Academic Hurdles Facing Undergraduate Students at One South African University

This paper aims to explore the academic hurdles faced by undergraduate students at one university. Using the qualitative research approach, a sample of 31 participants made up of peer facilitators, undergraduate students and programme coordinators was purposefully selected. Data were collected using in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. The data were coded thematically to make sense of the experiences shared by the participants. The results indicated numerous academic challenges faced by first year students. These include problems of writing, referencing, plagiarism, English as a barrier and inability to use computers. It is concluded that students at the university under study face a myriad of academic challenges, due to poor socio-economic backgrounds and the low level of education which they received from the apartheid influenced system, which some schools still use. The paper recommends commitment on the part of stakeholders of peer academic support programmes.