KICKED OUT OF UNIVERSITY | From Academic Failure After Failure to UCT Graduate

I once got kicked out of university and in this video I share my story of all my various failures that ultimately led to academic exclusion from UCT. I did eventually manage to obtain a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Cape Town.

This video is dedicated to all those who are battling academically and it is my hope that by me sharing my story, you will find the courage to continue fighting for your dream.

Link to OnSite magazine which contains an article I wrote about Academic Exclusion:

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// Music Credit

'Filaments' by Scott Buckley is under a Creative Commons license Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)

[MedMicroBioMe]

Thank you for sharing this, and allow me to encourage others also: I failed my O-levels (2003), then retook them. I started my A-levels (2004) and dropped out of my first semester as I struggled with my mental health. I went back in 2005 and barely passed. I started uni in 2007, but failed in my second year due to mental health, and had to repeat (2008 and 2009). I took an exit award after my first year with a qualification that was equivalent to completing a 1st year of undergrad, so I'd wasted 4 years of my life. I worked for a few years, became a flight attendant and travelled the world. My heart wanted to go back to school but I didn't want to start from scratch again. Then I had a mental breakdown with psychosis in 2019, and that changed everything because it forced me to get the help I needed, and I found Jesus during that time. Even though I had to start from scratch again at my big age, my breakdown taught me life was too short, and I couldn't let my fears keep me from moving forward. I went back to school at 35 years old to study O level maths (2021), then an accelerated A level program at 36 (2022). I started university. studying cellular and molecular medicine in 2023 and theology at a bible college as well! I just passed my first year of both which was a huge shock because studying two degrees will kill you lol. 20 years after my o-levels, I would not have believed I would one day become a scientist or trainee pastor but God had other plans. I graduate theology next year, and i'll be 40 when I graduate from medicine. God is so unbelievably good, and as Kay said, a dream deferred is not a dream denied! I'm broke, unemployed, and most days, I don't have a plan for my next meal yet somehow, God provides. You can absolutely do this!

[relebogileseoketsa]

Seeing this after failing dismally to pass Engineering at University of Pretoria. I do not have a plan, I feel so lost and have no support... I'm losing hope

[Music-lcvc]

I'm just waiting for an email from UCT to officially say that you're not eligible to continue because I know i have already failed 4 modules out of 6. I'm a second year BSc student. I don't even know what to say during appeal because I just failed due to inconsistent studying. I wish I could get a second chance and fix my mistakes

Edit: I got excluded, however they readmitted me. I only lost funding. It is going to be a stressful year without funding, but I will be on top of my game academically. Thank you again for such an inspirational video. I don't know many times I come to watch this video, mind you I tried to like twice

[jowiemphela]

I just found out that I have been academically excluded and I'm doing my third year in mechanical engineering... I feel so numb because I honestly tried my best.. I don't know how I'm going to tell my family.. I am so scared and I feel like a failure.. I feel like my whole life is over and now I have to appeal.. I just pray that I will be accepted back into the university to finish my degree 😭💔

[nonduduzomnisi]

I still cannot talk about my university experience because WOW. Thank you for sharing

[luphelele]

Girl I graduated from UCT. I didn't want to go to graduation and couldn't talk about it for about 2 years after. Really difficult experience. Thanks for sharing yours.

[wakeupmakeupwithlerato]

Most of us were struggling with imposter syndrome at UCT, but there was no space to discuss that, because of this notion that ABSOLUTELY ONLY the cream of the crop is accepted to study there & it’s hard if you don’t view yourself that way.

We also underestimate the psychological & emotional turmoil we go through while trying to get that paper, I only understood it after graduating.

Congrats for sharing what most of us don’t have the courage to talk about ❤️

[phozisamkele]

Still having a tough academic year & truly exhausted but your story is inspirational. Congrats on all your success. ❤️

[KgRueS]

I always saw you on campus. It’s so interesting to put a story to the face. Sometimes we assume that we are the only ones going through problems and that everyone around us is fine. It’s encouraging sometimes to know that you aren’t the only person going through problems.

[ashleymukwevho]

This sounds exactly like my story. The downward spiral started in my 2nd year, but I'm still pushing. Failing, probation and exclusion are so tough to deal with mentally. Thank you for sharing.

