Surf & study 'side shows' count

When it comes to sport at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, surf’s up.

It’s definitely one sport of which we can always boast given that we’re rated fifth in the world for our surfing (I don’t remember which website honoured us as such, but we won’t let the facts get in the way of a good yarn). Of course, it does help a great deal that four of our six campuses are but a stone’s throw from the water’s edge. Okay, so I’m exaggerating when it comes to our George Campus, but Vic Bay is less than 10km from the Garden Route campus.

In fact, Victoria Bay was the venue for the annual University Sport of South Africa (USSA) surfing champs earlier this month. It was there that our boys won their section, our girls came fourth and quantity surveying student Jean du Plessis (see above) won the men’s title. He was chosen for the national student side.

Living at the coast certainly has its advantages – especially for surfers.

It’s not uncommon to see students striding down the road from campus, surfboard in hand … yes, our North, South and Second Avenue campuses are that close to Algoa Bay and its surfing spots of Baked Beans, Avalanche and Pipe. It’s winter right now when surf is generally at its best along our coastline.

And then we’re just 50 minutes’ drive from Jeffreys Bay where the J-Bay Open Pro is underway as I type.

But of course, you shouldn’t be coming to university to surf, should you?

You should be coming to study a certificate, diploma or degree that’s going to help you carve a future career and make your dreams come true.

The surfing is a marvellous bonus – a value-added extra (if you’re a surfer).

I call such extras, study “side shows”. Though your study programme choice is most important, the “side shows” are pretty important too.

After all, all work and no play makes Tom, Thabo and Tiaan dull boys.

So if you’re a surfer, NMMU is an ideal destination. The same goes for prospective students who are into lifesaving, swimming, kite surfing, paddle skiing, sailing or marine conservation.

Other “side shows” – the value-added stuff –come in the form of the university’s secure environment, the 60-odd societies that students can join, our access to the different biomes and geological formations, the many sporting codes available to students on a competitive or social level, the easy access to the beach, the opportunity to interact with such diverse groups of students (8% of our 27 000-plus students comes from 64 countries around the globe), the general cost of living …

Or as one student shared: “My learning environment is so important. I love the wide open spaces and that fact that we are in a nature reserve. I mean how many students can say they study alongside monkeys … “

So there you have it … the surfing, or whatever adds value to your study environment, might not be the main thing, but it’s pretty important.



PS. Reef breaks found at the Fence on Cape Recife Road near Humewood are all worth checking out today.