Past papers secret to success
GAUTENG’S top performing independent school pupil Carl Donovan Smith, said that working through past papers and having healthy competitions with a class mate were the most effective way of preparing for matric exams.
Smith achieved eight distinctions in English, Afrikaans, maths, life orientation, accounting, physical science, life science and information technology.
“Before each exam, I’d work through numerous past papers. This allowed me to familiarise myself with the types of questions commonly asked and how to answer them correctly. I found this method is most effective,” Smith said.
He explained that having healthy competition with his class mate, who also achieved well, helped motivate him to study harder and get better results.
Star College Pretoria opened doors for him and gave him many opportunities to learn. “I attended international science fairs, competed in robotics competitions and wrote numerous Olympiads. The invaluable knowledge I gained from the exposure to these different competitions prepared me for my final matric exams.
“The teachers also consistently pushed me and motivated me .
“Competing in the World Robot Olympiads ignited my passion for computer programming and engineering.”
Smith says he is planning to study mechatronics engineering at Stellenbosch University.
Competing in the World Robot Olympiads ignited my passion
Carl Smith