Top matric learner shares how he made it through

The top overall performing learner in Boksburg, Richard Jacobs of Christian Brothers’ College, has attributed his success to hard work as well as the support he received from his friend, Angelos Arsalides.

Jacobs, who bagged eight distinctions with an overall average of 92.5 per cent, said during his high school days, he and Arsalides have always had a friendly rivalry of trying to outdo each other.

“We would help each other with complex problems and offer one another advice on the subjects we were particularly good at. Without a doubt he is the reason I have come this far,” he said.

Jacobs said he was confident he would get distinctions except for English and mathematics because they were a bit of a concern.

“My English marks were consistently low and my AP maths score remained high until we had our preliminary examinations, where I performed poorly. When I was writing my finals I did not sleep until 2am. When I received my results, I was so ecstatic to see that I had achieved distinctions for those subjects,” he said.

The matriculant said during last year he received enormous support from his family and friends.

“At home when I required my own quiet space, they went the extra mile of converting our garage into an outside flat so I could remain 100 per cent focused,” he said.

This year he will study mechanical engineering at the University of Pretoria with the hopes of eventually working at Nasa or SpaceX.

“Space exploration has always enamoured me and I wish to push humanity forward via innovation and creation,” Jacobs said.

The Cinderella resident has offered advice to the Class of 2021: “Matric may seem like it’s unbearable at times but it is not. Trust me, you will get through it. Get enough sleep, exercise regularly and eat healthily. This will help you many times more than studying excessively.”

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