Things to do once accepted

Being accepted at a Higher Institution of your choice could be exciting and overwhelming. You could currently be in matric or you have matriculated and had taken a gap year or for any other reason. It is important that once you have received the acceptance letter you take your time and carefully make an informed decision that will help you to make the right choice for your education.

It is vital that if you have applied in various Institutions you wait for at least two or three responses so that you can make your decision based on the feedback received and also to take note of the important deadlines that might be mentioned on the acceptance letter.

Higher Education Readiness

High school is important and mandatory; its main purpose has become preparing students for Higher Education. The classes and activities you do in high school play a role in modelling you as an individual to realise your potential. The journey of a High School learner enables a learner to successfully meet basic requirements in order to progress to a level of education that can help you achieve your career goals. Through this process a learner can gain admission to highly selective Institutions and even get an opportunity of being awarded bursaries or scholarships if they work hard.

Things to do once accepted

Being accepted at a Higher Institution of your choice could be exciting and overwhelming. You could currently be in matric or you have matriculated and had taken a gap year or for any other reason. It is important that once you have received the acceptance letter you take your time and carefully make an informed decision that will help you to make the right choice for your education.

It is vital that if you have applied in various Institutions you wait for at least two or three responses so that you can make your decision based on the feedback received and also to take note of the important deadlines that might be mentioned on the acceptance letter.

5 Things you can do once you are accepted

Research the Institution

• Once you decided which institution you would like to further your studies in, spend some time online visiting the  Institutions website or if possible visit the Institution in person if it is close by to familiarise yourself with the environment, to learn the culture and services that are offered by the institution.

Compare cost of the Institutions

• Once feedback is received from the Institutions you have applied from, you can then have a look at the cost of your qualification you would like to enrol for.  Start to compare the costs from the Intuitions that gave you a positive feedback starting from the Institution of your fist choice to the least.
• During this process consider more than study fees, you also need to take into consideration the cost of living on campus or off campus, meal plans or monthly allowance.
• If you have received a bursary or a scholarship it is important to also check what they will be covering financially and what you will still need to cover.
• Even if you are applying for a study loan, make enquiries on time so that you are aware of the amount that will be offered to you for your tuition.
• After you have analysed the costs, note the findings so that you can have an in-depth discussion with your guardians or your family members regarding the financial situation and the support you might need from them. 

Support

• Have an in-depth discussion with your family members or your guardians who will be funding your studies to discuss the information that you have researched regarding your studies and the options you are considering.
• Talk to different people such as your teachers or someone you know that possibly enrolled at the same institution you would like to be in for more information or referrals.

Make an informed decision

• Once you have collected information and spoken to a number of people who form part of your support structure, you can then finalise your decision.
• In finalising your decision use the paperwork included in your acceptance package to accept the enrolment offer.
• Make sure that you fill out your paperwork completely and send it back before the due date online or manually.

Complete your high school

• Yes, you have to focus and complete your High School.
• Being sent an acceptance letter does not mean that you are fully accepted, it’s just a way to secure your place at the Institution of your choice.
• Therefore, keeping your marks that resulted into receiving the acceptance letter and working towards achieving greater results should be your priority.
• Once you have completed your High School, your final results will be requested by the University or the Institution of your choice to determine whether you have met the final minimum admission requirements to enrol for your proposed qualification.
• Your final year results in High School will act as a deciding factor to a new adventure in education.

Things to do upon arrival

• Institutions may differ from one another in the way they regulate their activities and studies.
• Most important thing to do upon arrival is to confirm with the security officer or ask at the information centre that you are at the right institution where you can enrol for your studies.
• In every Institution there are normally boards with information, skim through the information as you walk around the campus and read what is mostly related to your needs.
• Ask the Institution marshals where new applicants should go for registration.
• You need to know the name and code of the proposed qualification you want enrol for and the number of modules you would like to register.
• After doing the temporal registration you can finalise your registration fees before the due date given to you so that you can be fully registered for your studies.

DO YOU HAVE A PLACE TO STAY?

Moving from home to go and study may not be easy due to other logistics that needs to take place, however, with thorough preparations beforehand it eases off the run around of looking for accommodation.

If you have applied at a residential institution, it is important to also apply for accommodation at the student residence. Student residential accommodation can be applied at the same time when you apply for your proposed qualification that you would like to enrol for.

Alternatively should you not get space for student residence, you can look at the surrounding areas of the institution where you will be studying. Whether you applied at a residential institution, open distance learning or any other institution, it is key to also look at your affordability and the costs.

HOW TO LOOK FOR ACCOMMODATION?

Ask people close to you to assist in looking for accommodation; it could be that they know the place better than you or they know someone who stays in the same area of where you are looking for accommodation.

Google search for accommodation by using key words for example: available student accommodation in Pretoria CBD

Compare the prices

View the place that you like if you are closer or ask someone to assist in viewing

Make sure that you are assisted by a property agent or a landlord and that there is a contract in place