First impressions of NCEA

Last year, I had a vague impression that Form Five was going to be a piece of cake. Nek minnit...I should have known better. I thought that I was going to pass all my subjects with high marks, but of course, I was just letting myself down. It was really arrogant of me to think that and now that I’ve seen the reality of things, I’ve learnt a huge lesson: Don’t have high expectations of yourself, because you might end up feeling disappointed. Take it from someone who has learnt the hard way.
I got my first assignment, like, two days after school officially started. Man, I was scared! My mind was still in holiday mode and these teachers expected me to have recovered just like that. Pfft, as if! I really struggled with that first assignment (I won’t tell you what the subject is. I like to keep it mysterious) and barely made the deadline (which was, like, three days after it was handed out to us. No mercy, man, these teachers.) Because it was rushed work, I got a pathetic grade for it. I guess I deserve it, though, for not taking it seriously. Some friends of mine had the nerve to say Tano! to my face! Argh!
Now, I’ll talk heaps about this particular subject: Commerce. Mr. Spooner (who rocks the world of education) takes us for this subject. Here’s the thing: You get an assessment every WEEK and it counts towards your credits (not that I’m complaining about that bit, but still...) When I first heard that we were going to get tested every week, I was like, Aye??? I still hadn’t gotten over the shock when I sat my first assessment. But I realised that I was whining like a primary school kid and that it was time to “man up” and take things the hard way.
So, I was totally ready for the next assessment that was given to me. There were no more last-minute preparations, no more late nights and definitely no more “finishing your homework during form time because it’s due first period” times. I had managed to keep my brain fresh and alive by staying away from the laptop for a wee while (and even THAT was difficult to do) and staying on track with my schoolwork. A teacher even complimented me on my efforts, so that was worth all the “torture” that I was suffering at home.
My most recent assessments were Math (although, I wouldn’t call it an assessment. More like a practice test) and I got straight Merits for both of them. I wasn’t proud, but I wasn’t disappointed either. I was kinda glad that I passed, at least. Some unlucky kids in my Maths class got away with a “Nearly Achieved” and, man, my heart went out to them. Lolz. I think that I’ve learnt my lesson. Good grades are earned by hard work, so the moral of my article is: When you think it’s hard, just give it a go. You might surprise yourself.

Herald Issue 608 21 March
- Terms of one China Policy document should be reviewed
- Pacific Media Assistance Scheme Seeks Innovation
- Successful NZ visit by PM
- Rerekura Teaurere New Climate Change Coordinator
- News Briefs