By Gofaone Motsamai and Keaoleboga Motshabi

A classroom once filled with nervous first years became a space of confidence and direction as the North-West University’s (NWU) School of Languages on the Mahikeng Campus welcomed its 2025 final-year students to an information session on 24 July on furthering their studies and following a path towards lifelong learning.

The session aimed to provide students with a platform to explore postgraduate opportunities and possible career paths within the language field. It brought together undergraduate and postgraduate students and lecturers, creating an environment to share experiences, form connections and answer questions.

Honours students Kgothatso Makuwa and Francinah Mokhotho shared their stories with the final-year students.

No regrets and no looking back

Kgothatso, who is enrolled in the English honours programme with a focus on linguistics, recalled how just a year ago she sat in the same position, unsure about what lay ahead. “I took the risk of getting into the programme and a year later I regret nothing.”

She said she had grown fond of both the learning environment and the content, adding that support from peers, lecturers and her supervisor helped her through. “If you are someone who is curious about language, its structures, laws and its development, then this is your home.”

Francinah, also an English honours student but with a focus on literature, reflected on the sense of community she had found within the programme. “I love and appreciate this community. The lecturers are supportive, the supervisors hold your hand every step of the way and the students share your joy, excitement, pain and frustrations with you.”

Onalenna Leburu, a Setswana lecturer, provided information about the Setswana honours programme. He explained that the course includes drama, poetry and research, and advised students to ensure they have a genuine interest in these areas before pursuing the programme.

“It is important to ensure that you’re interested in what you want to do,” he told the students.

Diana Harrison, another lecturer in the School of Languages, said: “The literature research module consists of a research project that comes from a topic of your interest, which is fine tuned with a suitable supervisor.”

She pointed out the programme’s broader benefits. “The honours degree will no doubt better prepare you for further academic pursuits or a career in writing, publishing, editing, the media, advertising and education.”

Whatever the future holds for these final-year students, they are ready to make informed choices that will stand them in good stead.

 Final-year language students listen attentively during the session on postgraduate opportunities and career pathways.