Timera is no mean lass, bagging six awards
BAGGING more than six awards following her remarkable matric results, Timera Naidoo, 18, of Port Shepstone Secondary School, said it was no easy feat.
With an overall aggregate of 95%, Timera was awarded top achiever in physical science in the country and second in Quintile 4 in Pretoria during the NSC results ceremony last Thursday.
She also grabbed first place in the Ugu District, first place for physical science in her district, an award for mathematics, and fourth place in the NSC Top Learners in Public Schools category at the ICC the following day. Speaking to
POST shortly after the KZN NSC results ceremony, Timera said she was filled with emotion.
“I was shocked, happy and excited all in one. I thought it was someone else’s results I was looking at, not my own. It exceeded my expectations entirely.”
Timera revealed that two of her biggest hurdles was having to learn Afrikaans without an Afrikaans teacher and to prove to her English teacher that she was capable of getting an A.
“The Afrikaans teacher who was there had retired. We had a new teacher who came in but after a few days she left. Then we got a substitute teacher… who was never in the classroom. So we pretty much had to rely on study guides and the internet for help. The class also grouped together and helped each other go over worksheets.”
But Timera defied all odds and not only passed the subject but received a distinction for it as well as six other subjects, which were physical science, mathematics, English, life sciences, accounting and biology. Timera said a proud moment in her matric year was earning a spot in the country’s Top 100 for the English Olympiad.
“I was shocked but also ecstatic, especially when my English teacher told me I would never get an A for the subject. I guess she didn’t believe in me. But I proved her wrong.”
Timera said remaining focused and finding a good time to study was her magic method to retaining information.
“You don’t need to have a strict schedule. As long as it was quiet when I was in work mode, I was a happy camper.”
She said painting, sketching and drawing was a good stress reliever.
Timera has been provisionally accepted to study medicine at UKZN.
But Stellenbosch University has also accepted her for the degree; however, she says she is waiting for word from UKZN before she makes a decision.