By Mutayoba Arbogast
For thousands of young Tanzanians beginning university this year, admission to higher education will represent far more than the start of a degree.
For many, it will be their first real experience of living with greater independence and making important decisions without the close supervision of parents, teachers or guardians.
Leaving home, managing personal finances, choosing friends, attending lectures, handling relationships and deciding how to spend their free time are all part of the transition. The freedom can be exciting, but it also comes with responsibilities that many young people may not have encountered before.
How students respond to that freedom can have a lasting impact on their academic performance, finances, relationships and, ultimately, their careers.
This is why university education should not be viewed simply as a four-year or three-year journey towards a certificate. It is also a period in which young people prepare themselves for employment, adulthood and responsible citizenship.
Mwemezi Ngemera, a parent in Dar es Salaam with children pursuing higher education, says both students and parents need to prepare for the transition from secondary school to university.
His message is straightforward: freedom at university should be used to learn responsibility, rather than being mistaken for freedom from responsibility.
Tanzania’s dropout figures offer a warning
The need for such preparation becomes more apparent when Tanzania’s university dropout figures are considered.
According to a report by The Citizen Tanzania, 2,319 university students were officially discontinued during the 2023/24 academic year, with poor academic performance cited as the main reason.
Over a five-year period, statistics for Tanzania Commission for Universities’ Vitalstats show that 8,814 university students dropped out nationwide.
These are not simply statistics. Behind every figure is a student whose education was interrupted and a family that may have invested years of savings, sacrifice and expectations in that education.
Academic failure rarely happens overnight. It can develop through a combination of problems such as poor attendance, weak time management, financial difficulties, unhealthy relationships, substance use, lack of concentration or failure to seek help when difficulties first appear.
For first-year students in particular, learning how to manage university life can therefore be as important as mastering what is taught in the classroom.
It starts with preparations.
Opportunities extend beyond the lecture hall
For many new students, university orientation may appear to be little more than a formal exercise before classes begin. But it can be one of the most useful opportunities to understand how the institution operates (Ref.UDSM Students-Bylaws).
Orientation can introduce students to academic support, medical and counselling services, libraries, student portals and other resources they may need during their studies.
Students should also make a habit of following official university announcements, notice boards and digital platforms.
Opportunities such as scholarships, internships, research projects, competitions, seminars, innovation programmes and leadership activities can help students gain practical experience and professional exposure that may prove valuable after graduation.
Tanzania’s universities and expanding innovation ecosystem also offer opportunities for students to turn classroom knowledge into practical solutions.
An agriculture student, for example, may identify a way of adding value to farm products. An ICT student may see a problem that could be addressed through software, while a business student may develop an idea with potential to become an enterprise.
But an idea alone is not an opportunity.
Students have to act on it—perhaps by finding a mentor, entering a competition, conducting research or developing a prototype.
The university experience, therefore, should not be confined to lecture rooms and examination halls.
A lecturer can be more than an examiner
Students should also recognise the value of developing professional relationships with their lecturers.
A lecturer is not simply someone who delivers a lesson, sets an examination and awards marks. Lecturers can become mentors and important sources of academic knowledge, research opportunities, professional contacts and, eventually, recommendations for employment or further study.
Regular attendance, asking thoughtful questions, submitting assignments on time and showing genuine interest in a subject can help students build those relationships.
The same applies to student organisations, professional associations and innovation groups.
A medical student could become involved in a health-related association. An engineering student might join a technology club or innovation competition, while students studying economics, finance or business could explore entrepreneurship and investment organisations.
However, joining organisations should not become an exercise in collecting memberships.
Students should choose activities that help them develop skills that employers and society increasingly value—communication, teamwork, leadership, creativity, problem-solving and the ability to work with others.
Freedom comes with risks
For some young people, university is the first time they make important daily decisions without parents watching closely.
They must learn how to manage money, organise their time, maintain discipline and distinguish between genuine needs and things they simply want.
Financial pressure can be particularly challenging.
