Are you thinking of upgrading your matric results? Think twice. Matric upgrade may be seen as an ideal solution to the bad grade 12 marks. However, there are many disadvantages that you need to be aware of. That being said, do you know that:
Every year, around 40,000 young people obtain a matric certificate through the matric upgrade option? That’s correct. The of Department of Basic Education calls matric upgrade a “Second Chance Matric Programme“.
List of Disadvantages of Upgrading Matric Results
Below we have listed the 13 most prominent disadvantages of upgrading your matric results in South Africa:
1. Some Universities Don’t Accept Upgraded Results
Do you know that some popular universities in South Africa, such as the University of Johannesburg (UJ), and University of Cape Town (UCT) do not accept upgraded matric results? Yep. If you didn’t meet the entry requirements on your initial matric certificate, you will not be considered even after you have upgraded your marks. This is the main disadvantage of upgrading your matric results.
2. Delayed Entry into University or College
Upgrading your matric results means that you will have to wait a whole year, trying to improve your marks, with no guarantee that universities will accept you. A wasted year can really be disadvantageous to many learners.
3. Emotional and Mental Pressure of Upgrading
Upgrading your matric results will tax you mentally, emotionally, and physically. This is because you know that your peers are already far ahead from you. Imagine repeating those subjects you loved and hated at the same time? The main disadvantage here is that, you might not know how to handle such a disappointment.
4. You Wil Pay From Your Own Pocket to Upgrade
One thing about matric results upgrade is that you will be self-funded 100%. No assistance whatsoever, either from NSFAS, other bursaries, or schools. You will have to pay by your self the registration fees, upgrade fee, study materials, and transport to and from the matric upgrade venue.
5. Matric Upgrade, doesn’t Mean Better Marks
The sad reality about matric upgrade is that, good grades are not guaranteed. So, you might even get worse results through an upgrade, as compared to the original NSC results from your matric certificate.
6. Missing Out on Work or Learnerships
While you are busy upgrading your marks, some students are already busy with their learnerships, while others have managed to find themselves part-time work.
7. Social Stigma and Peer Pressure
The thing about matric upgrade is that, everyone knows that you were not one of the best matric students. And that by itself has a social stigma and peer pressure attached to it.
8. Difficulty Adjusting to New Learning Environments
Matric upgrade centres are very different from the normal schooling. As a matric upgrade student, you will have to:
- Be more independent in your studies than you were in matric classes full of teachers.
- Study with older students who also decided to upgrade their marks to improve their careers.
- Attend part-time classes as opposed to the standard matric classes you were used to.
- Write exams as a private candidate
9. Age Disadvantage in University
When you finish your matric upgrade and get accepted at a tertiary institution, your new classmates will be younger than you. You might easily stand out as an older student, which might affect your self-esteem.
10. Competition for Limited University Spaces
The sad reality in South Africa is that there is very little space available at universities in South Africa. With a matric upgraded marks” in your record, your chances of getting into a university are even significantly reduced.
11. Matric Upgrade Students Tend to Lose Motivation
All of the above matric upgrade disadvantages we have listed, can make a student lose their motivation to study. Which might lead to students dropping out and pursue other career options that require less matric marks.
12. Employers May Question Academic Gaps
When you do get your first job, employers would like to find out about your study journey and matching it to your age. So, if you are competing with other younger job seekers who never failed a grade, you might appear weaker to the employers.
13. Alternative Career Paths Exist
The sad reality is that, many students think an upgrade is the only remedy for weaker results, and tend to forget about other alternative career paths, such as TVET Colleges, provate colleges, online courses, internships and so forth.
What Happens If You Upgrade Your Matric Results and Fail?
You might decide to upgrade your matric results, and fail. That’s part of life. Maybe school is totally not your thing. What happens then? Below is what happens if you upgrade your matric results and fail (again):
- Your initial matric results stay as they are. So the options you have here are: Upgrading again and again, look for courses that dont require higher marks, apply at TVET colleges (they normally dont have strict requirements), or simply look for a job.
- The money you paid for your matric upgrade, will be lost
- Think about alternative ways of building your career that don’t involve hectic schooling.
After all details we have shared on this page, what you do next is up to you regarding your matric upgrade.