Stellar Panesar and his 5A stars at A-Level
Katlego Motsamai | Friday January 20, 2017 14:41
His head is held high, body poised and eyes blazing with boldness. He is dressed in a tuxedo with his traditional Sikh turban neatly wrapped around his head. At first I hesitate to shake his hand. I am unsure of the protocol. We exchange our greetings and with the ice broken, Tarandeep Singh Panesar welcomes us into his world.
The 18-year-old Rainbow High School broke records recently when he scooped 5A stars and one A in a two-year A-Level class.
On first impression, Panesar appears to be studious if not stern, a trait that feels appropriate for the type of personality required to grab 5A stars at A-Level. However, as he speaks and relaxes, he comes across as a free-spirited soft-spoken teen.
In preparing for the exams, Panesar had a method. He would keep a copy of the syllabus nearby and go through all the topics to make sure he did not miss anything. He would then go through all the notes in his notebooks, then through the textbooks.
At times, his studying would last up to midnight and he would plough on, only taking breaks to drink plenty of water.
All the preparation did not mean he was exempt from the jitters, however.
“As I walked down to the exam room, fear overshadowed me,” he explains.
“I tried to not think about it hard and mess everything up. After all this was happening, my final exam.
“I tried my best to calm myself and stay focused. I reassured myself because I had covered everything in the syllabus. “I sat down and finished 15 minutes before the exam was over, this gave me time to relax.
“I still had five more papers left. I was stressed. I have never worked under so much pressure in my life.
“I had to study for the next one and the circle went on and on.”
Panesar held on, diligently approaching one exam after the other. The joy and relief of finally finishing the hardest exams in high school soon gave way to a fresh anxiety over the results.
“I was finally done. I was happy but not for long. I waited for the results to come out and the more I thought about them, the more I panicked. “The result dates drew near and I tried not to panic.
“I had spent two years of A-level and I had taken a lot of stress during that time, so because I had finished I didn’t want any more stress.
“I battled my thoughts and I just wanted to enjoy the free time.”
The A-Level results came out recently and like learners around the country, Panesar braced for the worst. Then the news came. The 18-year-old had rewritten history.
“When the results finally came, it was a celebration. I am so thankful to God. It felt truly like an achievement that I had worked so hard for and I felt grateful and humbled,” he recalls.
The dedicated young man has set his sights on studying computer engineering. When he finishes his degree, he would love to move to Silicon Valley, California which is the global cutting-edge of information technology.
“I like computers very much and spend most of my time reading about them, how they work, how they were built.
The complexity of computers fascinates me.” Panesar encourages other students who want to take science courses to hone their skills in thinking scientifically.
“You need to be very observant. For example, if you’re looking at something, you don’t just scan the surface, you have to see into it,” he explains.
He also says students should listen to their teachers as these are the people trained and spend their whole lives helping them. “Listen to what they are saying because they know what they are talking about and are always striving to improve you.”
It is however not all work and no play for Panesar. Like other teens, the 18-year-old enjoys playing video games and dabbles in photography.