Turning disappointment into motivation
FREE TOWN Primary School student, 11year-old Joseph Dobson, has clear goals where his future is concerned. Although he did not earn a place at his dream school, Campion College, and was beating himself up for falling short of the perfect score he was aiming for, he said he is determined to make the best of the situation and make up for it at Glenmuir High School.
The Free Town Primary School head boy said the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) put “more pressure on me that I did on myself”.
It is for this reason he is appealing to the powers that be to “go into the schools that children don’t want to attend and start an empowerment programme”.
Dobson, who had acrossthe-board 90s in four of his subjects and an eight in communication task, said he is upset about his 85 per cent average.
“I tell myself that I am going to work very hard to change that, come September. I plan to bring my average into the 90s,” he informed.
A GOOD THING TO DO
Revisiting the path leading to his exam, Dobson said his teacher Jacqueline Henry Hunter, whom he describes as being “dramatic but serious about schoolwork”, assisted in allowing him to feel less pressured and his parents’ – Glenmore and Yolanda Dobson – ‘study programme’ worked out well for him.
With a smile, he said they both were vigilant about one thing – no games during the week. Instead, they allowed him that luxury on weekends.
It was a good thing, too, as he said his main challenge during preparation mode was trying to resist “checking out the latest games instead of studying”.
He said he has one concern about what is to come in September, and that is if he will be able to keep up.
“I am a slow writer. But my mother is working on that and I hope by the time September comes around I will be good,” he said.
Dobson has his sights set on being a lab technician as, he said, since he was “very small” he has always had a fascination with chemistry.
“I would spend every free time that I had watching anything that had to do with chemistry, because I think it is cool,” he said.
Asked by The Gleaner for advice for future GSAT students, Dobson smiled and said, “I was waiting for that question!”
He continued: “GSAT is not a walkover. I thought it was easy, but it’s not. It can surprise you in the areas that you are not strong,” adding that the solution is to “practise, practise, and practise!”