Mnotho Hlubi (22) enrolled at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) in 2020 to study towards her Diploma in Analytical Chemistry of which she had no clue as to what it was all about. However, having promised herself that she would put in the hard work has reaped rewards for her.
Hlubi will be graduating Cum Laude for her Diploma in Analytical Chemistry at this year’s Durban University of Technology’s (DUT’s) Spring Graduation, at the Olive Convention Centre on Monday afternoon, 18 September 2023.
“Graduating cum laude shows how much one is dedicated, it shows that hard work and balancing social life with studies pays off. I believe that it can boost a person’s self-esteem, as it is a recognition of their academic achievements and hard work. Finding out that I had passed with cum laude instilled a sense of accomplishment and pride, which positively impacted my self-perception,” she beamed.
Hlubi says this accomplishment is even more special and credits her mother, Lapetite Dlamini, who had done an exceptional job raising her as a single mother of two in Ladysmith.
As the saying goes, ‘no pain no gain’, and this proved apt for Hlubi as she had to endure some challenges before she could achieve such outstanding results.
The biggest trail she had to face during her time at DUT was having to plan her work schedule accordingly as it would get really overwhelming, having to study sometimes for two tests at once which became extremely challenging. “However, surrounding myself with hardworking and dedicated people made all things possible. One would say that the life of a student who studied during the COVID-19 pandemic was a bullet miss, however it was exceptionally difficult as you would be tempted not to attend classes; and it was difficult to find people who you would study with and share knowledge amongst each other,” she said.
Hlubi expressed that the most challenging thing was having to balance her social life and attending online classes, especially because it was online, and tests were written on campus.
“The disadvantage of studying online is having to spend lots of money buying data and the network would really work against you submitting an assignment a few seconds before the submission time. However, I am truly grateful for the fact that we could go back to saved lecture videos, this made things really easy cause during studying hours,” she added.
Hlubi is currently a contractor as a laboratory technician in a company based in Durban. Her plan for the following year is to go back to university as a full-time student for her Advanced Diploma in Chemistry, however, if she obtains a permanent job at a company she will consider studying part-time.
“To someone who would want to embark as an analytical chemist, I would say focus on mastering the fundamentals of chemistry. Pay attention to your coursework, as this will be the basis of your future work. Stay curious and ask questions. analytical chemistry involves problem-solving, so a curious mindset is essential,” she said.
Pictured: Mnotho Hlubi
Waheeda Peters
