Well wishes to Class of 2020

The time has come to seal off your precious school days and recap on the past 12 years of knowledge. Remember to do it in a relaxed manner and you will be able to instruct your subconscious mind to bring forward the knowledge in your mind. Do your part and God will do the rest; He will guide you through this stressful time.

These days, a matric certificate is a passport that can help open doors to both university and the job market. Matric candidates must avoid time wasters that might interfere with their state of readiness to write their exams. Those who have not been doing well now have an opportunity to defy all the odds and surprise many.

A few tips to try and make studying interesting include buying yourself treats and planning your time carefully. Turn it into a game with others. Studying with friends can be motivating and helpful, as you share ideas that you might not have thought of individually. Study somewhere different – it often gets boring simply because you don’t get a change of scenery. Challenge yourself but also pace yourself. Don’t demoralise yourself by taking on more than you can handle. Instead, go slow and be steady, with regular breaks in between. This will help you cope for the long haul.

Motivate yourself to get on with the work and study, make every thought serve you and move you forward. Visualise yourself taking action; small actions add up; meet some matriculants and spend time with them.

I urge parents not to exert unnecessary pressure on their children, but to give them unconditional support that will help change their lives for the better.

I wish all grade 12 learners in the class of 2020 all the best in the final exams. This year, we celebrate the year of OR Tambo, since the adoption of the Freedom Charter. One of the clauses extracted from that document states: ‘The door of learning and culture shall be opened to all.” Let’s do justice to our parents, communities and teachers by achieving good results.