IGCSE exams October/November 2020 A chat with the high achievers from public schools |15 March 2021
Fifty-five per cent of candidates achieved grade C and above in last year’s IGCSE exams. Even though 55% might seem small, public schools have indeed seen a 17% increase of students who have scored grade C and above. The S5 student population in 2020 was 1131 compared to 1081 in 2019 which denotes a rise of 4.6% in that population. Among the students, public schools saw a rise in the number of high achievers. Seychelles NATION contacted them to have a chat and we asked them about how they planned their studies before the exams, how are they coping with the ongoing pandemic and if they started online courses.
They are all hardworking youths and have a vision for a better future. Seychelles NATION wishes them all the best in their learning path and future young leaders of Seychelles.
Kimberly Barbe
My name is Kimberly Antoinette Mwende Barbe. I am 17 years of age. I attended Beau Vallon secondary school where I recently sat my IGCSE examinations. Despite the pandemic, I managed to attain 3A*s, 1A and 2Bs. Frankly, I am quite satisfied with my results albeit I carry the perception that I could have performed better in some areas.
Nonetheless, I've been admitted to the School of Advanced Level Studies (Sals) where I plan to specialise in Mathematics and the three sciences, namely Biology, Chemistry and Physics so that I can pursue a career in the medical field. The Covid outbreak broadened my aspiration in becoming a medical doctor. However, the perplexity of the medical field has always fascinated me since an early age.
In addition, these unprecedented times of the pandemic have affected everyone inclusive of students in myriad ways. However, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to sit my IGCSEs despite the horrendous situation Covid imposed on many countries. Personally, I at first found the pandemic frustrating especially with the rate at which it was spreading globally and the way it was and still is tampering with scholars’ lives. Studying during this period can be stressful especially when you're not under the watchful eyes of your teachers. Anyhow, that did not deter me from proceeding with my studies. Preparing for my IGCSEs encouraged me to put emphasis on my study schedule. I spent endless hours revising and not to mention, I spent nights prior to exam days cramming. With the help of the Internet, through educational sites and various platforms online, access to revision resources has been made simpler. I made use of Youtube for explanations on topics I couldn't comprehend and also did a plethora of past papers.
Additionally, school hasn't officially kicked-off yet but I've commenced reading through some syllabi to get an idea of what I should be expecting.
Besides, I'd love to take this opportunity to express my immense gratitude to my parents, teachers and peers for their continuous support through thick and thin especially during the lockdown last year. The year was and still is rough but we will eventually get through it together.
I wish all students out there all the best of luck in their school years and my advice to them is to make their studies a priority.
Alissa Dogley
My name is Alissa Valerie Dogley. I am 17 years old and I attended Anse Boileau secondary school. Well my results were quite a shock for me. It's not that the IGCSE exams were hard but it was the fact that I was doing seven subjects, so there were some occasions when I was having to do two papers a day or even there were times where I had exams for a whole week. So I had to strategise my time and make many sacrifices so that I ensured I was revising to my fullest.
I got A* in Physics, ‘A’s in Maths and Biology. These are the best scores but in general I have performed very well for most of my IGCSE subjects.
Well now the next step is A levels which I am going to be attending at Anse Royale. I still don't know which career I'm choosing to do in the future but I have always had a love for science and mathematics so I'll be therefore doing Physics, Maths and Biology at A levels for the two years.
The pandemic has affected me school wise if we consider the fact that usually post-secondary school year starts in February. But apart from that I'm someone who if I have something or a goal to reach I'm going to try my best to do so even if I start small, bit by bit a day but I'm going to reach.
I haven't started any online classes yet due to the fact that school has not opened yet. But I have already started reading notes on my three subjects. What I'm doing is just familiarising myself with the topics that I'm going to be doing.
Well studying was something that I was doing throughout my years of secondary school but in S5 I stepped up my game by doing past papers constantly, attending every extra class even though it was at lunch time or even though it was starting in the morning at 7am. I made sacrifices because I know for a fact that it was going to be worth it in the end.
I will advise S5 students to start studying early. For example, everyday do at least one hour of studying for a chosen subject and remember to do lots of past papers. Remember that your teachers are doing what's best for you so at all times be respectful towards their decisions.
Carl Gédeon
My name is Carl Gedeon and I am 17 years old. I used to attend Pointe Larue secondary.
For my IGCSEs, I scored ‘A’ in Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Geography and ICT and ‘A*’ in English as a First Language and Physics. I also scored 85% for DELF B2.
This year, I have decided to take up A-Level Maths, Chemistry, Physics and Biology at Sals. Honestly, I have chosen these mostly because I am still unsure about my future career path and I feel that these subjects provide me with a wider range of options to choose from once it’s ultimately time to make my decision.
With regard to the pandemic, I would say I have found it difficult to adapt and readjust over the course of the last year. I constantly found myself being distracted a lot by the events occurring around me and I often found it hard to concentrate on school work. As a result, my productivity levels dropped considerably. However, I was pleasantly surprised to have achieved good results overall, especially considering the circumstances. Even so, I do feel I could have performed better had the conditions been right.
