Home-scholar bags seven distinctions

“My family and I are overjoyed! I am so grateful to have been given the resources that made it possible for me to earn my results, especially since the pandemic made learning difficult or even inaccessible to some learners,” Rochè told the Herald. “There is no definite way to ensure good marks.

Each exam comes with curveballs and questions that get you down, no matter how hard you studied. The only thing you can do is try your best. Knowing this, I focussed on understanding the basics of each topic well and then exposing myself to higher-order questions in preparation for exams,” she said.

She said that the best tip she can give matrics is to be consistent in their efforts and to try their best each day. They should aim to attend to all their subjects daily to help them stay on top of their work.

She also said that it is also important that they do not disregard any assessment, no matter how insignificant they think it might be as every assessment contributes towards their final result and they should put in their best effort throughout the year, not only as they approach your final exam.

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“Along the way you have your teachers to help you, and it is so important that you reach out to them when you need help. Leave no question unasked or unanswered and you will be successful. The only study tip I could give is to try and figure out what works for you and how you can make studying enjoyable for yourself as you will be dedicating a lot of time to your studies.

This will make it easier for you to stick to consistent studying which will pave your way to victory,” she added.

Rochè did her schooling through, Teneo School, an online school. “It is just like a brick and mortar school with classes scheduled every day according to a timetable. It was incredible to be able to attend school in the cloud and it made me realise how technology can really connect us. I even had a teacher who is a South African emigrant presenting his classes to us all the way from his home in London.

“Managing everything meant maintaining self-discipline which was not always easy, but when the motivation levels were low, my English teacher was always ready with a Coldplay song that she
would play for us as she let everyone join the zoom meeting for class. It was small things like this that made each day just a little more manageable,” she said.

Her social life did take a bit of a knock, but she has two really close friends in Hoedspruit who made sure they got together every so often.

Her sister, who is also her best friend was away from home last year they would call or video call every night, sometimes for over an hour. “Of course, I also had my parents and my pets to keep me company at home. My social circle was small but they helped get me through the year and they were also there to guide me and listen to my concerns when the academic pressure was building up.

“For my first year of tertiary studies I decided to do a BSc with Physical Science and Chemistry with the North-West University (NWU), but because I’m still uncertain about what I want to do, the
degree I decided to pursue might change.

All I know for a fact is that my heart lies in Mathematics and Physical Science and I just hope to find my ideal career path. “My future is after all not in my hands but in His, and the answer will come in due time,” concluded Rochè.