Matrics 2019: Impaq’s top ten shares their advice

23 January 2020

0 min read

By Elmien Ackerman – Copywriter

We are so proud of our Grade 12 candidates. Congratulations to all 731 Impaq candidates who passed the Final Examination and received their National Senior Certificate (NSC). Our top three candidates are Ruan van Vuuren, who received seven distinctions, and Willem Barnard and Ilke Scholtz who both received six distinctions.

We chatted to Impaq’s top ten Grade 12 candidates and asked them to share their advice and tips to help this year’s matrics prepare for the year ahead.

Start from day one

Bridgette Vhengani advises candidates to start studying as soon as they can. “Start working and studying from day one, do not wait for the year to progress and think that you will fit everything in because the year passes by so quickly.” Rolandi Henn agrees and says, “Tomorrow is not another day. Do everything you can do today”.

Willem Barnard urges candidates to use their time efficiently, “It is never too early to do assignments”. He goes on to say that Grade 12 candidates should not underestimate the importance of the work done in Grade 10 and 11, “especially that of Mathematics and Physical Sciences as much of the Final Examination contains work done in those grades”.

But candidates should not feel overwhelmed. “Just do a little bit every day and work hard,” Ilke Scholtz says.

Create a study plan

Ilke, Reneé Wilhelm and Rain Daniel say that creating a study plan helped them stay on top of their studies. Rain explains: “I created my own study schedule for matric and it helped me a ton”.

Reneé emphasises the importance of sticking to the schedule you have created. “Self-discipline is key when homeschooling,” she says. Amber Vogel adds that candidates need to focus on the subjects they need to improve in. “Learn to prioritise the work that you are struggling with.”

Spending more time on difficult subjects is one of the many benefits of homeschooling. So, when creating your study plan ensure you make more time for the subjects you are struggling with.

Be consistent

“Consistent work ethic is extremely important,” says Amber, “there will be days when you don’t feel like studying or working through difficult sections, but you have to persevere and push yourself”. Rolandi adds that candidates should do everything in their power to push the urge to procrastinate down. “Determination doesn't come naturally; it is something that is formed.”

Megan Thompson also urges candidates to work hard. “There are no shortcuts to success,” she says. Megan found it helpful to underline and highlight important information and make personalised notes in her textbooks so that when exam time came, studying was a little easier.

Make use of additional resources

Bridgette says that relying on additional resources will be a great help to this year’s matrics. “Get additional textbooks on top of the ones that are prescribed to you and also make use of educational videos online and the seminars and clinics that Impaq offers.”

Paige Lawrence also says that candidates should not only rely on their study guides. “The exam questions are not as straightforward as your study guides,” Paige says. She advises candidates to look at the material from different angles instead of studying in a parrot-fashion. Paige worked through old examination papers and memos to help her prepare for the Final Examination. “Working through the memos helped a lot as I knew how the examiners marked the questions.”

Ask for help

The top tip that the candidates wanted to impart on this year’s matrics is to ask for help. “Don’t be ashamed to ask for help!” Amber says. “Ask a thousand times if you need to, but make sure you understand,” Rain adds.

Impaq’s team of dedicated education specialists are available to assist Grade 12 candidates should they have any queries about the lesson material. To get in touch with the team, send an email to info@impaq.co.za.

Build a support system

Rolandi advises candidates to create a support structure. “It can range from your family to your tutors. As long as you have people who support you.”

“Working by yourself is no easy task and there is no shame in reaching out for support,” Amber adds. She says that as soon as she started asking for help and working with a Mathematics tutor, her marks improved dramatically. Ilke says that she also had a tutor who helped her with all her subjects.

Take care of yourself

Preparing for the Final Examination can take its toll, which is why it’s important to take care of yourself. Willem says that self-care is important in order to be the best you. “Drink plenty of water, eat healthy, exercise and get enough sleep (cliché as it sounds)!”

Rain advises candidates to take a break when they need to. “If you feel as though you are too tired to work and nothing is going in, take a break and try again later. It's pointless working if what you are doing is not being absorbed.”

Ruan van Vuuren also urges this year’s matrics to make time for relaxation while Amber says “Pick up new hobbies so that you have a life outside of your studies. You need to put aside time to do what you enjoy”.

Embrace your mistakes

Making mistakes is part of the learning process, so our top performers advise matric candidates to embrace their mistakes or shortcomings. “Don't worry if you struggle with something. Just give your best,” Ruan says.

Rain says that it's important to remember that you may have certain skills that others may not have. She quotes Einstein to prove her point that everyone is unique:

“If you are unhappy with the marks you get, simply learn from your mistakes and work harder for next time,” Rain says. “And remember, you're only in matric once. So, give it your best shot!” Megan concludes.

We wish the class of 2020 the best of luck for the year ahead.