For the time being, we haven't started any lessons yet, but I believe I'll be starting in-person classes at some point within the next couple of weeks.
Throughout my IGSCE years, I never really took to adopting a specific studying schedule or routine. What's essential is that I cover everything which needs to be covered over a certain time period I've been assigned, or assigned myself.
I've also been doing quite a number of past papers, to sort of know the right approach to exam questions and familiarise myself with the contents.
Jayant Gondariya
My name is Jayant Jayesh Gondariya and I am 16 years old. I studied at Anse Boileau secondary school. I got 7 A*s in English, Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, ICT, Geography and a B in French. I will study at Sals and will take Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Maths and English. I am currently studying on my own and we have no online lessons yet. I will study those subjects hoping to pursue a career in science. I expected to get the results for all the subjects except English, Geography and French. I expected lower grades in them. I studied for longer hours.
Anicka Louis
My name is Anicka Louis aged 17 years and I previously went to Anse Boileau secondary school. I was selected to do IGCSE for all my subjects and have passed all. I scored an A for Geography, Biology (extended) and Physics (extended). I scored B for ICT, English first language and French DELF B1. I scored C for Maths as I was doing Maths core. The ‘A’s I scored in the three previously mentioned subjects were unexpected because as much as I tried before I could only reach a B. However, overall I’m satisfied with my results. I got both of my post-secondary schools and chose to go to SBSA because it will give me more knowledge and understanding and provide more opportunities in my chosen career choice in the finance field therefore the school is more ideal.
As for the pandemic situation I am coping quite well as I am a person that adapt to new situations quickly, so whether at home or at school I can still manage to do my lessons. I start school on Monday which I am both excited and nervous. There's no online lessons at the moment, I presume during next week during school we may start receiving online lessons.
Sean Nathaniel Mutinda Oduor
My name is Sean Nathaniel Mutinda Oduor and I am 16 years old. I am a former student of Pointe Larue secondary school.
For my IGCSE exams I scored 2A*s 1A and 2Bs which I am quite satisfied with, on account of the challenges I faced during the pandemic. In all honesty, I expected a good result but not this good because studying was so difficult and it felt like a whole new world. I turned to online platforms such as YouTube, Google Docs and appraised IGCSE websites such as "savemyexams.com" to give me more in depth information about my subjects. Everyday felt routine and my personal learning was my euphoria. My thirst for knowledge led me to have tireless hours of study, pushing for perfection. Spending time learning, revising and researching... Allowing me to get my hands on as much knowledge as possible since you can never tell on what scope the examinations would be based on. The exams were manageable as I saw content I had previously studied. Some were a fly-by and some really were arduous, but all in all hard work paid off.
I am planning on going to A Levels to study Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Computer Science to allow me to pursue Aerospace engineering as my future career.
The Covid-19 pandemic really changed my approach to studies as it got significantly harder without having a teacher constantly monitoring us. Even if they are able to be reached through social media, it's quite hard to be able to express some of the issues you may be facing with a particular subject; (for example Maths, where you need to show the teacher the complex sums and have them explain how to tackle it). It's quite stressful as well since the constant pressure of knowing that your future is lying in the balance and importantly, failure wasn't an option. Despite Seychelles being affected by Covid, some countries suffered more gruesomely. Constantly hearing or watching about the horrors of the virus took a toll on my mental health and really affected my perspective on life as a whole. Adapting to the situation of quarantine hasn't been easy for me since I'm an extrovert and being sedimentary at home feels like imprisonment; even if it's been 1 year since the first quarantine period. Even now as I'm planning for the new school year, there is a lot to do and I'm taking time to ensure that I can limit the damage of the pandemic not only on my studies but my mental health importantly.
At the moment I haven't started online classes since I'm yet to go for induction next Wednesday. Despite that, I believe online classes are a good substitute and are almost as effective as normal classes. It's also a good learning process since the world is digitising very quickly so I believe online classes would be a norm in the future even if there isn't a pandemic. I'd like to thank all my teachers and my family for their relentless encouragement also my friends since we're all in this together and we proudly pulled through. I wish to encourage all current IGCSE candidates to put as much effort as they can despite it seeming like an insurmountable challenge. Hard work pays off and I believe you can achieve whatever you put your heart to. Good luck to you all and don't give up!
Nathalia Pillay
My name is Nathalia Pillay. I am 17 years old and I am from English River secondary. I got five A*s and an A for my IGCSEs which really pleased me because it was not the grades I was expecting. I have been accepted into the Seychelles Business Studies Academy and I started school on Monday March 8. I am following the Finance and Accounting course which is for a duration of 3 years. I am really interested in the field of accounting and I hope to continue my studies at university level.
The ongoing pandemic has caused a number of measures to be implemented on the school compound, the most inconvenient being that we have to wear masks at all times during the day, meaning that we will have to wear it for 8 consecutive hours. I will be following online classes every Thursday as from next week since it’s the only day that I will not be attending school physically.
No, I did not expect the results. I had predicted maybe 3 A*s and a few Bs. I surpassed my own expectations. I started studying in May, dedicating approximately three weeks for each subject. The two-month lockdown had an impact on us as we lost motivation and it was hard to keep up with the syllabus, but that did not prevent me from focusing on the bigger picture, which was to perform to my utmost capabilities.
