According to the Senior Executive Data Officer, Lameck Gausi all these students have been selected from the 2018 Malawi School Certificate Education examination unlike previous years when it was a double stream.

Random interviews with the first year students, showed that most of them are excited and have high expectations of becoming important citizens in the future after completing their studies.

“I was very happy when I learned that I have been selected to come to the Polytechnic, taking into account that a lot of people applied and a few were selected,” said Priscilla Faindani a first year Mechanical Engineering student.

Another first year Civil Engineering female student Maureen Chikasanda explained that she has been discouraged by people around her for vying for an engineering program citing that it is a very challenging course not suitable for women.

“Most people have been making negative comments about my course, there by discouraging me that I will not make it because I am a woman. I would like to prove them wrong by becoming the best female engineer Malawi has ever had,” Chikasanda explained.

While most of the students are looking forward to their studies at the University, some are facing financial challenges.

Those who are less privileged have the only hope of getting loans from the loan board but they are uncertain on how they are going to sustain themselves in terms of food, accommodation and school materials among other things.

“I was doing ‘kabaza’ business back home in Rumphi before I came here, I am just praying that I get a loan for tuition. My worry is, even if I get a loan, how will I fend for myself?” queried a Mathematical Science student Reuben Munthali.

Orientations have been taking place for the past days where students have been imparted knowledge on various services provided by the college.