Durban - Mechanical engineering and medicine were the top choices for high-flying girls from Durban schools who excelled in their matric exams.
Although all described the year as stressful, they said it had been one of the most fun-filled in their school careers.
Karina Sewsunker of Northlands Girls’ High School achieved eight distinctions. Karina, who said she chose to stay in KwaZulu-Natal for her tertiary education to be closer to her family, will be studying mechanical engineering at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) this year.
“It was a very good year but it demanded a lot of hard work and dedication. I love my family and so when it came to deciding where to study, I didn’t consider leaving Durban,” she said.
Another mechanical engineering student, Caitlin Simons, from Durban Girls’ High, achieved seven distinctions. “When people hear I want to study mechanical engineering, they often say it’s such a guy’s thing.
“I just can’t see myself studying anything else. I am excited about the new challenge, but I am also looking forward to moving away from home to study and meet new people at the University of Cape Town,” she said.
Fellow Durban Girls’ High pupil, Tayuri Naicker, is sure she will study medicine but is awaiting confirmation from Wits University or UKZN.
“It was a very stressful and challenging year, but it was also one of the most enjoyable times,” she said.
She added that her only advice for 2019s matrics was to never be afraid to ask for help, and to never allow procrastination to get the better of them.
“I say don’t procrastinate, but I did exactly that. Even though I received good results, I really pushed at the end. If I could do it again, I would start working in advance,” she said.
Pinetown Girls’ High’s 2018 dux, Sthabile Ngwenya, achieved seven distinctions although she said her nerves had taken over in the build-up to the release of results this week.
She said she had an amazing matric year, and one of the biggest highlights was meeting Kuhlekonke Ntuli from SABC 1’s One Day Leader.
Sthabile thanked her parents and said their support had carried her through the year.
She has not decided on whether to pursue studies in medicine or biological sciences, “but I know that my dream is to work in a laboratory”.