Some students may feel obliged to maintain lifestyles they cannot afford, spending money on expensive phones, clothes, entertainment and social activities because they want to fit in with their peers.
Financial vulnerability can also expose some students to relationships in which money, sex and exploitation become closely connected (Ref. Sexual behaviour among undergraduate students at Dar es salaam University College of Education).
Some may enter transactional relationships where financial assistance, gifts or other benefits are exchanged for sexual relationships. Multiple sexual partnerships can similarly bring social and personal pressures that interfere with a student’s academic life.
Research available through the Open University of Tanzania repository has examined academic consequences associated with sexual behaviour among students, including multiple sexual partners and transactional relationships. Such research has identified concerns including reduced class attendance and academic misconduct.
This does not mean that being in a relationship automatically leads to poor academic performance. Rather, the evidence suggests that unhealthy or risky relationships can become one of several factors affecting a student’s concentration, attendance and progress.
The message, therefore, is not that students should fear relationships. It is that relationships should be approached with maturity, consent and responsibility, while recognising their possible consequences.
Parents and universities also have a role to play by ensuring that students have access to reliable information on sexual health, consent, exploitation and personal safety.
Peer pressure can change the course
The first months of university can introduce students to social pressures they have never experienced before.
Some may encounter alcohol, tobacco or drugs. Others may be persuaded to skip lectures, spend money they do not have or participate in activities that undermine their academic ambitions.
For young people trying to make friends and establish themselves in a new environment, the pressure to fit in can be particularly strong.
Yet one of the most valuable skills a student can develop is the ability to say no.
There is no obligation to attend every social gathering, join every group or copy every behaviour simply because friends are doing it.
The ability to make independent choices—even when those choices are unpopular—is itself an important part of growing into adulthood.
Mental wellbeing matters too
Academic pressure is only one challenge students may face.
Financial difficulties, loneliness, family problems, relationship conflicts and uncertainty about the future can all affect concentration and academic performance.
Students experiencing such difficulties should not see seeking help as a sign of failure or weakness.
Universities need accessible counselling and student-support services, but students should also familiarise themselves with those services before they find themselves in a crisis.
Parents, too, remain important even after their children leave home.
Sending a child to university does not bring parenting to an end. Instead, it changes the nature of the relationship.
Parents may no longer be able to monitor their children’s daily activities, but they can become advisers—people who listen, encourage and help young adults think through difficult choices.
A regular conversation about a student’s wellbeing may be more useful than repeatedly asking only about examination results.
Students should feel able to tell their parents about financial difficulties, academic struggles, relationship problems and even mistakes without immediately expecting condemnation.
That does not mean removing discipline or accountability. It means helping young adults understand their mistakes, learn from them and make better decisions in the future.
The real test comes after graduation
Ultimately, the value of university education cannot be measured by examination results alone.
A graduate may leave university with an impressive degree but still struggle in the labour market if they lack communication skills, practical experience, professional networks, creativity, resilience and problem-solving abilities.
For students beginning university this year, four questions may therefore be worth asking repeatedly:
What am I learning beyond my lectures?
What practical skills am I developing?
Which opportunities am I taking advantage of?
How am I preparing for life after graduation?
The answers could determine whether university becomes merely a period spent pursuing a certificate or a transformative stage in a young person’s personal and professional development.
Tanzania’s university dropout figures should serve as a reminder that completing higher education cannot be taken for granted. Thousands of students have left university without completing their studies in recent years, and preventing such outcomes requires action before academic difficulties become serious enough to result in discontinuation.
That preparation begins with discipline, responsible decision-making, good planning and the courage to seek help when problems arise.
The message is equally important for parents.
Sending a child to university is not the end of parenting. It is the beginning of a different form of parenting—one that relies less on constant supervision and more on guidance, trust, communication and support.
The university gates may represent the end of a young person’s dependence on parents, but they should also represent the beginning of purposeful adulthood.
For Tanzania’s newest university students, therefore, the greatest achievement may not simply be walking away with a degree.
It may be graduating with the knowledge, character, practical skills and resilience needed to build a meaningful and productive life.