[TheLeloM]

Did matric 2018 and was only able to go to varsity in 2021 for something I never even considered nor applied for. It was honestly a traumatic year UFS just broke me. Passed 50% of my modules and still got academically excluded. I appealed but it was rejected . I could try appeal again but at that point I was just numb to everything and I did not appeal again. Now I am applying to other universities for 2023 hopefully it works out. This just helped my soul... getting into varsity I was never aware of academic exclusion and when I found out I just thought it would never happen e me and when it did it honestly broke me given that I was already mentally not ok.

[onkarabetsemalebadi]

I was a first year mathematical sciences student last year and was at a verge of being excluded because of failing close to every course that I did 😭and I was demotivated, this video is by far the raw video I've been looking for it's showing me its possible and I am promising myself to work harder this year❤️Thank you

[lunarjournal]

Hey Kay. I have a very similar story. In 2016 i didn't get into UCT but was accepted into tuks. Did well there and completed the first year with 68%. My brother however got into medicine at UCT and so i applied to transfer and eventually got in.

I also started from the beginning again and finished my first year off in the engineering faculty with 61%. However in my second year things didn't go well for me and i ended up failing 2 courses, didn't get academically excluded but i really felt the impact of those fails. The next year also didn't go the best and i ended up failing another course. After my third fail i told myself i couldn't afford to fail another class and so my marks started improving over the next 2 years. After 6 years I am finally graduating with a cumulative average over 60%.

Your story was very inspiring and shows that hard work and determination do pay off in the end. All the best .

[palesasefurutshe]

What an inspirational story!😭I've always passed with distinctions throughout highschool. Came first year i was average but was able to bag in two distinctions. Came second year 2021, i was diagnosed with major depressive disorder and panic disorder my grades went so low that i got 2.0 GPA in every module or 3.0 GPA for two modules ive been so sick, almost having panic attacks everytime. Am at uj studying PSYCH degree and still in dark hole of my diagnosis even now! Third year in 2022 its hard i can't even get out of bed, attend lectures, being proactive with my modules etc. I'll start therapy soon and my meds i hope God helps me gives me strength.
Ohh next year am hoping to start my dream degree LLB via Unisa 🙏🏾. Hoping for the best.

[tsuyuchen]

I was excluded from one Uni and then was 'at risk' for my next. I was so distraught and close to giving up, but I kept reminding myself that behind every success story are countless failures. It took me so many tries, but eventually I got rid of my defeatist attitude and started to look at every journey positively. I focused not on the things I didn't do, but what I did do. Each of these 'failures' taught me valuable things that I know my future self would thank me for. I just see it as me taking the scenic route and God paints me as a dramatic main character of a story! Your story brought so much comfort to my heart, you're a strong and resilient woman. You go girl!

[Agree]

You are proof that you can do anything you want only if you put your mind to it and you are also proof that God is always with us .Thank you for this inspirational story, Thank you so much 😭😭😭😭😭

[nonkumonkoe]

This was so nice took me back to my most difficult year in university. If university doesn’t break you nothing will 😁

[amandaclbn]

Tysm for this story.❤️✨ I had academic struggles too in my first year and I really wish people talked more openly about this because feeling alone + imposter syndrome really had me ready to quit this degree (and life in general lol).
My mom, like yours pushed me to keep trying and now I'm 2 seconds from being a qualified medical doctor!

[cecilematabaro]

Wow, I love the vulnerability. It must have been extremely challenging to record this video. I love that you kept on pushing for your dream! I'm super proud of you and I'm happy you met this loving angel. Continue inspiring us.

It's amazing the work that you've been doing. I'm a first year student at UCT at the age of 22 and can relate to this story one way or another.

It took me 4 years to get here. I'm inspired, I hope it goes well.

God Bless.

[kutlopogiso]

legit just came across this video coincidentally last night and when I woke up, I rewatched it. It is exactly what I needed to be honest because I also didnt do well in my first semester so the University deemed me ineligible to study my Medicine.. I can totally relate to how I also spent so much time being so insecure such that I did not even put in the work, hence the fail because I disqualified myself before the University actually did. like you said, I ended up checking out mentally and would even walk into an exam so dry(unprepared) because I had mentally checked out. but this video has given me hope. I feel more optimistic after watching it, Its time for me to introspect and reflect on what I should improve. thank you so so much, God bless you for sharing this.