I'm in the extended degree programme too, to all intents and purposes - I'm white, but having chinese blood in me it seems the extended degree programme was most suited to me.
It seems to me that it doesnt matter how well we did on the pteep test, simply the [official] colour of our skin matters.

The whole "u did well on the pteep test" is just a cover up for the university to get more non-white people into the university.

p.s. UWC isn't a real university.

It is not the fact that you are colored or black or whatever. Spell checking your above post ,will show you exactly why you are in the extended degree programme. Remember, you had the choice and YOU CHOSE UCT and its extended degree programme... so embrace.

Oddly enough, I had the exact train of thought. The extended degree programme confused me. When I attended my first REL lecture, I immediately noticed that practically everyone in the room were "non-white". Thus, it become known to me as the "Dumb Class". Yip, that's what I called it. As time moved on though, I realized something very significant... extended or not, the level of thinking was the same. BUT. The desire to get out of this programme is strong. I have no wish to be "special", that's what they called the kids in remedial classes.

PS. Charl, typing errors have a habit of occuring.

My last post might have been a bit harsh... BUT what i really meant to say, goes seomthing like this. There are real differences in the quality of education that schools throughout the country provide. I went to a supposedly great Afrikaans school (mostly white students). Upon entering UCT I realised that there was NO link between university and school. School does NOT prepare you for university, not in the slightest. I have friends who are in the extended programme... You guys seemingly get a member of faculty staff to guide you through your University years? Is that fact or fiction...? WhAtever, point is my friend is being helped by this ingenius 'faculty member'... and I think that I would have done much better im my studies if I was put in the extended degree programme. I think I was not considered for it as I am white.... mmm. The extended degree programme is a mystery, much like the bursary scheme and financial aid. Let's fight to make it more transparent.

Peace
x

.....And there I go making two million spelling mistakes myself.

I applied with my mock matrics results which were *shit* i didn't study tbh.
from those and the pteep tests I was offered provisional acceptance into the extended degree programme.

My finals were loads better and upon arriving for orientation they told me "well, actually you can do a normal three year degree" I chose to do the 4 year programme anyway. Simply because it gave me more time to decide what the fuck I want to do with my life.

So don't see it as a bad thing, some of us chose to do it. Most students end up doing their degree over 4 years anyway, sometimes 5.

People choose to do so even if they are fully capable of other things. I talk of a few people I know who got 6 distinctions in matric and chose humanities. There's nothing wrong with it.

Besides, if you don't like it - you can appeal to do your degree over 3 years "just like everyone else" If you pass all your courses in first year.

Are you a girl whose mother misspelled your name, or a boy with a girl's misspelt name?

Maybe that's who the extended programme selects.

Hey there Charl person from the affluent Afrikaans school.Are you a student at UCT or the University of ass holes?

guys i totally get what yuo all are sayin and really i think it has nothing at all to do wit our skls coz frankly i the skl i went to is da best in limpopo, i did the IEB syallabus thingy and ok fine i did real shit i neva studied! and i did real good on my pteep test thingys wateva they are! i dont see it as a cover up! frankly if u dont wanna b on the extened degree do really well this year and u can do ur 33 year thing! but i think it simpossible! i know most of my friends hu are third and further were supposed to finish a while ago but now.... they stil here! pahahaha!! sori total ranodmness! i also disagree that this is a way to get students of colour into the uni! if u think abt it the students of colour are of the race that was previously oppressed and to some extent stil are so yeah its a way to bring us in but there are also some ppl that werent opresed and got a great education but are stil in the EDP so race has nufin to do wit it! hav u eva thout dat dey only acept clev white ppl? so then the otha have to go to places like UJ and UP (yuck)? i dunno if im making sense!! but im just sayin! i like bein edp there are a few perks to it!

I am an extended degree programme student or what I like to think of as a special needs kid. Firstly I'd like to say that I'm a second year student. I found first year to be a bit of an adjustment, not the lectures and the amount of work persay more like the university itself and how it works. I have a few minor problems with the extended programme regarding organisation and their 'hands on' approach which actually isn't all that hands on. You'll note that you've been assigned a mentor and that you have extra tuts for some subjects which is all good and well but if these tuts are not helping you and if you're mentor basically ditches you half way through the year then you're on your own. I find that the extended degree programme is a waste of time, they might as well have allowed us to do our degree's over 3 years like most people and we probably would be achieving the same results, they shouldn't promise you all sorts of extra help if the 'extra help' is not of a good standard and pointless. I had a mentor last year who never replied to my emails when I wanted to meet up with him, and my tutor couldn't even speak proper english, having said this it's no wonder I just about made it through first year.

Regarding UWC, I applied as well and yes I was accepted, I probably would have gotten a bursary too, had I chosen to study there, but as you know most people are here at uct for their uct stamp which it is assumed will open doors for you, more so than a degree from another instituition. Just remember that you're studying at one of the best universities in world, it's a privilege...

I was also got accepted by two other universities with no extended programme. when i got here i was very confused and upset to be in this programme.I feel so stupid and discriminated. The dean of humanities kept saying that the university is taking a risk with us.so why put risks in a main mainstream because we are going to fail. And when we fail the university will loose money.First I regretted being here at UCT not mentioning the problems we had when the programme convinier David Nunez resigned.