The North Coast’s top matrics raked in a tidy sum of 71 distinctions – all scoring aggregates of above 80%.
The Courier met with some of the brainy bunch last week to find out how they did it.
Ilembe district’s number one matriculant had one secret to getting eight distinctions in her final examinations: balance.
Bubbly Avreyna Kistensamy from Stanger Manor Secondary School achieved a 95% aggregate without becoming a “study recluse”.
“Studying is very important but I think if you do not keep some form of normality going you will go crazy. I kept talking to my friends regularly and simply worked hard from day one. I did not cram once trials came around.”
The confident beauty, who will study actuarial science at the University of Cape Town, advised the matrics of 2014 to just keep calm.
“If you want to do well you must work. That is all there is to it, set goals and calmly go for them. Stress and wild panic will get you nowhere but frustrated.”
Manor Secondary also produced top seeds Kirthi Ramdhanee (seven distinctions) and Akshi Singh (eight distinctions). Both will study chemical engineering.
Stanger Secondary’s top pupils Alvina Rajmoney, Nirvana Sewchuran and Robin Pillay achieved six distinctions apiece.
Alvina accredits her results to faith in God and playing plenty of sport to keep stress levels to a minimum.
Nirvana will study business management at Umfolozi FET College this year.
Robin, who was not fazed by the ‘girl power’ around him, said finding the difference between stress and panic was the key.
Amid all the giggling girls in the top group Glenhills Secondary School boys Muhammed Azhar Kallan and Saiyuren Ramsamy, with six distinctions each, puffed their chests out proudly.
Muhammed travels to China shortly to study medicine, with the intention of specialising in neurosurgery at a later stage.
“There is no magic formula to doing well in matric, it is just consistency.”
Saiyuren will study aeronautical engineering at the University of Witwatersrand and wants to travel the world.
“I would not have achieved the results I did without God and a solid support structure.”
Topping the list at Seatides Combined School were Tilicia Moodley, Pooja Maharaj and Junaid Seedat, with seven distinctions each.
Future chartered accountant Tilicia has enrolled at Varsity College because she prefers smaller, private classes to a larger university.
Pooja said she plans to study pharmacy at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
Unlike many matrics Junaid, who will study aeronautical engineering, chose not to attend extra lessons.
“My dad, AK Seedat, encouraged me to work independently. Pure dedication, determination and discipline is all it takes.”
KwaDukuza deputy mayor Dolly Govender congratulated matrics at a ceremony in Groutville on Sunday.
“Well done to the class of 2013, we are proud to have many achievers with distinctions. You need to excel as from day one in 2014.”
