It’s never too late: 25-year-old went back to matric to secure a better future
|Published
Society often reinforces the idea that you should compare your life to that of others and if you don’t live up to or exceed your peers in certain achievement markers, you are a failure.
But this could not be further from the truth, as each individual should determine their own success. As the post-modern saying goes, ‘’Own lane, own pace.’’
Lungelo Ngubane, 25, sought to prove this to himself as he went back to matric after seven years. Ngubane, who is originally from Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal, matriculated in 2015 with a diploma pass but did not do well in physical sciences.
He proceeded to Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) to study information technology. Things seemed to be going well for the young man, but a certain module in his course kept giving him trouble.
‘’I then dropped out in my third year because of this one module, which I had to repeat. I was not able to complete this, so I pursued one of my passions, photography.’’
For a while, Ngubane thrived in photography and worked with celebrities and big brands. However, when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, he had to re-evaluate his choices.
‘’I saw that creatives were losing their jobs and being put in a position where they could no longer sustain themselves. This made me realise that I needed stability, which to me meant improving my academics so I could expand my opportunities.’’
At the end of 2021, the young man decided that he should go back to matric as he had no clear direction. He was sinking into depression as his life was not progressing the way he had envisioned.
‘’I took the difficult decision to go back to school full time knowing that this was the only way I was going to secure a better future for myself. My family and friends supported my decision and quite frankly are the reason I got through it,’’ he said.
Ngubane chose to go to Mawele High School in Msinga, KwaZulu-Natal. After entering the school, he said he sensed judgement from some of the educators and learners, some of whom even gossiped about him.
‘’In the beginning, it was tough — I went through severe depression and memory loss. Every day I was doubting myself and asking whether I had made the right decision in order to succeed. This then improved substantially, so I persevered and put my resilience in full gear.’’
As a result, this time around, Ngubane’s results have vastly improved and he is optimistic about his future. His next step is to return to tertiary education to pursue a career in health sciences while continuing with his photography passion.
He offered the following advice to those who want to redo their matric:
- Kill the noise and ignore the ‘naysayers’.
- People project their own insecurities on to others; simply cut those people off.
- If anyone opposes what you want to do, follow your own gut and intuition, it will never lie to you.
- If you do decide to repeat, study every day, and try to stay away from distractions.
‘’I believe matric is an important stage in your life, so do what you have to do and take it seriously.’’
* If you are in need of help or know someone who is, please contact Sadag’s toll free call centre on 0800 567 567.
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