Secret of her success
2010/09/29
By Saheb Singh, 13, Petaling Jaya
MEET SPM high achiever and Securities Commission Malaysia scholarship recipient, Kaveena Maniam. She took 15 subjects and scored A+ in every single one! Not only is she NOT a nerd, but she is also an outstanding sportswoman.
She represented the Federal Territories in SUKMA for track events. She was also the Head Girl of her school, Sri Dasmesh School.
What are your study techniques?
I study for every test including time tests. I do that to maintain consistency. If I have some difficulty with any question or understanding anything, I ask my teachers. It is impossible to study if you have no passion. At the start of the year, I would read my reference books more than doing questions as I believe that I need the information more at the start of the year. Towards the middle of the term and later on, I do more questions than reading as I have already gotten the necessary information. At the end of the year I would have already read each one of my reference books more than seven times.
For Additional Mathematics, I would do only the first five questions of five test papers and then move on to the next few the next day. This is to see the pattern of questions. For Physics, reading alone is not going to help you. You need to read to get the facts and then attempt questions because the questions might be manipulated and asked in a different way. A lot of reading and knowing is required if you want to ace Chemistry. Once you have written down the main points, compare it against the answer scheme. To practice essays for History is very time consuming. So, once again, just write the main points down and compare them to the answer scheme. In the case of Biology, read and draw out all the diagrams. For example, draw out the heart and label all its parts such as the aortae, ventricles and the various blood vessels.
Who is your main source of inspiration?
My dad. He was the one who gave me a dream. When my brother and I were young my dad would show us nice cars and nice houses. He would say, "If you want all these nice cars and houses you better work hard so you can be successful and have all these things when you grow up." Now I know exactly how my house is going to look. My dream is to go to Oxford University. The idea of Oxford University came up when I was in Standard 5 and I was given a project on what I want to be in 15 years time. I believe that you should always think of your dreams and the big picture. I believe that three quarters of the battle is won or lost in the mind itself, so it is important to believe in yourself.
Who is your role model?
I have different role models for different things. For sports, it is Teong Sue Min because she is really hardworking and mentally strong. Sue is a very focused person and she is also a team player. She is not like some runners who would not run a relay if they have a race in 45 minutes. Before a race, she doesn't talk to anyone as she prepares for her race. Academics-wise, Ishwinder Kaur is my role model. She scored 6 As in her PMR exams. For SPM, she took 13 subjects and got all As. After Ishwinder's results were out, I felt that even I could do it too.
Being a top student and top athlete, not to mention a head girl, how do you divide your time?
I missed a lot of school because of centralised training for SUKMA. I would go back to school around 10am and as soon as school finished at 2.40pm, I would rush back for training. Although I missed a lot of school, I never delayed my homework. When I went for competitions, I took my books along to the stadium.
When we had a break, I would only have a short nap and wake up within 20 minutes and then do my work. While waiting for my race, I would read my reference books.
Which was your most difficult subject and how did you cope?
History was my most challenging subject but I told myself that whether I like it or not I have to do it because in life there will be things you like and there will also be things that you don't like. You just have to put your mind to doing it or else nothing will be done and you will further your hate for the subject. I would help others if they needed assistance with any subject. By teaching you learn at the same time. If you help others, God will help you.
It's not about doing well yourself but how many people you bring up with you.
How did you memorise information?
I used the read and recall technique. After I had read a passage a few times, I closed the book and tried to recall everything I had read. If I could not recall something, I turned back to my book and rechecked. I didn't make notes as it was too time consuming. Instead, I wrote the main points on 'Post-It' notes and put them on the top of the page. Before the exam, I would just go through that.
When things didn't work out the way you wanted, what did you do?
I got my parents to help and I had tons of family support. I read certain quotes that inspired me to bounce back and I always gave my best. I did not wait for whatever I did to be over. I also read a couple of motivational books.
What sacrifices did you have to make to achieve your goals?
I did not go out with my friends before exams. Even if they were going for a nice movie, I would give it a miss. Instead of going out with my friends, I got them over to my house to study with me. Occasionally, we went out for lunch or maybe a movie.
Do you have any advice for those who aspire to be like you?
You have to believe in yourself. And help those around you. You should not be scared to share your knowledge because the more you give, the more you get. You must dream big. No one or nothing can stop you if you really want to do something as long as you have the right attitude, put your mind to it and do it whole-heartedly. Remember, the sky is not the limit!
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