Abstract:
South African universities have been grappling with access issues and low preparedness of first-time
entering students with the post-1994 widening of access to students with a non-English speaking background. The
purpose of this paper is to discuss student preparedness at a University of Technology in South Africa and to analyse
how first year students perceive their readiness for tertiary studies. Qualitative and quantitative designs were used
in this study. A survey questionnaire was designed and distributed amongst 1500 first- year students to collect data
on the following: whether these students were enrolled in programmes of their choice; attendance of orientation;
ability to communicate in English; and their possession of basic computer and numeracy skills. Descriptive
statistics were employed to analyse the results. Generically speaking, the students’ perceptions are contrary to the
literature evidence and statistics at the institution, with the students perceiving themselves as possessing the
requisite critical skills for success in higher education. However, the performance in assessment outcomes at the
case university does not necessarily confirm this. Regardless of how students perceive their preparedness, this study
will hopefully contribute to the institution improving the quality of support programmes and ensuring students’ full
participation in academic support programmes.
