Top matriculant's key to success: 'Being curious'

You need to be curious. You must want to know everything.

That is the advice of David Mark Dodkins to future matrics. Dodkins was the top matriculant in 2018 in mathematics and physical science.

“It’s a love for learning, being curious and whenever you come across something you don’t know, immediately looking for the answer. [You have] to read up on the internet.”

Basic education minister Angie Motshekga announced on January 3 2019 in Midrand that the overall 2018 matric pass rate was 78.2%.

Dodkins attended Bergsig Academy in Rustenburg, North West. His standard day was waking up at 6.30am, getting up 6.40am for a 10-minute jog on the treadmill, eating and heading off to school. After school it was homework and studying from around 2pm to 6pm, and until 8pm leading up to exams.

“Also working on Saturdays, all day, and Sundays after church.”

Dodkins admitted he was very competitive and a perfectionist.

“That combination makes you work very hard to do the best you can. You always feel if you don’t do the best you can, you did not do enough.”

Dodkins motivated himself with the thought that if he did not do his work immediately, he might exhaust himself later trying to catch up.

“I always think, is what I want to do now so important that when we receive our results, when I have to apply for university, will I still be happy that I did that instead of studying.”

Dodkins will study actuarial science at the University of Pretoria in 2019.

“I don’t have definitive plans, but I think maybe going abroad for a year to do my masters or just staying at the university and lecturing. We will see where life takes us.”

When asked how he will celebrate his achievements, he said: “My sister and I will probably go for a milkshake or watch a movie.”

He played hockey and tennis at school, and wrote for the school newspaper.

His advice to future matriculants is to prioritise.

“You only have one matric year and you will only get your results once. It’s one year you have to move socialising aside and know you will work from start to finish.

“I am in such a routine from earlier years, Grade 12 did not feel more difficult or that it was different, it just continued. Many years you feel you could take a break over the holidays, whereas matric was a year where you work from start to finish.”

Dodkins considers the announcement of his achievements as the cherry on top of 2018.

“I don’t think there was anything going through my mind at that stage [when they announced my name]. It was all just blank.”

These were his subjects:

• Afrikaans home language
• English first additional language
• Life Orientation
• Mathematics
• Physical sciences
• Economics
• IT
• Accounting
• Alpha Maths