A 25-year-old female from Kwa-Thema, Busisiwe Faith Nhlapo published a book about academics. She is a speaker, an academic coach, author and an aspiring Chartered Accountant. Her book is titled ‘Mark Tracking Model: The Academic Excellence Blueprint’ which is based on academic excellence.
Nhlapo holds a Bachelor of Accounting Science degree from the University of Johannesburg and currently, she is a graduate student in the field of applied accounting science through UNISA, working towards an accounting qualification. The book blueprint is based on the habits of high performing students and shows the reader that academic excellence is possible. It is academically applicable for students who are from grade 10 until the end of the undergraduate level and everyone who deems education as an important pillar of human development.
“The inspiration behind writing this book is my accounting science degree qualification. I started serving my community via educational initiatives for high school students. Through interaction with the learners, I realised that they need practical guidance on how to improve their academic performance. I then started sharing content on my social media platforms on practical ways that students can utilise to maximise their academic performance. Along the way, I developed a model called the ‘Mark Tracking Model’ to help students manage and improve their performance. Soon after, I documented all the lessons I have been sharing and the model I have developed, resulting in the book. This book is a letter to all students saying ‘ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE IS POSSIBLE’,” added Nhlapo.
The smart young woman also attests that people can expect a dynamic graphic they can use to manage and improve their academic performance, a practical conversation on how any student can improve his/her academic performance and last but not least, a list of plethora resources that top-performing students use. She also adds that teachers, lecturers, academic researchers and tutors can read and use the book. Nhlapo outlined that time management challenged her in the process of writing this book. “Juggling academics and business endeavours were highly demanding, making it a challenge to meet the personal deadlines on the book. The first phase of lockdown in 2020 gave me the time to write and finish the book and having a force like my mom whom I look up to because of her work ethic and resilience, I work hard just like her,” uttered Busisiwe.
She concludes by pointing out that she would like to work with key influencers in the academic fraternity in future. Global organisations like the United Nations and UNICEF are her hope and she believes they can help in eradicating illiteracy and improving the quality of education, especially in our continent.
By Palesa Ndinisa