The perfect score
Published:Tuesday | September 4, 2012 | 12:00 AM
Daviot Kelly, Staff Reporter
It was a perfect nine out of nine for Geneille Williams in the recent Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations.
The St Andrew High School for Girls student gained distinctions in biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, history, English A, English B, geography and French. She found the results online.
"When I scrolled down and I saw it, I literally started to scream, shake and cry. It was one of those things like 'wow I did it'," she said with a laugh.
She chose nine subjects because she's not totally settled on a future career, but said she was leaning towards medicine.
"I can see myself going there but I'm not sure," said the 16-year-old. Geneille explained that the months leading up to the exams were hectic. She would come home from school, get some sleep, and then study until 4 a.m. Doing three science subjects also meant three long lab sessions per week, plus the various school-based assessments.
"Sometimes it was a real task. At times it was overwhelming. But at the same time I had my friends and I had my parents always there. But it basically taught me how to organise my time and definitely not to waste time," she said, noting she had extra lessons to boot.
Geneille said she was confident she would get top marks in most subjects, history, French and mathematics the exceptions. But being an all-rounder, she was also part of the dance troupe and the photography club, activities she had to cut back on as exams drew near.
Ready for sixth form, Geneille is eyeing biology, chemistry, mathematics, sociology and communication studies. She advises any student going for more than eight subjects at CSEC to manage their time wisely.
"Everybody is going to tell you that it's hard, that's a given," she said. "But if you manage your time and believe, there's nothing you can't do."