, you can message us or your FYS Buddy. Don't forget to like and follow us on social media for updated info:
You will receive your student card at the end of the Registration process on the Registration day. Thereafter, you will be informed about where and how to activate your student card.
You also receive your parking disc at the end of the Registration process on the Registration day. It is important to ask the Registration Assistants to assist you with getting/applying for a parking disc.
Please visit or contact your Faculty Administrative Officer, you will be given further instructions on how and what to do if you wish to change your current course. Faculty contact information can be found on the FYS@mandela First-Year Guide or via your Faculty website.