Alumni
Shamilin Naidoo sticking with it – from Durban to Dallas
Shamilin Naidoo
Shamilin Naidoo, who was born and raised in Durban but is now living in Dallas, Texas, started his journey with Unisa in 2013. He completed a Bachelor of Accounting Science Degree in 2020. This ‘adult' learner stuck with it over three continents and finished.
Naidoo says that Unisa has been amazing with the flexibility that allowed him to travel for work and still finish his studies. "I am not that special," he says, "but I am quite proud of both my achievement and my South African university."
Unisa came about in his life when he had just started to work at a big multinational telecommunications company and needed to work and study part-time because of family circumstances. "I had no idea how challenging this would prove to be! At face value the idea of managing your own time seems easy," he says. "Assignments and exams are scheduled well in advance and I fell into the trap of 'there's enough time' to work around deadlines. I burnt many a midnight oil submitting assignments and learning for exams, while at the same time making sure I delivered on work commitments."
Looking back, Naidoo says that he would not trade those years for anything as it is during that time that he learnt discipline and time management.
For him, the first few semesters were a tough adjustment and slow going. It was at that stage that his work had started to gain momentum. Says Naidoo: "I started to travel extensively to Africa and Europe and in 2017 I found myself in Madrid Spain with 10 modules left to go! I asked myself, what now?"
He mentions that he was equally surprised when he found out that not only does Unisa have a presence in Spain, but that his exams would be written at the South African Embassy.
Writing exams at the embassy was a very interesting experience, he says. "It was somewhat intimidating. I would write across the table from the guard in the boardroom and he did not speak English. There was a photo of Nelson Mandela on the wall, which I found comforting since it felt that he was watching over me."
In 2018, work took him to Texas where he was once again amazed that not only could he continue with the ODeL journey, but that Unisa had a partnership with the prestigious Texas A&M Commerce to proctor exams.
"I graduated in 2020 and it was a surreal moment," he says. "As cheesy as it sounds there was no other way. The late nights and early mornings were worth it. It's nearly impossible to think so when you are in the middle of it or when all you want to do is go to sleep and think that 'I'll get to it tomorrow'."
Naidoo encourages other students and alumni to do whatever it takes to get it done: "For some students it is studying in silence, for some it's going to the library or group study. Whatever it takes, get it done!"
* Information provided by Shamilin Naidoo & article compiled by Busisiwe Mahlangu, Communications Coordinator, Department of Institutional Advancement
Publish date: 2021-10-25 00:00:00.0
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