In the later stages of his high school education, Malumbo was introduced to business studies and economics subjects, which really helped him understand the way economies work and the way in which businesses are run. From then on, his hunger for knowledge in those two specific subjects grew exponentially, which led him to pursue a BCom degree as well as an honours degree. Malumbo’s life goal has always been to start his own business, this further fuelled his passion to pursue studies in commerce, as he wanted to understand every aspect of a business.
One of the most significant challenges Malumbo faced during his studies was the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the pandemic, classes were fully online, and the independent aspect of learning increased. He overcame this challenge by creating a realistic and achievable timetable that allowed him to have enough time in the week to attend classes, write up notes, and rest adequately. Another significant challenge he faced was homesickness, as he was living through a pandemic in a different country, on his own. In order to overcome this, Malumbo found it important to remain in close communication with his family and developed a lot of skills to make him more independent and self-reliant.
Malumbo balanced academic demands and extracurricular activities by making sure he created a timetable which he followed with discipline. In order to keep up with important deadlines, he kept important dates noted down on his desk calendar. He especially utilised the Nelson Mandela University’ desk calendars, as every time he sat down to do his work, he was well-informed on important events coming up, such as tests and society events.
From his time in university, Malumbo learnt how to be punctual to all meetings and classes in order to not miss out on important information. He also developed time management skills, which were an important factor in completing tasks and assignments on time. Another skill he developed during his time at university was the ability to work in teams and delegate work to group members, which he believes is also an important skill to possess for future employment roles.
In order to stay motivated and engaged with his studies, particularly during challenging or stressful times at university, Malumbo tried to focus on the ‘fun side’ of studying and gaining greater knowledge, which is used to understand how the world works. He focused on the feeling of having greater clarity about certain aspects of the world and continually chased that feeling to gain even more knowledge and understanding.
Malumbo’s advice to other students who are looking to achieve academic success and making the most of their university experience is to constantly remind themselves of the goals they set for themselves at the start of the academic journey and the reason why they came to Nelson Mandela University. However, Malumbo highlights that it is also important to have fun, experience new things outside of academics, and make lots of friends. Malumbo believes that friends are always an important factor in success, as they not only push you to achieve your goals but also provide a comfortable space to vent, destress, and relax from academics.
Prior to studying BCom Honours Business Management, Malumbo studied BCom Business Management, with a minor in economics as an undergraduate degree. In the year 2023, he is currently employed in an internship role at a multinational organisation to gain work experience while seeking permanent employment.