With the end in sight as the matric Class of 2020 enters the final stretch of their school careers, grade 12s are encouraged to double down and give the National Senior Certificate exams their final push.
Grade 12s sat down for their first exam on November 5 after losing more than four months of the academic year and valuable class time.
However, despite the disrupted academic year the standard of their final examinations had not been amended as the papers were before the Covid-19 pandemic emerged.
Senior Head of Programm: Faculty of ICT at The Independent Institute of Education, Natasha Madhav, said: “This year has been so hard, and brought up so many different challenges for matrics, and they must be applauded for getting this far given all the uncertainty, missed school days for many, and losing out on all the big events and milestones that make this year so special.”
Madhav said this year’s matric class has already proven their capabilities, pushing past challenges brought on by the lockdown.
“You are already set up for success with your newly developed resilience and grit, so use these new skills to maintain your momentum in the coming days to ensure you score every single mark you are able to in your remaining papers. Don’t drop your resolve now, but rather give it your all right to the end,” she said.
The education expert said with most of the papers written already and having the less challenging subjects remaining, matrics may become more relaxed, losing focus on their revision.
“But remember that every mark counts toward improving your aggregate, and therefore your options for your future, whether in terms of which higher education institution you can gain access to, or whether you can gain access to your chosen qualification,” she warned.
Madhav also reminded the grade 12s of the competition which remained in entering university and that there was limited space, therefore it is imperative to achieve the best matric results.
“The most important thing to combat now is fatigue – physical and emotional – to ensure you finish strong.
“Don’t let your mind play games with you – try to regain your focus and remember the big picture every single day until you hand in your last paper. Make sure you get enough fresh air and exercise, take regular short breaks that don’t involve a screen, and aim for small wins in that compound.”
She also encouraged those who felt that they did not do their best in the previous papers not to lose hope and focus on the remaining two weeks.
“On the other hand, if you didn’t do as well as you have hoped until now, you have to let that go and focus on what you can still make happen. Don’t panic, because every mark makes a difference and there is still an opportunity for you to improve on your general result,” Madhav said.