Congratulations to 2015 matriculants

Madam – CONGRATULATIONS TO THE MATRIC CLASS OF 2015!

The release of matric results day is always the day that gets pupils nervous because in matric, anything is possible. To all those who passed, whether you passed with a ‘B, D or H,’ you still made it.

A big congratulations to all those who passed with distinctions; they have done well. This shows that dedication, focus and hard work pay off in the end.

To all those who did not make it, this is not the end, there is still this year and they must go back to school and try again. Not making it does not mean one is a failure; there could have been many factors that affected them while they were studying for their exams. In life there are obstacles and these are different for everyone, but this does not mean one has to give up.

To all those who made it, this is now the start of a new chapter. A chapter that can be stressful in the beginning; and that is getting into a tertiary institution.

It is better for those who applied during the year of 2015 and got responses, but for those who did not apply it becomes a bit hard.

If you have applied, it is important to keep your cellphone on at all times as the institutions might call or send you a message. Checking the post box regularly is also important.

It is better if the person applied at different tertiary institutions, because that gives them options should there be a course they do not qualify for. There are some mistakes pupils make when they are at the institutions.

These mistakes are: taking a course that one does not like or know nothing about just because they want to study at a tertiary institution, or because they did not qualify for the course they were passionate about.

Taking a course that was not part of your plans or that you have not researched about can lead to frustration when classes commence, and that is where some people choose to drop out. Having options of what your plan B might be is a good idea.

It is sometimes better if the person is accompanied by someone on their journey to finding a space at a tertiary institution. This helps the person make better decisions and to know that they are not alone, they have someone there for them.

To close off, congratulations again to all those who made it and to all those who didn’t, they must try again and say this to themselves as Elizabeth Taylor said, “I’m a survivor-a living example of what people go through and survive.”

Dimakatso Dikgweli