Social Responsibility

A roadmap for student success

GRAD was like my guide to success. Whenever I felt as aspect of my like slipping away due to anxiety, I would revert back to my guide and calm myself reading through the steps and applying it to my daily routine

Van Schaik Publishers is committed to giving back to the community it serves, and in partnership with Ruda Landman, StudyTrust and Capitec has lent support to students on their tertiary journey since 2017. The GRAD series is a set of frequently updated, accessibly written booklets crafted to assist students in navigating the complex journey from school through university to the professional world.

MyNext – Success in matric and planning your future is a step-by-step guide to support senior school learners as they plan to leave school and find their way in the world. It is designed as a workbook, with clear explanations and guidelines for the route to study, work and even start a business.

Also available in Afrikaans. 

GRAD – your guide to university success is a guide for students adjusting to the dramatic transition from secondary to tertiary studies. GRAD is designed to help recent school leavers understand the many changes and adjust to the new demands and challenges, and covers practical topics from study methods, meal planning and budgeting, to the psychological and social challenges that accompany entering university as a first-year student. 

GRADnext – crossing the divide from student to working adult helps tertiary students make the transition from student life to the working world. The 20 short chapters contain clear and practical guidelines for every step of the way, from deciding where to go, to finding the job, getting it, and navigating the unknown waters of the workplace.

The booklets are distributed every year to public universities using the network of the South African National Resource Centre for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition (SANRC), as well as to schools and outreach centres. A staggering 1.4 million booklets have been distributed and used in mentoring programmes since 2016. The series is also available electronically as downloadable pdfs with accompanying resources (workbooks, podcasts and other tools) at www.grad.org.za.

Van Schaik Publishers is proud to support young South Africans and the institutions that educate them. 

What universities and universities of technology have to say about this resource:

Students and staff have found this resource so incredibly useful

This booklet is a great resource to our students

It was a pleasure distributing GRAD to our first year students… Well done on a lovely informative and educational magazine with relevant topics!

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