Mr Abrahams decided to pursue a Master’s degree, with research which focussed on the area of savings culture in South Africa because he had always been interested in the saving culture of individuals and wanted to understand why some people save and others do not. From the beginning, it was very clear to him that South Africans generally have low levels of savings and that amongst many locals, a culture of spending rather than that of savings exists.
The entire journey of completing research can be challenging. For Mr Abrahams, one of the most difficult parts of his studies was that fact that the bulk of his research was completed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The uncertainty of what might happen next added to the stress of conducting research. The issue of lockdown and not being able to have face-to-face meetings with his supervisor was also a challenge. In addition to this, Mr Abrahams contracted COVID-19 twice during the duration of his studies. This proved to be even more challenging as on the one hand he was concerned about his own and his family’s health whilst on the other hand he had to keep up with submission deadlines and work commitments. Through his family’s prayers, and with the support of his supervisors, Mr Abrahams was able to overcome these challenges. Mr Abrahams emphasised that “During this time, I learned that through Christ we can do all things, no matter how difficult a situation might seem, in all things we are more than conquerors through Christ.”
In order to balance his academic demands with extracurricular activities and work commitments, Mr Abrahams found that it was important to have a work schedule, and to set time aside for each task that needed to be completed. This assisted in avoiding the likelihood of feeling overwhelmed and missing certain activities or deadlines. At the start of every week, he made sure to plan out his entire week and set out certain tasks that he needed to complete every day. Furthermore, he found that the process of writing down what he needed to do, ultimately helped him to keep track of everything.
Through his studies, Mr Abrahams gained vast knowledge and skills relating to the process of critically analysing literature. Both his supervisor and co-supervisor played crucial role in equipping him with the necessary skills in the areas of research and academic writing. Furthermore, he learnt the important skill of time management as there is always a lot to do and time needs to be managed wisely to ensure that all deadlines are met.
When asked what advice he would extend to anyone who is seeking to achieve academic excellence, Mr Abrahams said: “Never lose sight of the end goal. Things might get tough and difficult times might try to drag you down. But never give up, always remember what your goal is and work hard towards achieving it. Once you start reaping the rewards from all your hard work and sacrifices you will realise that it was all worth it in the end and that everything you went through just made you stronger”.
Prior to studying MCom Business Management, Mr Abrahams completed BCom Financial Planning, Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Planning as well as BCom Honours Business Management. He is currently employed as a Junior lecturer in the Department of Business Management at Nelson Mandela University and is working towards publishing various journal articles based on his dissertation.