Grow with Lebo

By Lebogang SelekanePearson Institute of Higher Education.


DISCLAIMER: this write up/blog post is NOT sponsored by the Pearson Institute of Higher Education. Everything I say/write is completely my opinion and experience 🙂

Everyone (or almost everyone) in life has the desire to go to a tertiary school to further their studies after matric. People have different reasons on why they go to university, college or technical school – some to further their dreams by acquiring jobs while some try to stay on the safe side of life, by having a degree or diploma to lean on when tough times call. Some matriculants have it all figured out on where they will study and what they will study. Well…others are confused on where they want to go, what they want to do and financial difficulties. At the end of the day the final matric results will determine whether or not where you want to go and what you want to do goes according to plan.

Questions of my school (Pearson Institute of Higher Education) always come up every time I upload videos of my school or just merely having a sit-down video or vlogging on my YouTube Channel. Questions that involve the fees of the school, the courses provided, how the residence operates, etc. This blog post focuses on my experience from applying at the Pearson Institute of Higher Education, to academic operations, residence and more.

Why I applied at Pearson Institute and the process:

I was so confused on what to study after matric because my only dream at the time was to do music, but I realised that acquiring a music degree won’t do much for me. I mean let’s be honest most singers or musicians are able to make it in the industry without a degree or diploma in music. My second option was studying law, but then again I realised that I’m not really into law. I first applied at the University of Pretoria for a law course and a music course, because in the University of Pretoria, you are given more than one option to apply, in case the first option is declined. My application for the law course was declined because my grade 11 marks were not up to par (I applied with my grade 11 marks in the middle of the year). My application for the music course would only be accepted if I were to write the National Benchmark Test (NBT) and pass it. I went to the University of Pretoria in Hatfield to write the National Benchmark Test (and need I tell you that the test took hours), but I had to wait a few weeks for the results. In the process of waiting for my National Benchmark Test results I kept on applying at other universities just to be safe. I went on to apply at the University of Johannesburg for a law course, and applied at Wits for a music course. At the University of Johannesburg, I was told to apply again with my matric results (when I get them), because my grade 11 marks were not too good. At Wits, I would only be provisionally accepted after I audition with two songs at the campus. I was told to prepare for a little test and two jazz songs to sing (if I’m not mistaken), I then started practising Jazz songs and even printed out the Wits campus map, so that I don’t get lost in the campus of course. I was really ready hey, BUT… on a random day, I’m watching TV with my family, and my dad starts asking me about the Pearson Institute advert on TV, asks me if I know the school, how I know it, etc, and I of course knew the school. Which then resulted in me ditching the Wits audition.

The first time I heard of Pearson Institute was at school (high school). Pearson Institute would come almost every year at my school, in the beginning of the year to promote the school, but I never really paid attention to it until September 2018. A part of me was a bit withdrawn from the idea of studying music or law, and I started doing some research on the Pearson Institute of Higher Education. One thing I realised was that Pearson did not offer a wide range of courses, which made it a bit difficult for me to choose. I started first by looking at the Law Commerce course, but then again, I was not sure on the law course, especially because Law commerce is not the normal Law course, it is law and commerce combined together, and knowing me, I don’t like dealing with numbers… Unless it’s money that I’m dealing with ;). So I went over and over, and over the prospectus so many times to make sure that I make the right decision, and I landed on the BA in Journalism course. Now the question is why?…

I went with the BA in Journalism course because it resonates with what I have always wanted, but never realized it sooner. I have always been passionate about being on radio, television, and now with the course, I’m able to venture into a variety of media options, such as magazines, newspapers, television and radio. Journalism is not only what people think it is (which is reporting on horrific and political news) it goes way deeper than that. You are introduced to so many things. I must say that the pressure of completing matric and having no direction took its toll on me, making me end up deciding on courses I had no passion for such as music and law. When I landed on the BA in Journalism course, something just said to me that “this is my course”. To be quite honest I’ve never, EVER pictured myself studying at the Pearson Institute of Higher Education or to top it all off – to see myself EVER studying a BA in Journalism course/degree.

I literally ditched every single application I made at all the other universities, I literally did not even care about their responses anymore, my mind was now only on Pearson.

I applied for the BA in Journalism degree/course, initially I wanted to study at the Campus in Sandton, Pretoria or Durban, but unfortunately my course is/was only offered at the Midrand campus. After a day or two after applying for the course and paying for the registration fee, my application was provisionally accepted (in September 2018) and the University was only waiting for my matric results to seal the deal. In October 2018 all students who were provisionally accepted were invited to a brunch at the Pearson Institute of Higher Education Midrand Campus to give more details on the school. I went to the brunch and goodness me, I was impressed! The campus looked beautiful and a place I could just enjoy being in. Me and other students (and parents) were escorted to the school residence, just to see how it looks and to give us basic information about the school residence. One of the school residences of the Midrand campus is just next to the school and the other is opposite the school.

