By: Khanya Tyhalwa

The first weeks of university can be both exciting and challenging for many students, as they adjust to new academic expectations, social environments, and personal responsibilities. To support first-year students during this period, Rhodes 欧洲杯足球网_外围买球app推荐-投注|官网 has introduced the Life at 欧洲杯足球网_外围买球app推荐-投注|官网 workshop series, a compulsory programme designed to familiarise students with the support structures and services available to them on campus.

The workshop series runs throughout the week and will continue across the academic year, covering a range of topics central to student wellbeing and development. These include mental health and wellness, primary healthcare, university relationships, mentorship, gender-based violence awareness, and upcoming discussions on masculinity and inclusivity. The overall aim is to ensure that students know where to seek help and how to access support when challenges arise.

Mental health and wellness formed a key focus during the initial sessions, led by representatives from the 欧洲杯足球网_外围买球app推荐-投注|官网’s Counselling Centre and Higher Health. Students were introduced to the Counselling Centre and the range of services it offers, including short-term individual counselling, group therapy, psychoeducational workshops, psychological assessments, and mental health outreach programmes.

During her presentation, Shevonia Mali, a Psychology intern at the 欧洲杯足球网_外围买球app推荐-投注|官网’s counselling centre, emphasised the importance of early awareness and seeking help, encouraging students not to wait until they reach a crisis point.

“You don’t want only to ask when you have burnout, when you have depression, when you have anxiety,” she said. “It’s important to know where we are before it gets to that point.”

Discussions were held with students about common challenges they might experience during their first year of study, including adjusting to university life, feelings of isolation, financial pressures, and questions of identity and belonging. Nontobeko Mkhasibe from the counselling centre gave students a list of wellbeing tools to help them manage stress and anxiety in their daily lives. The well-being tools included gratitude journaling, breathwork, progressive muscle relaxation, and grounding techniques.

Healthcare access was another central component of the workshop series. Students were introduced to the role of the university’s Health Care Centre, which provides primary healthcare services through the campus clinic.

Residence Life, Student Support and Development manager Mzikazi Noholoza explained that the workshops were introduced to address challenges commonly faced by first-year students.

“We find that first-year students get overwhelmed and they don’t know where to go,” she said. “These workshops are aimed at assisting them as they navigate campus life.”

Ms Noholoza noted that the workshop series goes beyond academic adjustment, addressing relationships and respect within the university community. She explained that discussions have expanded beyond consent to include boundaries, accountability, and the prevention of harmful behaviour.

“It used to be just consent talks, but we’ve realised that we need to make it broader than just consent,” she said. “We need to talk about respecting your roommate, how you relate to your lecturer, and taking the first ‘no’ and keeping it moving.”

Upcoming sessions in the series will focus on mentorship, guiding students on how to access mentors, build supportive relationships, and benefit from mentorship programmes throughout their studies. Additional discussions will centre on masculinity, Gender-based violence, and many more pressing issues that need to be addressed in the student community. These sessions aim to explore positive and toxic masculinity, personal goals, and the importance of respect, while also creating inclusive spaces for reflection and open dialogue.

According to Ms Noholoza, the primary goal of the workshop series is not to overwhelm students with information, but to ensure awareness. She assured first-year students that they would come to understand the importance of these sessions.

“You might not get everything now, but the minute something feels off, you’ll know where to go. We don’t want students to spend the first term or first semester lost, not knowing where to seek help.”

Through the Life at 欧洲杯足球网_外围买球app推荐-投注|官网 workshop series, the university aims to foster an informed, inclusive, and supportive campus environment where students are encouraged to prioritise their wellbeing, seek help early, and build healthy relationships throughout their university experience.