For some secondary school students, university often feels like a distant and abstract idea, a place they hear about but rarely imagine themselves experiencing. Yet for 39 students from St Patrick's Secondary School in Blantyre, a visit to MUST on May 22, 2026, transformed that distant dream into a clear and motivating ambition.

The students arrived on campus hoping to gain motivation and better understanding of what it takes to transition from secondary school to university. But by the end of the visit, many left with renewed determination and a completely different perception of both university life and their own futures.

According to Allan Malemba, a Form Two teacher in Mathematics and Computer Studies, the visit was a deliberate effort to inspire students academically and MUST was chosen because of its reputation for quality education and impressive facilities.

“The trip was a turning point, especially for students who had previously struggled with academic motivation. Hearing about MUST’s emphasis on practical skills, innovation and entrepreneurship has given the learners a reason to work harder,” Malemba said, adding even his ambitions were reignited as he now wants to come to MUST for his postgraduate studies in Computer Science.

For 13-year-old Form One student, Leo Mikango, the size and sophistication of the campus came as a complete surprise.

"Initially, I thought MUST was a small institution but I was surprised to see how huge it is, with all the lab facilities, the massive library, and the smart classrooms," said Mikango, whose highlight of the trip was the visit to the African Drone and Data Academy (ADDA), where together with his colleagues, he learned about drone technology and innovative projects developed by MUST students.

"The visit taught me that at MUST, nothing is impossible because the university produces genuinely innovative and creative students. It has encouraged me to work extra hard because I now want to study Engineering at MUST."

The visit also challenged common misconceptions about MUST's academic offerings. Form Four student, Obiet Kapanga, an aspiring writer, said he had always believed MUST only focused on science and technology.

"I didn't know that MUST also offer art and other humanities programmes," Kapanga said. 

"Like some people, I thought MUST was strictly about science. It's amazing to learn that it embraces the arts as well."

As someone who has already contributed articles to his school's upcoming magazine, Kapanga was particularly inspired by the Bingu School of Culture and Heritage where he wants to enrol and attain advanced writing skills and be able “to publish my own book one day".

Beyond the campus tour and academic presentations, the visit also provided something much deeper for the St Patrick's Secondary School students: It removed misconceptions, clarified career paths, and gave many learners a renewed sense of purpose. 

For these students, the experience was not simply about visiting a university; it was about seeing their dreams become attainable and understanding the path required to achieve them.