NOTE: The Midrand campus is the only Pearson Institute campus that has school residence, all the other 11 Pearson Institute campuses do not have school residence, you will have to personally find your own place to stay.
Pearson Institute of Higher Education has 12 campuses all together in the whole of South Africa, I school or attend at the Midrand Campus.

NOTE: if your application was/is unsuccessful, don’t worry you can still study the course you want, by applying for the Pre-degree of your desired course, meaning that you will do a Pre-degree course for one year that will give you an opportunity to study your desired course, all you have to do is pass the Pre-degree course in order to do the initial degree.

NOTE: if you want to study my course (BA in Journalism) or something similar, you can – as it is still offered at my school but under a different name, which is BA in Media Studies, which offers a variety of options in media, just be sure to ask more about the course, just for clarification.

My BA in Journalism course application was completed and my residence application was completed, all that was left, was for me to just pass my matric with good marks – and I did.

I went back to the school in January after 2 or 3 days after receiving my matric result to officially apply for the course and just basically seal the deal. I enrolled at the school for my course and residence, got my student card and I was officially a Pearson Institute of Higher Education student. It felt so good just to hold that student card in my hands, with my name on it for the first time 😂. I was told to come back in the beginning of February to fetch my room keys and to begin with classes. I also has to buy my own textbooks before classes could begin. I’d advise you purchase your textbooks in time. Checkout the link at the end of the article for a website where you can purchase your textbooks/ebooks.

Residence and Induction

On the 2nd of February 2019, I officially moved in my room and as a first year I had to go through the induction process, which started on the 4th of February 2019 on a Monday until Friday, the 8th of February. Honestly induction is so nice, but can be so tiring. You will have so much fun but be prepared for the all the activities. There are so many activities done, and so many free snacks you’re given (I mean who doesn’t like freebies), I swear you will not get that hungry. And need I forget – if you’re a party person then after a long week of induction, on the last day of induction (the 8th of February) a party in the basement was hosted, I mean what a good way to connect with new people and even make friends before classes start. Classes officially started on the 11th of  February 2019.

I was extremely nervous  hey, had to wake up early to fetch my timetable and officially start with my day. I did not know anyone from my classes, it’s a complete new environment and I had to attend long classes for the first time my life. I want from attending 45-minute classes in high school to attending 2 hour and 3 hour classes in University, even went from knocking off at 2pm in high school to knocking off at 5pm in University. I must say though that knocking off at 5pm made me feel like I’m moving up in the world hey😊. The BA in Journalism course made school so much easier, I got to do what I love, which has always been media, learning about cameras, writing, interviews, etc was and still is a bliss.

How residence works

I always get asked how much the fees cost or what the residence fees are, I personally cannot tell you that, you will have to ask for yourself at the residence department, because prices change every single year. But I can tell you how the residence is or how it works.
There are so many options to choose from, there are Bachelor rooms, where you can stay alone, have your own fridge, microwave, stove, etc all to yourself. There are sharing rooms, where there are 2 rooms for 2 people, meaning that each person will have their own room, but share a kitchen, toilet and the shower. There are double sharing rooms, where there are 2 rooms, and 2 girls in each room, making it a total of 4 people sharing a kitchen, toilet and shower. There are still more options, but I will only mention the ones I am sure of.

NOTE: School residence provides you with a bed, stove, microwave and a fridge. And don’t worry about the fridge, if you choose the option of single sharing, you will have your own fridge in your bedroom, you won’t have to share a fridge with someone else. BUT the only time you will share a fridge is when you choose the double sharing option – you will only share the fridge with your roommate, not with three other people, just one.

I cannot write every single thing down, my experience can never be the same as yours, but I must say that Pearson Institute is very nice school, I mean who doesn’t want a school that can be educative and informing, and fun at the same time, never forget to have fun while bagging those marks, you have the drama clubs, academic clubs, competitions, pageants, basketball/netball court, soccer field, swimming pool and the gym on campus for a reason, use them! Nothing beats a bit of fresh air, at night at the soccer field just chilling with friends or making new ones. With anything you do, NEVER forget the sole reason you’re there in the first place – which is to bag that degree😉.
For more visuals of my school click the link –
https://youtu.be/IiJftSL9oI4. The link is my first ever video on my YouTube Channel that gives you a bit of insight into my journey at the school, during the first semester.
For more information on the school, visit the school website – https://pearsoninstituteonline.co.za/


If you have any questions or need some clarification on something, don’t be shy to drop a comment down below and I will get back to you.
Thank you!

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