- Hannah Hill is Saheti School's top pupil after achieving an average of 95%.
- She managed to secure 11 distinctions.
- Despite feeling demotivated at times, Hill said she knew she had to put in the work to reap the rewards.
"Sit behind your desk and do the work. You will see just how easily things can turn around."
This was the advice of an Independent Examinations Board (IEB) matric pupil in Gauteng who clinched an outstanding 95% in 2022.
With 11 distinctions, Hannah Hill, 18, was the highest achiever in her grade at Saheti School.
But it wasn't easy, she said, adding that she had no choice but to stay focused and rise above the challenges she faced.
"I often suffered from a lot of procrastination and lack of motivation. What made it even worse was that I was not doing any sports activities. It wasn't until I decided to find a balance between my academics and personal life. I started focusing more on family, friends, and sports, like exercising and going to the gym. That helped me to become more energised and I found my motivation to get work done," Hill said.
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She had to juggle 11 subjects: Afrikaans; English; Information Technology; Life Orientation; Mathematics; Modern Greek; Physical Sciences; Visual Arts; Further Studies: English; Further Studies: Mathematics Elective (Statistics); and Further Studies: Mathematics Standard (Calculus and Algebra).
She said she felt the pressure throughout the year but was able to get a grip on things and tackle each subject well.
"I didn't follow a strict study schedule. At the beginning of the week or the day, I would look into areas I needed more confidence in and dedicate long periods to small and specific regions..."
Sticking to this study method, Hill managed to maintain a constant average throughout the year but she felt she could improve.
After receiving an average of 85% in her block tests in March, Hill knew she could do better and pushed for an additional five percent during the preliminaries, which saw her bag 10 distinctions and an average of between 90% and 95%.
She said:
She hasn't decided on her future career path yet.
"It's twofold. I'm not quite certain yet, but my options are most likely neurosurgery or... going into genetics."
Hill applied to study at the University of the Witwatersrand and University of Cape Town.
She is crossing her fingers for Wits.