KZN's top achievers share their matric exam success secrets

05 January 2017 - 17:57 By Shelley Seid
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Maritzburg College Matrics Thabiso Madlala who received 7A's , Rajvir Rajaram who also received 7 A's congratulate Ryan Hodgson who received 8 A's with an aggregate of 92 percent. The school had a 100 percent pass rate with 95 percent Bachelors degree.
Maritzburg College Matrics Thabiso Madlala who received 7A's , Rajvir Rajaram who also received 7 A's congratulate Ryan Hodgson who received 8 A's with an aggregate of 92 percent. The school had a 100 percent pass rate with 95 percent Bachelors degree.
Image: JACKIE CLAUSEN

Consistency and balance – that’s the secret to making it through the matric exams‚ say some of this year’s top achievers in KwaZulu-Natal.

Pietermaritzburg College’s Thabiso Madlala got 7 A’s. A prefect‚ house captain and a member of the RCL (Representative Council of Learners)‚ Madlala also had a busy extra-mural diary but kept strictly to his study timetable.

  • Elated‚ excited and grateful - KZN's top matriculant celebrates her achievementKwaZulu-Natal top matriculant Romal Naidoo was so shaken by her remarkable achievement that she was speechless when called onto the stage at the Durban ICC on Thursday. 

He says he expected to do well but not that well. “I was expecting A’s in business studies and accountancy but certainly not in maths. I am extremely proud of myself and my parents are over the moon.”

Madlala is registered to study Civil Engineering at the University of Pretoria. “I am passionate about the built environment and my aim is to leave behind a legacy that will improve the lives of others.”

  • Boot camps and a back-to-basics approach - The Free State's recipe for matric successThe Free State‚ which had the highest pass mark in the country‚ was so determined to improve its matric results that it even enlisted the help of the military. 

He said that he had moments of concern regarding the Fees Must Fall protests of last year. “When I heard last year that the first-year students had not yet written‚ I was worried whether they would be able to place all of us in work experience. I’m still a bit concerned that the protests might start again but I did my homework and the University of Pretoria is the best place to get a bachelor of engineering.”

Another top student‚ Leeandra Wiid from Voortrekker High in Pietermaritzburg‚ echoed Madlala’s determination. Wiid‚ who also scored 7 A’s‚ has wanted to become a vet since she was a child and said that although the protests worried her a little‚ Pretoria was the only university she applied to.

  • How top Vuwani pupils beat the odds to ace the matric examsWhen Vuwani pupil Lutendo Ravele read his matric results he realised achieving 96% for mathematics was no small feat. 

“It’s the only place I can study veterinary science. I feel OK about it now. I’m in a res on campus so that seems safe‚ and my family has lots of friends in Pretoria.”

Although Wiid has not yet been accepted into her course of choice because her work experience was not broad enough‚ she has spent her holidays working in a piggery and‚ in the interim‚ has registered for a BSc in animal science.

“I’ve always been serious about my studies but I’ve kept a balanced lifestyle. I’m so excited about my results. I did both English and Afrikaans as first language subjects and certainly didn’t expect A’s in either. My dad is freaking out. My mom says she expected it. My parents have always been so supportive.”

Rajvir Rajaram is also going to the University of Pretoria‚ but he will be studying actuarial science‚ a subject he chose because he loves working with numbers. “If I can make a living doing that it will make me very happy‚” he says.

His parents‚ both lecturers at UKZN‚ faced the Fees Must Fall protests first hand but after a visit to the Pretoria campus they were happy to let him go. “I actually ignored the entire event last year. I decided that it was not my problem and kept focused on getting on with my studies.”

The Pietermaritzburg High matriculant said he was more shocked than excited when he saw he had scored seven A’s. “My mother is equally shocked‚” he joked adding that celebration included a big family gathering hosted by his proud and happy parents.

“I tried to maintain a good social life and relax occasionally‚” he said about the secret of his success. “People tell you it’s the most important year of your life but you need to keep a balance or you could burn out.”

To check your results‚ visit http://matric.sowetanlive.co.za/

- TMG Digital/The Times

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