“Please complete your studies”: University dropout

KEETMANSHOOP, 16 APR – A University of Namibia (UNAM) dropout has encouraged students not to follow in his footsteps.
Gert Titus was a third-year accounting student when he abandoned his studies due to “challenges, hindrances and temptations”.
Titus told a group of UNAM students here Saturday that he, at the time, did not value his education and did not appreciate the opportunity given to him.

“I abused alcohol off and on campus and was badly influenced by my friends,” he noted, adding that he became famous because he was involved in many activities such as football, hosted a UNAM radio show, was a member of HIV/Aids club, among others, and this made him lose focus on his studies.
Titus, who is now a debt officer at the Social Security Commission in Keetmanshoop, believes he could have been far in his career and life had he finished his studies.

“I hope you will avoid them (distractions) to finish your studies. I know what am talking about; I have been where you are now,” Titus said.
He urged students to learn to invest time in productive activities rather than spending it on things like going to clubs and drinking alcohol.

“Learn that temptation is within yourself; your thoughts are the ones that promote what you do. Negative thinking brings negative doings and positive thinking brings positive doings,” he said.
Titus said students must understand the importance of education as it is there to change their mindsets and shape their futures.

He said challenges are unavoidable but one should face and overcome them.
Titus was speaking during a workshop to motivate and give guidance to students of the UNAM Southern Campus.
The workshop was the first of its kind at the campus, and over 30 students attended.
It was organised by Hivirikee Kaurivi, a third-year Business Administration student and founder of a student movement called ‘Shape your life today’.

Kaurivi started the movement in 2016 with the aim of visiting high schools to give guidance and counseling to prepare learners for the demands and challenges of tertiary education.
Kaurivi said he decided to host the workshop to motivate his fellow students, especially first-years, and provide guidance as many come to university with little knowledge about university life and what is expected from them.
Others who provided motivation and guidance were Fanuel Hiiko, an economics and management science lecturer, and Marvin Araeb, a student counselor at the university.
NAMPA