Top student Rachel Teo from SMK St Elizabeth in Sibu showing her results slip and certificate from the state Education Department. - ZULAZHAR SHEBLEE/The Star
KUCHING: Rachel Teo never thought she would score A+ in all 11 subjects in Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) 2022 to emerge as one of the top students in Sarawak.
The SMK St Elizabeth, Sibu student said she did not expect such excellent results as she found some of the papers quite challenging, especially Additional Mathematics and Biology.
"In all my expectations, I thought I would only get 7As.
"I was really surprised when I received a call from my teacher about my results, I could not believe it," she said after receiving her results slip and a certificate from the state Education Department at SMK Green Road here on Thursday (June 8).
Rachel, 18, said good time management in juggling the various subjects was the key to her success.
"It's important to strike a balance between study and rest so that I don't get overly stressed. I also have some hobbies to relax, for example I like to listen to music," she said.
Rachel also said having to study online during Form Four because of the pandemic was not easy.
"During online learning our concentration is limited. We need discipline to keep up with our studies.
"In-person education is much better for me. We did not have any experience with online learning so it was a struggle at first; all my efforts have all paid off," she said.
Rachel said she now planned to apply for a scholarship to further her studies.
"These results open up a lot of opportunities. If possible, I wish to pursue studies related to STEM (science, technology, engineering, maths) subjects.
"Specifically, engineering is my first consideration," she said.
Special needs student Kevin Tang from SMK Bintulu was pleased to score 7As out of 11 subjects, including A+ in Bahasa Melayu - his favourite subject.
"I feel proud of my achievement. I hope to become a teacher," the 17-year-old said.
Kevin, who has a learning disability, also said he liked to draw as a way to help stay calm and focused.
His mother Carina Wong said Kevin preferred to study online as he was a quiet student and could concentrate better.
"The only difficulty with online classes is understanding the lesson if the teacher goes too fast.
"I sent him for some online tuition classes to help him. His teachers also helped him a lot," she said.
