Vusumuzi Dube
Nobukhosi Ndlovu, Sunday News Reporter
WHILE it may take many sittings for some people to attain a few Ordinary Level subject passes it is not so for others.
There are people who have never experienced how it feels like to come second or third in class in their entire academic life. Frank Simali, a 16-year-old student at Christian Brothers College, Bulawayo is among those people.
Frank defied the odds by attaining 10 straight A’s in his O’Level Cambridge examinations and has already decided his future which is to study medicine so that he can be able to save people’s lives from diseases such as cancer that claimed the life of his mother.
Even the Covid-19 induced lockdown that saw the temporary closure of schools could not stop him from excelling neither did the passing of her mother and her grandmother during his examination period.
“Our teachers assisted us during the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. The school’s innovative idea to use Zoom and Google Classroom really helped my stream as a whole to stay focused despite what was going on in the world,” he said.
Frank said this past examination period was one of the most hectic periods in his life but somehow he managed to persevere through as he had a goal to attain.
“Prior to the start of my Form 4 year, I lost my mother to breast cancer after she had been battling it for eight years. I was shaken, devastated and left in tatters. It wasn’t easy to stay consistent heading into my exam year but I had to pull through. I told myself that although things look grim right now, it would be even grimmer if I were to fall now; what justice would I be doing for my mother? I did everything with her in mind and so my victory is dedicated to her,” he said.
Just when Frank was healing the wounds of losing her mother, death struck again and this time, days before his final examinations.
“A few days before my exams, I lost my grandmother. It was extra salt added onto the wound. But to me, it was another person I had to make proud and honor through my results. So I attended her funeral and the very next day I rebounded and powered through my exams,” he said.
Despite being an intellect, the genius said his friends gave him all the necessary support.
“I was able to prepare for my examinations through the help of my friends Kian, Connor, Dennis, Lebo, Chris, Miguel, Muku and Tafara. We would have constant communication and discussions on topics for certain subjects and go through past exam papers together and all of that paid off because all of us attained straight A’s,” he said.
Frank said he was a religious follower of his timetable and had a study strategy that he followed and which he believes is the one that led to his academic victory.
“From the beginning of my Form 4 year, I knew I had to step up because the day of my exams would inevitably come. I took it to my heart that studying shouldn’t be about one cramming certain topics, but about understanding and being able to apply whatever it is that you’ve read in the examination.
“There is a treasure trove in past papers, notes, sample tests and even YouTube videos that are informative and can guide students on certain topics. This is more productive than spending multiple hours on TikTok aimlessly. Also I used go through everything that we would’ve covered in class as well as trying to read ahead for subjects. And as my English teacher Mrs Mashazhu would say, “Let us not normalise the Mug Jug Philosophy of teaching.” Meaning that students must take initiative for their work and not wait on the teacher always,” he added.
The whiz kid encouraged other students to work hard and aim for the sky at all times.
“To my peers and future exam candidates, every step back in life is just a reason to move two steps forward. Even if you don’t get the result you want in a certain test, don’t take it as a reason to put yourself down, but take it as a lesson to keep moving forward and doing better. Learn from each of your mistakes and use them to help build on your academic foundation,
“Additionally, do not put a label on yourself. Learn to exceed other people’s expectations of you. The sky is the limit and if you keep putting more and more effort without allowing intrusive thoughts to limit your capabilities, you can do anything. I hope my story will inspire another student to reach their full academic potential.”
Online Reporter