North West University: My university, my dorm, where beautiful memories are made

14 January 2011, it was a Friday. I remember this day because it still burns brightly in my mind, the rain softly falling on the windshield of the car, creating this serene ambiance, marking the beginning of an untraveled road. I’m sitting on the passenger seat, excited for this new adventure about to begin: College life in this town safely tugged away in this part of South Africa known as North West Province. I remember that it was the first day I’ve ever set my foot in Potchefstroom or North West Province for that matter. As we drove into this unknown territory, I just remember how I was squealing with excitement with my father. We followed the boards and they led us to the Institutional Office gate (we were in search of a hostel by the name of Heide), there we got assisted, and we were given the directions to Heide. The first dorms I laid my eyes on were Caput and Hombre. I remember how the guys were taking their bags out of their cars, they were also about to start on this new adventure called college life. My father slowly reversed out of the parking, and made our way to Heide. Then, I did not know Heide would become a home away from home, a refuge, a shelter, a learning place, my cocoon…. I could go on and on and on.

As we entered the gate at the corner of Meyer and Silver Street, my heart was pumping with excitement. I remember as my father drove in, as he parked the car, I got out of the car, then the third dorm I noticed that day was Overs (ironically I only noticed the guys hostels). But as I turned around, I was confronted with this majestic building; HEIDE. “WOW!” That was my first reaction. My face broke into this gleeful grin, because right there, at that moment, I knew in my heart I have arrived. I have come home, and this home I shall belong, I shall be somebody. I shall become somebody. I shall be something in life.

Three years and eight months later, I realised those emotions I felt that day became true. Heide did become a home away from home. It became a refuge for me and my studies. I excelled in this dorm, I have made lifelong friends in this dorm, I have made memories, worth writing, sharing, and laughing about… you name it.

I need people to realise that dorms on the North West University, Potchefstroom Campus, are merely just buildings covered with paint, those buildings have built people, those building have given hope to people, those building have offered a refuge, a home away from home; where teenage boys became men, and teenage girls blossomed into beautiful women who were ready to go conquer the world and make it a better place. I know personally these buildings are where sisterhood and brotherhood is formed. What a dorm offers is interpersonal skills that no one can learn anywhere, because of dorms (and dorm life), one can become “socially intelligent”, a tool, a skill that any company, institution, organisation or business for that matter yearns for in its employees.

As I’m writing this article, it struck me that it is such a pity that no one in this country or the world for that matter ever asks themselves, is the way this university is portrayed in the media indeed the way it is…? North West University has been getting a lot of flack in the media. It is seen as a university that promotes racism and does not adhere to human rights, and that is not true. In my opinion, this university is one of the universities in South Africa with a dynamic student life. Where across race, ethnicity, culture, sexuality, nationality, background students come together and we become one. And that's not what the media at large is portraying. My goal with this article is not to try to convince you the reader of how wonderful the NWU Potchefstroom Campus is. I am merely telling an untold story that I know my fellow students are yearning to share with this country and the rest of the world.

So before you have the audacity to judge the student life of this campus, how about you first try to understand it. I promise you, after that, you will fall madly in love with it. Because this is the place where we, as students of this higher learning institution can proudly say: “Waar ons graadkry met lekkerkry klaarkry” (“where we are able to obtain our degree, whilst having fun” in Afrikaans). After all, as the slogan of the university states: “It all starts here”. Indeed it does.

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