College achievers place in top 5 in district
Morgan Pearson, who came third in the Umgungundlovu district, said he was very pleased with his results.
“I did a lot better than I thought I would,” he said, adding that the biggest lesson he learnt was the importance of managing stress.
“I learnt to look for help when I need it and not try to handle it all by myself. I learnt to reach out when I need help. My parents, teachers and my girlfriend were a great support to me in that regard,” he said.
Speaking about what kept him motivated to achieve his goals, Pearson said the healthy competition among his peers kept him pushing to do better. “At College we are encouraged to do the best we can and aim high so I carried that through to my work ethic in matric,” he said.
His advice to the class of 2022 is not to put too much pressure on yourself and not to work too hard. “Also, get enough sleep. That is important,” he added. His tip to get a good balance between school and social life is good planning. “Write out a timetable and stick to that.”
Pearson is going to the University of Pretoria to study actuarial science.
Thaufeeq Patel was elated and shocked at placing in the top five in the district. Patel achieved distinctions in all seven subjects and attributed his success to trying to compete within his school and grade.
“I was just aiming to compete for a top place in my school. I didn’t expect to make it to the top five in the district,” he said.
Reflecting on a tiring matric year, he said there were tough moments and he did experience burnout, which he had to learn to manage. “I even fell asleep while studying right before my final accounting exam,” he recalled.
Patel hadn’t been pre-accepted into a university before his finals, so his dream of pursuing medicine pushed him to achieve high marks. “I had the goal in my head and that motivated me to keep my head down and plod forward,” he said, adding that after receiving the district award he received his acceptance letter from the University of Cape Town where he is excited to study medicine.
Patel is thankful to his family, friends and teachers for their support. “No one put any pressure on me to achieve; they just supported me in my goals.”