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HAPPY to be going to grade 12, Cara Kaltenbrun shared some lessons she learnt from 2018. The pupil said that it was a tough year but having a positive mindset throughout the year, and setting goals, is how she got through it all.
Cara explained that even though the workload was a big step up from Grade 10, it wouldn’t have been much if one had cut the procrastination and worked on something as soon as they got it, even if it is a little bit everyday — deadlines would be less daunting and stress would be relieved. “To be honest, at times I procrastinated and found myself stressed, and then at times I worked hard and dealt with my heavy workload with ease. It’s all about prioritising and making sure that you know what tests or deadlines you have coming up,” she said.
She added that another thing to consider is that every person learns in different ways, whether it be kinaesthetic, auditory, visual or verbal: “These are very important in order to know in what way you should study. You can do this by taking tests on the internet. In my case I’m an auditory learner, so this means that listening in class is key.
“Grade 11 is a year that you learn a lot about yourself and those around you. This is because it is the start of leadership. Leadership is something that challenges a lot of people, or it is something that comes naturally. The leadership programme that Grade 11s do allows them to test their leadership abilities and to find out which leadership positions they want and may or may not receive.”
She added that many Grade 11’s may be upset about not receiving the position that they wanted, which should not be something to cry about as it is a major life lesson that you may not receive everything that you want just like that, it takes a lot of effort and perseverance in order to do so.
“I found Grade 11 all about having a balance; in academics, sport, and social life — not too little and not too much,” said the pupil.
Cara said that term four exams have a reputation for being the meanest exams ever because they are important as they are used for varsity applications and they are the hardest exams of the year. “It is so essential to start preparing for these exams early as I can assure you that is it an unexpected tornado that can seem to wipe you out, but they can be conquered if prepared for the right way,” she said.
In conclusion, Cara said that, as she’s going to be in matric, she feels that this year she needs to focus on everything that she struggled on during her previous four years at high school so that, once perfected, she will be able to spend more time revising and working hard for tests and projects and less time trying to figure out how to do that physics equation she’s been stuck on since Grade 10.
“I do need to work more for my final stretch of high school, but I need to make sure that I am actually understanding the work and not just parrot learning, because this is what knocks many people down when coming across questions that test your understanding of concepts,” she said.
