FUEL YOUR FUTURE WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE Just as the rhythm of 2020 settled in, life as we know it was paused. The global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated a national lockdown in South Africa since the end of March 2020. The abnormal became the new normal. This has left many Grade 12 learners with high levels of stress and anxiety as school programmes were disrupted, casting a shadow of uncertainty over preparations for post-school life. It is as if the work of the past eleven years suddenly means nothing, because the final school year has been disrupted beyond imagination. Who could have thought that 2020 would be the year of a national lockdown? So where does the University of the Free State (UFS) feature in all of this? We know that high school learners are faced with many questions regarding their future; questions such as which subjects to choose, which career path to follow, and whether to apply for a post-school qualification. The University of the Free State (UFS) offers a variety of services to help learners kick-start their ‘I-want-to-be’. The UFS is an important source of knowledge and
expertise geared towards assisting and supporting high school learners to choose subjects in Grade 9 and career options in Grades 11 and 12 that will best suit their individual values, passions, dreams, and talents. Future Kovsie2Bs can access any of the UFS platforms for information about the undergraduate programmes offered, admission requirements, application and closing dates, residence placements, fees, bursaries, and other services such as academic advice and the Center for Universal Access and Disability Support. One such platform is the Department of Student Recruitment Services. Among the services offered by the department, are the marketing team visiting schools across South Africa as well as selected international schools to recruit the best talent for undergraduate studies. In addition, the department also attends numerous career exhibitions to create awareness of the different programmes and services offered by the UFS. The department not only assists Grade 11 and 12 learners in choosing a
