Johannesburg - In spite of a roller-coaster matric year, 18-year-old Thashil Mistry is looking forward to studying medicine after obtaining five distinctions in his matric year.
Mistry achieved the second-best mark after receiving a full house of 10 distinctions in his final year at St Benedict's College, achieving an average of 92.86 percentage.
He also appeared on the Independent Examinations Board’s (IEB) outstanding achievement list for achieving within the top 5% in 6 or more subjects and achieving a rating level of 7 in Life Orientation.
Mistry said he has been provisionally accepted by a few universities and would be making his choice in a few weeks on which institution to choose to pursue his Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery studies.
Mistry said he had to dig deep within himself to pull off good marks after going through a litany of struggles and successes in 2022.
Mistry is one of St Benedict College's top achievers, and his achievements have helped the school achieve yet another 100% pass rate.
"The year 2022 was a roller-coaster ride of ups and downs. It was also a year filled with many struggles, successes, and, most of all, learning from failures. A balancing act of what took priority. I worked hard and consistently throughout the year and gave it my best shot, which was reflected in my marks leading up to and entering our final examinations. I would hope to be one of the top achievers at St Benedict's, but I am content with whatever transpires knowing I have done my best," he said.
Mistry said he did a lot of juggling between his studies and hobbies, which included playing the marimba, public speaking and sport.
"During the schooling terms, I focused my energy on my interests within the school through my extracurricular activities, which included public speaking, debating, drama and marimba. Outside school, I continued to do community-based work and grounded myself through my affection for the outdoors when going on family hikes during the weekend.
"The matric year was a difficult balancing act between my studies and hobbies, with my studies more often than not taking priority. Throughout the year, I was slowly able to adapt and find what worked best for me," he said.
To ensure that he stays on top of his marks, Mistry took charge of his studies and took advantage of regular extra classes.
"Working consistently throughout the year and making sure that my notes were done ahead of time and organised before approaching exams was greatly beneficial. Attending tuts and extra lessons regularly, regardless of whether they were required, ensured that I was revising consistently all the time, which was advantageous in the long run," he said.
He said that as a senior member of the class of 2022 and having overcome the challenges brought by Covid-19 in 2021, he had to act as a leader to his younger schoolmates.
"As a collective, the matric of 2022 was the first group post-Covid (learners) to experience a complete year in what we know as our new normal. As seniors within the school, we had to build up the camaraderie among the boys that was lost due to the impact of online learning and lock downs.
“The beginning of the year brought the biggest struggles for me having to learn how to balance my personal life with my schooling, which included various leadership roles as well as my academic, cultural, and sporting commitments. Looking after my mental and physical health took a lot of effort and required me to learn how to prioritise myself," Mistry said.
The Star