Kamori Sawyer is always up for a challenge. The Queen’s College student opted to sit 13 Bahamas General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) examinations for the simple fact that she had a friend whose sister took the same number of exams and got perfect grades. Kamori was inspired to do the same and rose to the occasion, scoring perfect grades as well, and in the midst of a pandemic, no less.
While she challenged herself and went into the examinations with the expectation of doing her best, because she also wanted to make her parents Candia Moss and Odinga Sawyer proud, as well as her grandparents Arlington and Andrea Moss, Kamori said the final result was “totally unexpected”.
“I always hope to do well, but for me to get all A’s – I didn’t see that at all.”
Kamori wrote chemistry, keyboarding skills, biology, religious studies, English language, mathematics, literature, geography, physics, Spanish, combined science and two art and design examinations – all in 11th grade.
Kamori sat those national exams during a roller coaster of a time as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded and the 2019-2020 school year ended abruptly for students with in-person learning around the country, after the first case of the coronavirus was confirmed in The Bahamas on March 15. Schools scrambled to make the best of it on virtual platforms for the remainder of the school year to contain the spread.
Containing the spread also interrupted the sitting of national examinations, which were postponed from early summer to September 14 through October 2, after coming to a halt in July following a spike in coronavirus cases in The Bahamas. Exams were marked September 2 through the end of October with results released at the end of November.
Kamori wrote her exams during this tumultuous period. She was also sitting keyboarding and art and design examinations – two subjects she took externally – which meant for a lot of extra studying.
“There was a lot of stuff I had to do, a lot of studying, especially right up to the weeks where exams were set. I also had to take a lot of extra classes because some of the BGCSEs I had to take as extras, and I had to make time to take.”
The exam she found most challenging was chemistry.
“I was going through past papers, and there was just so much information I had to know. I came out of the exam really thinking I had failed. Compared to a lot of my other subjects, it was a lot more technical and required a lot more information. I did not see an ‘A’ at all in the exam. I had to remind myself a lot of the times that I can’t let fear come over me, and that’s why I still did well.”
The pandemic and the schools taking to virtual platforms, and the restrictions put in place to try to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, she said did not make it any easier on her.
“It was not easy. Since schools closed in March, it was non-stop work for me, since exams were set in summer and I was in my house studying. The main thing I had to be concerned about was trying to balance my time.”
At home, Kamori set up a schedule for herself where she studied through the day and scheduled breaks during which she would take naps, organize herself or play games with friends to take her mind off the exams for brief respites.
Her study routine entailed hitting the books hard for 30 minutes straight, then taking a break before returning to the books for another 30 minutes. She said it’s a strategy that works for her as she tends to not get overwhelmed and her brain takes in more information.
The teen chalks up her study habits to tips she learned from her mom, her grandfather, along with study techniques and tips she learned online.
“When I was younger, I would read a book, and my mom would then ask me questions, to make sure I remember the information, especially important points – and that’s something I do to this day. My grandfather also taught me a lot and he taught me to practice math, which you practice and not study. A lot of other stuff I just picked up myself or learned online.”
For as far back as she can remember, Kamori has always excelled academically, but she said it was during her sixth-grade year that she started to focus on being the best in her class to graduate.
When she enrolled in seventh grade at Queen’s College, she made her first principal’s list – again a result she said surprised her – even though she had put in the work.
“I didn’t know I could do so well,” she recalled of that period. But she said she aspired to continue to do well.
She sat eight Bahamas Junior Certificate (BJC) exams in eighth grade, where she again scored perfectly, and followed that up by another two exams in ninth grade where she recorded an A grade and the “spoiler” B grade in craft.
Kamori is ensuring she takes advantage of all educational opportunities afforded her with her end goal in mind – positioning. She wants to give herself a fighting chance at a scholarship and getting into a good university. After all, education is important to her.
“A person who has the opportunity to receive an education should take advantage of it. Education is key to a lot of things,” says the 12th grade student.
She also knows a strong academic standing is important for her to gain admission into the university of her choice to pursue biomedical engineering studies. She is applying to Georgia Tech, the University of Michigan, Purdue, and Duke University for post-secondary studies.
“I’ve always been interested in engineering, but most specifically, biomedical engineering, and I’m willing to put in the work to make the dream come true. I was always fascinated with technology and advancing society.”
Engineering came across her sphere after joining the Technical Cadet Corps program in 10th grade.
“When I learned more about engineering, I got more interested and that’s what led to biomedical in particular,” she said.
While Kamori puts in the work to get the stellar results, she said she still surprises herself and admits to doubting herself a lot. But her advice to her peers would be to not doubt themselves and sell themselves short. She said whatever they are doing may not always work out, but that it is good to know that they have always done their best.
With her national exams behind her, the graduating senior is focused on her six Advanced Placement (AP) courses – calculus, psychology, language, literature, biology and Spanish and two honors classes – chemistry and physics. And she’s still doing it virtually, as the world remains gripped in the throes of the pandemic; her school has not as yet reverted to in-person learning.
“It’s a little rough right now, especially being online rather than in person, but I’m still doing well,” she said. “Hopefully, as the term continues, I can continue to get comfortable. But I would honestly prefer to be in school. It’s more engaging to learn in a classroom and for the sciences. I benefited more from hands-on learning, and I miss my friends and getting to see them every day. Being online, I will still do my best, but I would prefer to be in school.”
And while she said she prefers face-to-face instruction, she still has safety fears.
As for her favorite subject, it’s a toss-up between literature and psychology.
“Literature because I’ve always liked reading and having to analyze the text and see how others write … and psychology because I find the human mind so interesting,” she said.
As Kamori prepares to wrap up the second half of her final high school year, she said she is already wondering how it will conclude, and thinking ahead to the kind of college experience she will get to have.
“I may not get to walk across the stage at graduation … and college next year, I may be sitting in my room in front of a computer, but I’m going to hold on to hope that things go back to normal, and continue doing my best in the circumstances.”
Kamori, the assistant deputy head girl at Queen’s College, said she also learned to be proud of herself. And while she can’t utilize her title to the best of her ability, due to the virtual platform, she said she’s happy to do what she can.
“I can lead and guide other students to do well or their best, at least, but it is hard right now, because it’s hard to connect with students online.”
She also said she appreciates her teachers who have gotten her through national examinations and who, over the years, have done their best to help her get past her own doubtfulness, and for providing extra resources – free or paid – to help her, especially with the BGCSEs.
The teen was also grateful for her friends who she said have been there for her.
“There were so many days when they helped me understand things in class, which I did not fully grasp, or helped me keep abreast of any important notes or extra resources I possibly missed. They also encouraged me along the way, kept me from getting too consumed in my books and helped me to believe in myself. I could not have done this without them. I hope that other students reading this also have amazing friends that they can depend on, and that those friends can depend on them too.”
When not studying, Kamori engages in her favorite indulgent pastime – art, which she enjoys and was the reason she took the exam externally. She also enjoys playing video games, and said she reads when she can.
The post Kamori aces BGCSEs despite pandemic challenges appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.
source https://thenassauguardian.com/kamori-aces-bgcses-despite-pandemic-challenges/
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