S.E.T. for socio-economic growth
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Alexandra van der Spuy is studying mathematical sciences
I went to school at Bloemhof Girls’ High in Stellenbosch, Western Cape. We were academically very strong, which I’m quite proud of, and we also performed well in sports (though I am less familiar with that part!). I really enjoyed my education there, since the teachers were all very passionate and adept at their subjects. I made a lot of friends and had many amazing experiences in Bloemhof’s hallways.
I think maths and science have very intimidating reputations, which can be daunting for people who don’t enjoy the subjects or struggle with them. Both are also seen as being very necessary components of your education, which only makes it worse if you fail at them. I think, ironically enough, if the importance of maths and science was less emphasised, people would perform better, since that performance would no longer matter as much. Another solution is teachers who really enjoy the subjects and who teach their students to enjoy them as well.
I really enjoy logic and solving problems, which made both subjects quite attractive to me. My teachers in these subjects at high school were very inspiring and they really caused the love I have for maths and science. Â Â
So many people around me inspire me, to be honest. At the forefront of these is my sister, who is a smart and kind individual whom I love very much. She has just completed her BSc degree in mathematical sciences, though her focus is mathematical statistics rather than computer science. So, in a sense, I am following in her footsteps! She is definitely part of the reason I am where I am today.
I had known that I wanted to complete a degree in science for a very long time, because of the love I had for physical sciences. I chose the mathematical sciences because I enjoyed maths and understood it very well, and I specifically focused on computer science because it is such an exciting field with a wide variety of options to choose from.
Education is so, so important. It is so easy to overlook your youth and wish for adulthood, but being young is really precious and the best investment is to educate yourself. I wish every South African youth a very bright future!
Really just do your best. For exams, my go-to tip is to work out tons of previous papers of the subject you’re writing. It really prepares you for what you will be tested on, and is a good indicator of your level of knowledge on the subject
Apply for as many higher education institutions as possible — as we all know, it’s better to be safe than sorry. However, if you still don’t get accepted, don’t worry. You can use that gap year as time to gain valuable experience, and apply again for the next year.
Nothing is set in stone, but I would hope that, by then, I’ve finished my time at university and that I have completed both a bachelor’s and an honour’s degree. I think I might also like to complete my master’s degree. I would have a job that I find both challenging and fascinating. I also see myself being the owner of at least one dog!
‘Achiever’ is really such a wide term. I think anyone with enough perseverance and luck can be an achiever — the key is to try again and again, until you’ve achieved something. I think as long as you don’t give up, the mere act of trying already makes you an achiever.
S.E.T. for socio-economic growth
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