Top achievers suffered from anxiety during waiting period

Matric 2023 top achievers. From Left-R: Paveshan Naidu from Star College, Zachary Govender from Star College, Zashya Deolall from Star College, Sam Walker from Eden College, Keshav Hurpaul from Eden College and Yurav Hirachund from Star College. Picture: Khaya Ngwenya/ Independent Newspapers

Matric 2023 top achievers. From Left-R: Paveshan Naidu from Star College, Zachary Govender from Star College, Zashya Deolall from Star College, Sam Walker from Eden College, Keshav Hurpaul from Eden College and Yurav Hirachund from Star College. Picture: Khaya Ngwenya/ Independent Newspapers

Published Jan 19, 2024

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Durban — The 2023 matric top achievers said they had difficulty coping with anxiety during the waiting period for the release of the National Senior Certificate (NSC) exam results.

The A students from schools told the Daily News that having a good support system from their families, which were their pillars of strength, helped.

An 18-year-old Eden College pupil, Keshav Hurpaul, said he is excited to discover that he passed but still can’t believe that he obtained impressive results.

“One of the key things to do in matric is to understand every lesson when studying, which I believe contributes to the final results.

“Another strategy is finding a study partner who is able to help whenever you need assistance,” said Keshav.

His mother, Nirvana Hurpaul, congratulated all matric pupils and thanked her son for producing impressive results and scoring eight distinctions.

She wished him a great future ahead.

Another A student from Eden College who obtained eight distinctions is Sam Walker, 19, who said she has been anxious and has had negative thoughts since she finished writing the exams.

“I’m planning to study medicine at UCT. My aim is to become a gynaecologist specialist in the future because I’m passionate about women’s health,” she said.

“Educating women and giving them the power to care for their bodies is just what I intend to do,” Sam added.

Matric 2023 top achievers. From Left-R: Paveshan Naidu from Star College, Zachary Govender from Star College, Zashya Deolall from Star College, Sam Walker from Eden College, Keshav Hurpaul from Eden College and Yurav Hirachund from Star College. Picture: Khaya Ngwenya/ Independent Newspapers

The class of 2023 triumphed against all odds as they were severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, which put the world on hold in 2020 when they were in Grade 9.

In 2021, these pupils were affected by the looting which impacted 144 schools in KwaZulu-Natal.

They were also affected by the ongoing load shedding, while the floods in 2022 also had a negative impact on the teaching and learning process.

Westville Boys High School pupil Lukas Friedrich, 18, said he was aiming to get good results so that he could pursue a career in electrical engineering.

“I was so committed to my studies, and my parents played a huge role in motivating me to study hard,” Lukas said.

“I’m excited to have been accepted at Stellenbosch University because this means that I’ll now embark on the electrical engineering sector, which is a field that has always been close to my heart,” he added.

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