Matric is a challenging year, as how you perform can play a big role in shaping your future. To top it off, the stress of balancing your own expectations as well as the expectations of family and friends can be overwhelming.
While the ultimate goal might be to perform well, the chance of failing and not living up to expectations exists.
In the event that you fail, it’s important to know that failure does not have to mean the end of the road for you.
Identify problem areas
Reflect on what went wrong by taking a look at your marks. Doing this can help you identify how your marks can be improved. If your marks could improve with additional tutoring, look into finding tutors.
If you don’t have the resources to hire a tutor, try exploring and switching up your study methods. Take a step further and attempt to rewrite failed subjects.
Rewrite
If you’ve failed subjects, you can rewrite them in order to improve your marks. The Second Chance Matric programme provides additional support to candidates rewriting their matric exams.
This support comes in the form of revision classes that are publicly available on television and radio. It also includes access to matric past papers and memos.
Set goals
Once you’ve identified how you want to improve your marks, set goals to help you stay on track. Remember to keep your goals realistic and manageable.
Learnership
If you are unsuccessful in your attempts to rewrite or improve your marks, you can consider enrolling for a learnership. Learnerships will give you theoretical and practical skills. These are the skills that are typically needed in order to pursue certain career paths.
Internship
Internships are also a good way to gain skills if you have no previous work experience. They are mainly aimed towards students and recent graduates.
However, keep in mind that most companies will require a matric certificate as part of the minimum requirements to be considered.
This is why it’s important to consider rewriting any failed subjects, as it can give you a wider variety of career opportunities to choose from.
Gap year
If you're unsure about the next step to take, a gap year could be worth considering. This will give you a break from academics and give you the chance to figure out your future steps and possible careers options.
While the idea of taking time off from school can seem like the best option, it also requires discipline and good planning because it can be easy to fall into a slump and be unproductive during this time.
