Some advice for those going to write matric
Nicholas Carr, 19, from St David’s Marist obtained eight distinctions with 99% in mathematics and 92% in advanced programme mathematics. He obtained distinctions in Afrikaans, English, geography, life sciences, physical science and life rientation.
Sinazo Mthethwa achieved an average of 90.1% and a full house of eight distinctions: accounting, English, isiZulu, life orientation, life sciences, mathematics, physical sciences and advanced programme mathematics.
“The pandemic hardly affected me, contrary to popular belief it fit me to a T,” is what Kei Prior of St John’s College, Johannesburg, said after getting nine distinctions and an average of 94.1%.
‘I enjoyed the freedom of being able to decide my own hours. I’m a bit of a night owl – and it was great to be able to study late into the night, without worrying about having to be up early in the morning,’ he said.
The 18-year-old Prior is among
126 boys who achieved a total of 357 distinctions between them. The school achieved a 100% pass rate with nearly 98% of the class achieving bachelor’s degree passes.
Prior said he is heading to the
Wits University in a few weeks, where he wants to pursue a career in chemical engineering to fulfil his childhood dream of making a palpable and positive difference in the lives of South Africans by providing clean water.
Valerie Chinyoka from Roedean Senior School achieved six distinctions. She said the transition that came with the pandemic was not an easy one. Chinyoka said adjusting to not being in the classroom was not easy especially during the last year when everything the pupils did counted the most for their end of year marks.
‘Not being in the environment I was used to, to learn was difficult so I had to change my mindset about being at home,’ she said.
She added that she rearranged her bedroom for her desk to be closer to the window to get some fresh air. She also wrote her notes on the mirrors with whiteboard markers and on the walls with chalk.
Oke Odiley from St Mary’s hopes to study chemical engineering at the University of Cape Town so she can help keep a more sustainable environment, especially in Nigeria, her home country.
‘My home village in Nigeria suffers the negative effects of oil pollution due to unsustainable processes, so I hope to be an innovator of processes that do not cause environmental damage, especially for disadvantaged areas,’ said Odiley. She said as much as this would surprise everyone, the pandemic bettered her final year in school in terms of academic study and focus and didn’t really affect her too much.