JOHOR BARU: Five top scorers in the 2020 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination from SMK IJ Convent were beside themselves with jubilation over their success following results earlier this week.
They attributed their success to coaching by teachers, joint-study sessions with classmates, encouragement of parents and diligence at the study table.
The top five achievers were the crème de la crème of the 167 students from the school who sat in March for their Covid-19-deferred 2020 SPM examination.
The deferment caused by spells of interruption to the school year due to the Movement Control Order year did not, in retrospect, have a detrimental effect on their ability to concentrate on their lessons.
Chloe Ling Chun Fern, 18, who scored 9A+ said several people, primarily her teachers and parents, factored in the effort to secure her excellent results.
"It was tough concentrating during the pandemic but I managed to sail on by putting all obstacles behind me," she said.
She kept her focus on her goal of obtaining the best results she could despite the distractions of interrupted schooling.
"I already started pursuing a course in Australian Matriculation at a college here," said Ling.
Similarly, Sanjena Ananthan also credited her teachers and parents for her excellent results.
The 18-year-old who scored 7A+ and 2A said she is on cloud nine after having scored well in her examinations.
"My parents guided me throughout and gave me much confidence and courage," said Sanjena who is presently pursuing A-levels.
She also mentioned that her friends and teachers during the pandemic gave her much motivation and she was able to strive on.
Seventeen-year-old Wu Ying Han, who scored 9A+ and 2A, said it was her teachers who kept a close watch on her and gave her lots of assistance.
She also mentioned that her parents went the extra mile to take her to the tuition centre for her tuition classes and hence she is grateful to them.
"My parents were there all the time for me and I'm grateful to them as they stood near me all the time," she said.
Wu who plans to pursue a course in a college said her road to success was strewn with challenges but managed to overcome them.
Another top scorer Chuah Mei Yin, 17, was a tad incredulous at having scored straight As.
She credited her teachers for going the extra mile to help her in her studies and said her classmates were also very helpful.
"I used to ask a lot of questions in class and my teachers were very accommodating and for that I'm very grateful," said Chuah.
She regarded her teachers as her parents and this attitude aided and abetted her concentration and studiousness.
For Wafa Alia Mohd Yusof found her excellent results hard to believe because she did not expect to do that well.
For the 18-year-old - it was a tough struggle to keep focused on her preparations for the examinations but with her parents and sister by her side, she was able to prevent a drift into aimless waters.
"I thank my beloved teachers who moved from their comfort zones and went out of their way for us students," said the teary-eyed teen.
Wafa said her mother bought for her the internet data that helped in her preparations even though it was expensive and her family could ill afford it.
Her mother works as a clerk at the Johor Zoo while her father is a dispatch clerk and she hopes to lighten her parents' burden by pursuing a matriculation programme.
The SPM examination was initially scheduled to be held from Oct 5 until Nov 19, 2020, but was postponed three times due to school closures under various stages of the MCO, first imposed on March 18 last year.
Some 401,105 students finally sat for the SPM 2020 examinations, held from Feb 22 to March 25, 2021.