TWELVE-YEAR-OLD Tajhol Rambarran, who gained 512 marks at the 2021 National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) and earned a place at Queen’s College, is advising those preparing to experience the assessment next year, to ensure they always put aside time for themselves, notwithstanding the demands of studying.

The Grove Primary School pupil, who is the top performer for her school, says she wants those preparing for the 2022 NGSA to know that, while studying is important, they can still do well at the assessment without over-exerting themselves.

“Don’t punish yourself too much, just pay attention to your work and don’t give up,” the bold aspiring chartered accountant, shared in a recent interview with the Guyana Chronicle.

She shared that, during her time studying, she would always try to wrap up her studying early and make time for doing leisure activities and believed that such helped her to reach her full potential.

“If I get tired, I won’t be able to concentrate and be able to study. So, during the day I would do the normal work that my teacher sent to me. I would have Zoom from 11AM to 5PM, and in the night I study but I call it a day like around 8:30, 9PM and go to my room and watch television,” she added.

She said she was also big on spending time chatting with her friends and was even into the tiktok craze. She wants to be an example to other children and would tell them that they do not need to endure undue stress to perform well at the NGSA.

Written annually, the NGSA tests Grade Six pupils in the area of Mathematics, English Language, Social Studies and Science, and their overall performance is used for placement at a secondary school. Pupils can either earn a spot at one of the national top secondary schools based on cut-off scores or be placed at a secondary school within their region or closest to their home.

Over the years, the NGSA has grown into being seen as ‘a big deal’ in the academic pursuit of the pupils, many of whom strive to work hard enough to earn a place at QC, the country’s premier secondary school.

In this pursuit, many pupils put in gruelling hours studying, and despite their young age can face a lot of anxiety in the lead up to the examinations.

In the lead up to her examinations which were written on August 4 and 5, Rambarran said she wanted to ensure she kept all anxiety at bay.

“I was calm because I just didn’t want to worry myself too much,” she said.

Notwithstanding her calm approach, she was still confident in her ability to secure a spot at QC. Her results were in line with her expectations.

“I wasn’t surprised because I knew I worked for it, so I was just excited,” she said.

Tajhol was also named among the country’s top one per cent performers.

Her parents, Yubraj and Sattie Rambarran, are very proud of not only their daughter’s performance but her ability to ensure she paced herself well in her studying during her preparations for the examinations.

Her dad shared hat Tajhol had begun setting her own pace of studying a few years ago, and, while they were a little worried at first, they eventually came to appreciate their daughter’s level of independence and discipline in managing her own studying.

“When I saw that in her, it looked strange to me. Starting from Grade One my wife and I would always work with her in the afternoons, but as she got older, she started taking over her studies more herself. But we would be around her and always see her with her books and see that she is doing it. And when we approach the teachers, they would always say there’s nothing to complain about, she does her homework, she is always on time and participates in whatever they have. So, we understood that there wasn’t need for those long extra hours,” Yubraj added.

Tajhol being a child that is never afraid to stand her ground, also caused her parents to trust her to use her own methods and schedule.

“If you tell her A she has B to tell you back. She’s not the type of child that would just sit down and accept something,” her father noted.

Her mother was overwhelmed to the point of tears and said she was very proud of her daughter.

According to Tajhol, her focus now is on trying to maintain a high level of performance during her secondary school life. While she is open to studying more, she plans to ensure that she takes care of herself mentally.

“I know there will be more work and I will put more time towards the work, but I will always have time for myself and don’t punish myself too much. And I will work hard to become a chartered accountant,” she said.