Adopt a strong and positive attitude

I DID it! I have attained a bachelor’s pass with seven distinctions – in maths, physical sciences, life sciences, Afrikaans, English, life orientation and accounting.

My name is Diya Bhoda. I am an ex-pupil of Southlands Secondary School in Chatsworth. My plan for the future is to study computer engineering and eventually go into aerospace engineering.

I am 17 years old, and today I'm going to tell you about how I achieved my results against the odds.

Matric 2021 was definitely a difficult year that presented a handful of new challenges no one expected.

The global pandemic, looting and load shedding left many pupils, including myself, in a state of uncertainty.

Our workload had not changed and we were required to complete some of our Grade 11 syllabi owing to the time we lost in the previous year.

These difficulties, together with the anxiety and stress you would normally experience doing matric, left me feeling hopeless at the start of the year.

I began to think that a pass with distinctions was unlikely.

Thankfully, I had a strong support system in my family, teachers and friends. They motivated me and made me believe I could achieve great things. If Grade 12 has taught me one thing, it is not to stress.

Pupils start off the year with so much anxiety, only to have even more of it piled on to them by societal expectations.

The added pressure often leaves them feeling depressed, so they don’t try as hard as they could.

I would advise this year’s matric pupils to have a strong and positive attitude.

Be headstrong and see this year as an opportunity, not one that determines the rest of your life.

Everyone knows you should go through past year exam papers to do well (which is what I did), but by adopting a strong mindset you will be able to motivate yourself to excel.

Remind yourself of why you want to achieve good results.

Tie the thought of getting As to something important and personal to you – like getting into your dream university, making your parents proud, or winning a scholarship.

In this way, you will never burn out. Most importantly, try your best from the start, help others around you, keep your head down, and put in the work.

All the best to the future matriculants! DIYA BHODA

Chatsworth