Atiyyah Limalia, from Orient Islamic, made her school proud by being invited to the ICC in Durban by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education for her excellent matric results.
The 18-year-old, from North Beach, achieved a 94% aggregate and 8 distinctions.
She said despite her challenges during her matric year, she was glad she made it, and with good results to show for her hard work.
“The workload was intense but I managed my time effectively, prioritising tasks and setting achievable goals. As for my exam preparations, I adopted a consistent study routine, reviewing notes and practising past papers daily to gauge my understanding."
Atiyyah said her biggest challenge was managing exam pressure.
“The weight of expectations from myself, my family, and my teachers, created immense stress. However, I learned to cope by breaking my study schedule into manageable segments."
Her subjects were English HL, Afrikaans FAL, mathematics, physical sciences, life sciences, accounting, and business studies as her additional eighth subject.
“Among these subjects, I found the language papers, particularly English HL, to be the toughest. Throughout my high school career, languages have always been a weakness for me, and the added pressure of matric exams made it even more daunting."
She said she was proud of the results she managed to achieve despite the year being difficult.
“My consistent effort and perseverance paid off, and I am glad to see the fruits of my labour in my excellent results."
Atiyyah wants to study medicine at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
“The fact that the university is located in my hometown is a significant advantage, as it will allow me to stay close to my family and support system, while pursuing my dreams. My inspiration to pursue a career in medicine comes from my parents. They have been my biggest motivators and role models throughout my life."
Her advice for 2025 matriculants is to be mentally focused and begin preparation early.
“Matric is a challenging and pivotal year, but with the right mindset and strategy, you can achieve your goals. Stay organised, create a study schedule, and avoid last-minute cramming, consistency and perseverance are key,” said Atiyyah.