Singapore students who took the O levels last year have reason to be proud. They have set a new record for best O-level results in at least 30 years.
But was it an easy ride for these students? Here are two stories of grit, perseverance and sacrifice, that are both heartwarming and inspiring.
Tiffany Chee, Junyuan Secondary School
She was so stressed out about her O levels that she ended up making 15 trips to the A&E in the last 2 years. She was even hospitalised 5 times. Add to that stomach cramps and nausea, and blood in the stool.
According to The Straits Times, Tiffany Chee, 17, said, "I think it was really due to stress. I was too scared to eat, so I stopped eating, and my weight got lower until I became underweight."
Started exercising
This former student of Junyuan Secondary in Tampines, found that the solution to her problems lied in regular exercise. It restored her health and she did well enough in her O levels to study biomedical science at Temasek Polytechnic.
"Although I am not really satisfied, I know I did my best. Now that I've made it into my dream school, I will study even harder," says Tiffany, who wants to be a paediatrician.
She has learnt to slow down, and now runs and hikes with her parents. She also takes more breaks in between, and has stopped overestimating her daily targets.
We are glad that she has started prioritising on what really matters in life. Here's wishing her good health and success.
Go to the next page for more on what these Singapore students sacrificed for good O level results!
Haziratul Zakirah, Hong Kah Secondary School
Every day she would spend four hours studying, after getting back home from school. On weekends, it would sometimes stretch upto nine hours. She even deleted her social media accounts to avoid any sort of distraction. She did it all for her mother, the only breadwinner of the family.
When 16-year-old Haziratul Zakirah got her O level results, she burst out crying.
She was one of the top scorers from Hong Kah Secondary School, with an L1R5 score of 13, including three distinctions.
Inspired by her mother
The New Paper quotes Zakirah as saying, "My mother works very hard so that my siblings and I can be successful in life. I don't want to waste that effort.I felt so relieved that all my hard work and sacrifices have paid off."
Looks like her efforts were not in vain. She scored eight for her L1R4, which makes her eligible for her dream course - biomedical science at Ngee Ann Polytechnic.
Zakirah dreams of becoming a doctor one day, "I have been through a lot of challenges, and I know what it feels like to need help. This made me want to help others so they have a reason to smile."
We wish this young lady good luck. May her dreams come true.
Also READ: Singapore students win education World Cup
(Source: The Straits Times, The New Paper)
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