While Mgcini Vincent Msibi has been working as a semi-skilled plumber at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) for the last six years, his journey with UJ started back in 2012 when he was a bright-eyed mechanical engineering student.
Mgcini went on to graduate with a diploma and BEng Tech in Mechanical Engineering. He also did a Business Management course with the university.
Mgcini said his love for education stems from watching his own family members evolve and succeed because of it.
“I grew up in a family where my parents were literally hands on. I wanted to be just like them and decided that maintenance in engineering was the path for me. That is where my passion started. In my family we have wielders, bricklayers and all round hard workers.”
During this graduation season, Mgcini received his Honours in Mechanical Engineering, paving his way to future success.
His work as a support staff member at UJ inspires him everyday. In his day to day job Mgcini services the university by doing maintenance at residences and around the APK campus.
“I got this job just after receiving my diploma and I have not looked back since. I enjoy what I do and it aligns with my studies.”
When it came to his studies, Mgcini made sure to always manage his time.
“It was difficult balancing work commitments with studying but nothing is impossible if you have good time management.
During lunch breaks I would go to the library, do my research and go back to work and then afterI knock off, I would go back and do the same routine again. I would take study leave for the exams and assessments. You have to manage your time accordingly if you want to succeed.”
His advice to students: Time management is important in order to study properly. Arrange your studies timetable because you can’t jump from one module to another without understanding. Draft properly, concentrate and relax. Always start with what you know, give it your all and then come back to the questions you don’t understand later.
Once you panic, that’s when you will make mistakes.
The 36-year-old, who is originally from a small village in Mondlo, KwaZulu-Natal chose to study at UJ because it is the university he has always wanted to be a part of. His sister-in-law is a UJ alumni and that gave him a great impression of the university. His two younger brothers also followed his lead, choosing to study at UJ.
“For us, UJ has become a family affair.”
Mgcini is well on his way to preparing for his Master’s journey next year. He hopes to one day start designing machinery and parts that will assist in better maintenance as well as delve into research in the field of mechanical engineering.
