Kusini Kwetu

By Vincent Mpepo

Newly admitted master’s and doctoral students at the Open University of Tanzania have been urged to manage their time wisely to ensure they complete their respective programs within the scheduled time frame.

The advice was given by the Director of the Dodoma Regional Centre, Dr. Mohamed Msoroka, during the orientation and introductory training held on Saturday at the Centre’s examination hall, which was attended by newly enrolled postgraduate students from various disciplines.

He emphasized that once a student has enrolled and committed to study, they must be willing to sacrifice certain things or reduce some social responsibilities to dedicate enough time to their studies.

“At times, you may have to forgo sitting allowances from meetings, trips, or social activities like weddings and others in order to focus on your education,” said Dr. Msoroka.

He advised the students to adhere to the university’s guidelines and instructions, including maintaining communication with their research supervisors throughout their academic journey.

“Don’t sit with your challenges in silence. Instead, communicate with your supervisor to get guidance and solutions to help you continue smoothly with your studies,” he said.

He noted that the joy of teachers, lecturers, and academic staff is to see their students complete their studies successfully, which is far more satisfying than seeing them drop out or delay completion.

During the session on the university’s ICT systems used for learning and academic services, Mr. Hassan Mwazema explained that the university systems provide students with access to various services even without physically visiting the university offices, as they are integrated with national systems to enhance service delivery.

“The good thing is that our systems are interconnected, so you can handle everything from wherever you are without necessarily coming to our offices,” said Hassan.

Hafsa Lyimo, a student pursuing the Master of Arts in International Cooperation and Development (MAICD) at the university, shared that as a mother, wife, and parent, she chose to study at the Open University of Tanzania because of the flexibility it offers in balancing family, work, and academic responsibilities, allowing her to allocate time to each area effectively.

“As a woman, what inspired me to study at the Open University of Tanzania is the desire to fulfill my dream,” said Hafsa.

She encouraged women and the general public to take advantage of available educational opportunities rather than making excuses that, in reality, have no strong basis to fulfill their dreams and enhance the quality of their lives in society.

During the orientation, the postgraduate students were trained on various topics, including how to study under the open and distance learning system, how to use the university’s ICT platforms, and the roles and responsibilities of both students and research supervisors.