Johannesburg - Time management is important for any matric pupil who would like to achieve great things in sports, culture and academics, said Parktown High School for Girls pupil Tashriq Elmedany.
Tashriq was named in Gauteng’s top achievers list for obtaining more than five distinctions.
She obtained six distinctions in English home language, Afrikaans first additional, life orientation, consumer studies, history and physical sciences.
Tashriq was captain of the school soccer and hockey teams, and was also on the school’s pupil leadership team.
The challenge that all of this brought was that she had to ensure that she balanced her time so she could excel in all of these activities.
“I love sports, especially hockey and soccer. I love reading and baking. I had a lot of things to manage, especially because I was the deputy head girl,” Tashriq said.
Tashriq said the greatest challenge of her matric year had been the amount of studying she had to do.
“There was a lot of studying to do, and I still do not know how I managed to find time for myself, but it happened, and the trick is not to procrastinate; learn to manage everything,” Tashriq said.
She said she would love to study sports science, with a particular view toward empowering women in sports.
“There are a lot of things that are still not equal in terms of women and men in sports, and these are things that I hope I can make a change in. I will either go to the University of Pretoria or Stellenbosch University,” Tashriq said.
She said her matric year helped her formulate values that are important to her and her family.
“I have learned that it is always important to be kind to others and to help those that are in need,” she said.
She said she found that she was more effective when she studied alone and not in a group.
“I find that I am more focused when I am alone and not in a group. I get distracted when I study in a group, not that I do not benefit, but studying alone is better,” she said.
Tashriq said her mother has been supportive, dropping her off where she needed to be and ensuring that she was up to the task of providing whatever she needed.
The Star