Writer: Thokozile Mahlangu

You have just written the last word, on your last question paper, on the last day on your exam; this being the last time you will ever be in a school as a learner. The last bell rings and the invigilator shouts on cue, “pens down”.  You now realise that the proverbial ‘fat lady’ has indeed sung. The minute you walk out of the school gates you have entered a new and stray ground.

Education opens up doors to a more promising and successful future, but most learners have thoughts of doubt spinning in their minds. Many leave school with questions like, “What am I to do next year? How can I fulfil my ambitions?” That is the least of their problems. The real matter still stands – how does one cope while waiting for the results without any stress? You do not need to be wary of that. Guidance through a tough anxious time is just a sneak peak away.

We have taken that extra, extremely necessary mile to build up your confidence on your way to chasing a successful and secure future. We also want to equip you with information that will prepare you to face the challenges of every good and bad thing that lies ahead.

Matric goes fast; it’s hard to keep up with work, that’s a daily challenge that drives youngsters crazy. Figuring what to do post matric is mostly a pain, especially if you didn’t get the advice needed. And varsity wise- I know most youngster would be stretching their heads out.

So how can one reach goals with so many difficulties? “Your marks will speak for you. They are more important than what you have in the bank,” said Joy, a Youth pioneer which aims in fighting against poverty through good quality education. “With good marks you don’t need any money. Companies that offer bursaries will be fighting for you”.

Indeed good marks takes you to a level that you never thought you wold ever reach, all you need to do is to apply at a tertiary institution of your choice and never to be shy to ask them for bursaries and loans. “There are so many organisations that have loads of bursaries for young people but they are not accessed. I think learners are not being informed about this. At Youth we seek information for the learners and go step by step showing them how to apply.”

Getting good marks is not easy for a learner at a school that lack resources.

“Peers are young people’s greatest resource,” adds Joy. “Make peer pressure work for you by hanging out with friend who enjoy studying, in that way you will be able to help each other and exchange information on careers and institutions.

And what if you do not get good marks? That is still not a reason why you should give up; there are plenty of opportunities out there. And if you take the initiative to get creative you take a huge advantage of many opportunities, you can definitely make it work.

Matric is important but is not the end of the world, if you do not make it. You might be a person who is interested in other thing that do not involve careers linked in academic field, you have a lot of options all you need to do is to become ambitious and use your talents.

What can I do to handle this stress?

Stress management while waiting for your matric results is no easy task, possibly even worse than pre-exam stress, so while you are still in that waiting process you might also want to establish yourself (your true self, the one that has been hiding in that ghastly attire that identified you as “So and So” from “This and That High School”).

First step to carve your own way to success… Forget about things that seem to bring more troubles, you need and get working onwards a prospective next year.

Here’s some friendly advice: After your last paper, just like your other 12 papers, you will experience some discomfort (like butterflies in your stomach), this is normal. Take it as a final farewell joke from the Education department.

Then, after some post exam paper commentary, you will eventually be alone in your room hovering over memoranda to see what you got right in ‘Section Two’. We strongly suggest you refrain from such activity. This will cause the butterflies in your stomach to multiply tenfold and this is where, what some scientists would call, stress comes in. Bear in mind that you still have a whole month to wait for your official results to be published, so there will be stress by the truckload.

Stay positive… Don’t ever, even for a second in that month, think that you are a failure. There are so many difficulties that you have overcome in your life; and this one is no different. Think about passing all of the previous eleven grades, so applaud and give credit to efforts you’ve made before.

Never look down on yourself or underestimate what you have accomplished so far.

Previous matriculates have experienced exactly what you are going through. Buy yourself some time; find out more about them – if you don’t have a brother or sister who has completed Matric. What they will give is best advice that you cannot find anywhere, for they have firsthand experience.

To Do or not To Do?

This was and is still a common challenge to all matriculates. With this little time left there is plenty of informative avenues that you could delve into. For instance, if your head is not made up whether you want to be an astronaut or if you just want to make the clothes they’ll be wearing when they touch back down on solid earth, then why not drop in at a career exhibition. If that won’t be enough for you visit a nearest career advisor centre or office for one-on-one guidance.

You can also make use of the resources near you. These resources are practically in your back yard, you might know a teacher living in your area or someone who is studying at tertiary level. They are more exposed to the different career choices.

You might even think to get down for your community by volunteering at a nearest youth centre. This is a way better way to spend holidays and gain more experience to add in your C.V. Even though it won’t pay but it will of greater use in future. When seeking work, people with experience seem to have a better chance in landing a job than a person who has no experience at all.

Best wishes to your matric examinations. Remember, you have the power to overcome every obstacle and to change you future…

Empowering Reference

IkamvaYouth

Focuses on helping youth to access opportunities, they put strong emphasis on tutoring and supplementary academic support. And now they have created a website that has information on bursaries, loans and all adequate academic information for youth.

Visit them on: www.ikamvanightzone.org

NSFAS

Is a government initiative that has a huge amount of bursaries and loads for disadvantaged youth who want to study at a tertiary institution?

How to apply: Firstly apply to a tertiary institution of your choice. After you have done that you will then get an application form from NSFAS.

Visit them on: info@nsfas.org.za

Tel No: 021 763 3232

SMS: 32261

(Standard SMS Rates apply.) Postal Address:

Private Bag X1

Plumstead 7801

South Africa

Sector Education Training Authority (SETA)

Focuses on empowering youth with new skill enhancement There is no specific SETA that provides training. Instead SETA training is provided by accredited institutions or companies such as Triple e and many others.

Visit them:

AgriSETA – Agricultural Sector Education Training Authority

Telephone Number(s):             (012) 325 1655/24/43

Fax Number(s):            (012) 325 1677

Email Address:            info@agriseta.co.za

Website Address: http://www.agriseta.co.za/default.asp