WINDHOEK- Last year’s Grade 12 best performers in the Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate (NSSC) higher level attributed their success to reading and studying before lessons, doing revision and studying repeatedly.
Top performer from Walvis Bay Private High School Maurice Hinterholzer, 18, who is going to study medicine and surgery at University of Pretoria told New Era he started working early in Grade 8 from the word go – consistently. “I realised quite early that one does not study for the sake of studying but for the betterment of oneself, family, community of Walvis Bay and Namibia – and that motivated me. Seeing learners every year on top of the newspapers motivated me,” said Hinterholzer.
The overall best performer also added he had a study partner, Wayne Profitt, from his school, with whom he studied until late in the evening. The study sessions entailed explaining topics to each other that they did not understand.
Learners from St Boniface in Kavango East occupied second, third and fourth place, respectively. Karina Sikongo, who occupied second position, said she started studying for final examination during second term already.
Sikongo said she studied every day for hours and studied one subject per week.
“The way I used to study was whenever I read something or conceptualised it, I wasn’t doing it for that moment – I was doing it for the national examination and later in my life. A key technique was visualisation of whatever it is. I tried to have a picture of it in my mind to retain the memory,” said Sikongo.
She added a very important aspect: it is not just about studying but letting her body absorb what she had studied. “In other words, making neural connection – and this required adequate sleep after studying. Sikongo is provisionally accepted at University of Namibia to pursue medicine, and she wishes to specialise in neuro surgery following years of studies.
Seventeen-year-old Ndeshipanda Mulongeni shared that she started studying during August holiday while at home, putting in hours to go through her school work. “But when at home, there are distractions, so I would maybe read 10 pages a day. The way I conceptualise is when I am reading with interest,” said Mulongeni, who added she learns when the teacher is teaching and only revises and references from the books.
Mulongeni is going to study medicine at Unam and wants to specialise in cardiology. She added that at St Boniface, they believe in prayer. “You can be smart but without prayer, the road to success may not be as easy for you,” stated Mulongeni.
Another St Boniface pupil Adauche Okore, 16, is going to study Law at the University of Pretoria. She said a lot of hard work and prayer paid off for her. “I started studying during August holiday. I grasp what the teacher is saying, and at the end of the term exams, I dedicated time to grasp the content taught that term; for national exams, I just had to revise,” she said.
At sixth position is Ukarapo Kasaona, 18, who started studying seriously from Grade 11. “My secret to success is I study every day before the next lesson, ensuring I fully understand, and it really helps because the more I studied, the difficult it became to forget the work,” said Kasaona. She said, on Saturday she would revise the week’s work, and a week before the school starts, she would go through the school work. Kasaona is going to study chartered accounting at the University Cape Town.
At ninth position is Marne Rieckert, 18, from Windhoek Gymnasium who is going to pursue a bachelor of Accounting. She said she started studying from the first day of Grade 11. “You have to keep up with your studying and not stay behind. Before the examination, like two weeks, I started going through my work: tests and previous examination. I balanced everything: exercising and socialising, but not a lot. Everyone has to decide what works for them,” said Rieckert.
Michelle Du Plessis from Walvis Private High School, 18, shared that she studied repeatedly to ensure she remembered everything – even for small tests. Du Plessis said she prayed a lot and it helped. “There is this saying: ‘you should study as if you haven’t prayed, and pray as if you haven’t studied’ – that was my motivation,” said Du Plessis.