I constantly did past papers too and marked them myself using the marking schemes online. It really helped a lot!
Christie Valentina Rath
My name is Christie Valentina Rath. I am now 17 years of age and I used to go to Mont Fleuri secondary school. I was quite surprised with my results as I had lower expectations. I said maybe a couple of ‘A’s and the rest Bs but when I received the results I almost didn’t believe that it was mine. Especially for my Physics, as I found that particular exam to be very difficult. I have my teachers and parents to thank for this amazing result. My biggest thanks goes to Miss George-Anna Nicette who has believed in me since S1 and is still helping me to this day.
I applied for SBSA and Sals and got both of them but then I saw that there was an opportunity for me to study A levels at the Independent School by applying for the Suhasini and Marguerita scholarship. I applied and surprisingly turned out to be successful. I am now studying Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Physics via online classes due to the pandemic. It hasn’t been easy since I was about a month late from the other students but I’m working my hardest to catch up. I am so proud of myself as each day I get a step closer to my dream of working in the medical field. My results are as follows : 2 A*s( Biology, Physics), 3 ‘A’s (Chemistry, Mathematics, ICT), 1 B ( English as first language) and 1 C (Français Delf B2 )
Aswin Sathiyamoorthy
My name is Aswin Sathiyamoorthy and I am 16 years old. I studied at Belonie secondary school. I got 5 A*s (Maths, Geography, Biology, Physics, Chemistry and a C (First Language English) for my IGCSE which I did last year at school. For Delf B1, which I wrote last year, the marks I got is a B-79. I also did B2 with Alliance Française and I am awaiting the results.
I would like to become an engineer or a doctor but if I don't get a scholarship, my gates are open to the field of chartered accountancy. I am going to A level to accomplish my ambition.
No, I haven't started any online classes thus far and even it does start, Internet is really a big problem as it's slow and expensive. Yes, I worked hard, but what I needed is deep focus and dedication to the subjects.
Ronneesha Sheeran Uranie
I am Ronneesha Uranie and soon I will be turning 17. Previously I attended the English River secondary. After sitting for my English Second Language IGCSE in S4, and obtaining an A* grade, this gave me a great boost of confidence as I moved to S5, where I was selected to sit for another six IGCSEs, five of which were at extended levels. My results at the end of S5 are as follows: English First language – A, Geography – A, Biology – A*, ICT – A*, Mathematics – C, Physics (Core) – C and I also obtained a B grade for my French DELF B2 Exam.
I am generally pleased with my results. I am happy that I managed to pass and obtain a grade C and above for all my subjects although I believe I could have done, or was expecting to perform better in some subjects. Mathematics for example is my favourite subject, where I was performing very well throughout S4 and S5 and managing to score A/A* throughout the terms. I was therefore disappointed to achieve a C in my final IGCSE exam for the subject. Nevertheless, I am happy I managed to score a C grade considering I found the Maths papers to be very challenging.
On the other hand, there are subjects like ICT where throughout the terms I struggled a bit to grasp certain concepts and as well as with time management when it came to practical tests but managed to attain an A* grade for my IGCSE exam. It came as a surprise and I could not be any happier with this achievement.
I would have to say that the last year of secondary was very challenging, in view that we found ourselves staying at home for a while due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This brought some disruptions and we had to adapt to the situation, particularly communicating with our teachers and classmates through WhatsApp to be able to catch up with the syllabus. It was demoralising at times, but with the encouragement of my parents and teachers I tried to remained focus and motivate myself to study independently. Some of the things I did to assist my learning was to summarise my notes as well as attempting a lot of past papers. I also found some useful learning platforms online that helped me better understand certain topics.
I am now patiently awaiting to start the next chapter. I have been accepted to pursue my studies at the School of Advanced Level Studies (Sals) for the next two years, where I plan to do my very best to achieve very good results to qualify for university studies. As I am aspiring to become an Economist, I am planning to study the following subjects - Mathematics, Geography, English Language and Computer Science.
The Covid-19 situation has taught me that we are now living in a new normal and have to do things differently, and when it comes to academic studies this means adapting to online learning and motivating yourself to study independently. In spite of the challenges, I am looking forward to meeting my lecturers and new classmates and excited to embark on the next phase of my studies.
Daine Hibonne
My name is Daine Hibonne. I'm currently 16 and I came from Plaisance secondary school. For my international exams I got 4 ‘A’s, 2 Bs and a C. The results were higher than expected because I thought I had messed up on some of my IGCSEs.
I now plan to go to Sals to study computer science, because it seems that it's a very underrated and disregarded by many when it could mean the difference between the prosperity or the total collapse of our island state. Nowadays many government systems in America and other countries are being attacked by anonymous hackers, of course they were able to get back on their feet but the difference between them and us is that they are a big country and have much more resources than we do.
Covid-19 has made life difficult for me, such is the case for so many other people as well, but the only thing we can realistically do right now is to ride it out and follow the guidelines given by the many experts in the field. Online lessons are yet to start but the time draws near when we will have to start the educational process once again.