Ling of SMK St Elizabeth is state’s top SPM scorer
SIBU: SMK St Elizabeth was on cloud nine and so was its student Erica Ling Kai Shi as the results of last year’s Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia ( SPM) exams were released yesterday, revealing the latter as the best performing student in Sarawak in the exam.
Ling, who was accompanied by her mother to get her result slip yesterday, scored straight 11A+’s, a result she said she never expected to get.
“I only expected 9A+’s because I was not good in the language papers.
“I did tell my mum to expect poor results,” she told reporters.
She thought she had reason to tell her mother so as she only achieved 9A+’s in her trial examination.
A pious Christian, Ling said she believed in prayer, and so did her school. She said: “It’s usual for SMK Elizabeth to dedicate some time for prayer before the exam.
“Normally, a teacher would lead the prayer session.
“I remember I was very nervous and I prayed for a long time until the bell rang to indicate the commencement of the exam,” she said.
Ling attributed her good results to the commitment of her teachers and her friends’ regular assistance in her studies.
“Understanding what you learn is important. I don’t believe in rote learning,” she said.
“That’s why I love Physics and Mathematics as they require understanding of all the theories. And that’s why I don’t like History.”
Ling confessed that she had spent more time playing than studying.
“But, my love to read has helped me a lot.”
She has been reading copiously since primary school and has spent much time reading in the school library.
Her plans for the immediate future is to further her studies in university, likely taking up an engineering course.
About her mother, Ling said: “Mum has high expectations of me but never put pressure on me.”
Her mother, Hu Eng Eng, is a teacher at SJK Su Lai.
Hu said her daughter’s good results, apart from being a blessing from God, are the culmination of concerted efforts from Ling, her teachers and classmates.
Meanwhile, Ling’s classmate, Joyce Hu Xin Enn, obtained straight 10A+’s, a result she said she had not expected.
Thanking her teachers for their commitment to teaching, Joyce said her attention in class and initiative to take notes had paid off.
“I don’t think it is very helpful to go for tuition though I did go for one,” she admitted. Joyce is interested in Biology. Her immediate plan is to enter Form Six.
SMK St Elizabeth obtained an average school grade (GPS) of 2.73, making it the top school in SPM in Sibu for four consecutive years.
The school broke the school record of 2.97 GPS for the 2015 SPM.
At divisional level, the school is ranked the best, and is number six in the state.