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WHILE most students believe Mathematics is the most difficult subject, top Gauteng and national matric achievers who scored 100% have proven beyond doubt that it is an easy subject.
Four top achievers interviewed by Inside Education, Raymond Mamabolo (17), Kristen Erasmus (18), Mignon Erasmus (18) and Musawenkosi Nzuza (17) acknowledged that to excel in Mathematics and other subjects requires proper planning, hard work and constant practice.
To assist learners who yearn to walk in their path, Inside Education asked the four overachievers to share their secret to excellence in Mathematics and other subjects with the matric class of 2022.
Mamabolo from Chipa-Tabane Secondary School in Cullinan, Tshwane is the top achiever in Secondary School Improvement Programme schools in Gauteng. He is also the top achiever for learners in township schools, nationally. He also scooped a high achiever award in Mathematics, Physical Sciences and Geography, provincially and nationally. He scooped seven distinctions in all his subjects. He scored 100% in four subjects, namely, Mathematics, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences and Life Orientation, 92% English First Additional Language (FAL), 86% Geography and Sepedi Home Language.
Giving tips to excel in Mathematics and overall exams, Mamabolo said Mathematics is an easy subject. Therefore, he urged the 2022 class to allocate time for it and practise constantly.
“Change your mindset and attitude toward the subject. Approaching Maths with an optimistic attitude will definitely help you understand the subject better as it allows room for problem solving in your mind. Mathematics is all about logic. Train your mind to think logically so that you can understand and solve every problem effectively,” said Mamabolo.
“Always be ahead of your teachers. Do not wait for your teacher to introduce a new chapter. Start the chapter at least a week before the teacher introduces it in the classroom. This will make you understand the concept better,” said Mamabolo.
He encouraged the matriculants to tutor their peers, maintaining it will benefit them in their studies.
“Whenever you get a chance, try to teach other people who are struggling with the same topic that you are also struggling with. I know it seems weird but when you teach or explain something to someone else, it enhances your understanding and you are able to notice the concepts you are unfamiliar with.”
Mamabolo said it is important for Mathematics students to know the basics of the subject.
“Know your basics. Mathematics is all about problem solving. Even the difficult questions come from the basics. You just have to break it down into steps. Even questions with complex procedures, all have basic concepts, so all you have to do is break it down. Always do research. Try to use tools like the internet to find past papers and other resources to help you practice and gain more exposure to different Mathematics problems. The examiners ask similar questions, the only difference is the way they ask the questions.”
He said it is important to seek assistance from teachers when experiencing problems with a subject.
“Don’t be afraid to ask for help from your teachers about concepts you are struggling with. Your teachers are there to help, so make use of them,” said Mamabolo.
“Practise, practise, practise. This tip is very important as it is basically what Maths is about. In order to be successful in Mathematics you need to practise. There is no way around this one. Doing at least one Maths problem a day will enhance your problem-solving skills and will set you on the road to becoming a critical thinker. Practising also helps you understand concepts better and you can find different ways of solving problems. Keep practising. I know it will be difficult along the way, but I guarantee it will be worth it. Sometimes you will be demotivated when you do not see any progress, but all you have to do is keep practising and never give up. Do not stop. Mathematics is an easy subject if you can just give it time,” said Mamabolo.
Kristen from Hoërskool Waterkloof in Tshwane is thetop Gauteng overall performing achiever. She scooped nine distinctions for all her matric subjects. She obtained 99% for Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, Life Orientation, 98% Alpha Mathematics, Accounting, Afrikaans Home Language, 95% Business Studies, and 89% English Home Language.
“My advice to the matric class of 2022 would be to take it day-by-day. You don’t know what the year will bring, especially because we are amidst a pandemic. Don’t be too set in your idea of what a matric year should be. You should try to be adaptable. You should make the most of the time you have every day and use your time effectively. Do everything in your ability to prepare as well as you can for the exams,” said Kristen.
She added, “My tips for excelling in subjects like Maths would be to know the theory and basic concepts very well because you will be able to do almost any Maths problem if you just use all the basics that you know”.
Kristen said it is also important for students to practise many different Mathematics problems and to use many old exam papers to familiarise themselves with different methods in which the questions could be asked.
Mignon from Hoërskool Zwartkop in Centurion, Tshwane obtained 100% in Mathematics, 99% Alpha Mathematics, 97% Information Technology and Accounting, 95% Life Orientation, 94% Afrikaans Home Language and Physical Sciences, and 91% English FAL.
Mignon said, “Working hard from day one and not procrastinating is important, especially during this pandemic where everything can change in a heartbeat and nothing is cast in stone. I think planning is a crucial part of succeeding in matric. It enables you to spend an equal amount of time on all your subjects”.
“Working through past exam papers is an extremely important component of your exam preparation, especially for subjects like Mathematics, Physical Sciences and Accounting. If you struggle with a certain part of your work (in my case it was financial Mathematics and probability) keep on practising until it gets easier and comes more naturally. Never be afraid to ask questions in class. My teachers were always ready to help me, and I am very thankful to them. It is also important to take breaks in order to remain focused and energised.”
Although Kristen and Mignon share the same surname, they are not related.
Nzuza from PJ Simelane Secondary in Dobsonville scored 100% in Mathematics, 95% Physical Sciences, 93% Life Orientation, 89% IsiZulu, 88% Life Sciences, 86% Computer Applications Technology and 79% English.
Nzuza said, “Students must be selfish with their time. No day must pass without at least an hour of self-study. Frequent interaction with teachers is always helpful to enable you to understand everything in greater detail”.
He encourages students to form study groups as it is easier to understand concepts through the help of others in group discussions.
Taking Inside Education through his study plan that qualified him to obtain 100% in Mathematics and excel in his overall exams, Nzuza said, “I did Maths in between subjects when I was studying. I would do that during my 10-minutes’ breaks when I was refreshing for another subject”.
“I set a target of the number of questions I wanted to complete during that time. I worked through a lot of provincial and national past papers. I attended Kutlwanong, Centre for Maths Science and Technology every Saturday, Sunday and holidays to get assistance with Maths for three hours per day.”
Nzuza said it is extremely important for the class of 2022 to “have a positive attitude and approach it with a smile and happy mood”.
“I would advise the students to practise Maths daily, but they should not sideline other subjects. They must not give up but seek assistance from those who seem to be understanding it. Do a lot of past papers because you will notice that the questions are often similar if you do them a lot,” said Nzuza.