Preparing for the CPEA exams amidst the turmoil wrought by La Soufriere’s April 9 eruption, the advent of COVID-19 and the deadly Dengue Fever outbreak was a hectic undertaking.
Shay-Zyah Brewster described her own experiences as not just “hectic” but “scary.” She attributed these nervous reactions, in part, to her unease at being in a room filled with strangers as well as the CPEA preparation workload.
“What I thought was that I was going to be in a room full of students who I didn’t know. Preparing for it was a bit hectic there was a lot of staying up late. We would do practice test at school and when you come home you still had to go and revise the work you have done.
“It might take a few late nights, but you have to sacrifice.
“Then wearing a mask to school might give some children breathing problems as well and dengue fever [caused] changes to the uniforms.
“I was anxious during the volcanic eruptions, but I was still busy preparing for the exams. On exam day I got encouragement from a lot of people especially my mom telling me not to be scared. I should just do my best and when I went into the exam room, I realized it was most of my friends, so I felt comfortable.”
She professed to have worked on her nervousness where meeting new people is concerned since she is very aware that a new chapter awaits in a new school, surrounded by new faces.
“I’m still a little scared of meeting new people, but once I get to know you, I’d be more comfortable around you.”
St. Vincent Girls High School ranked highest on Shay-Zyah’s list of potential secondary education institutions.
“I see it as one of the top schools in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and I find that it’s very interesting there,” she explained.
The 11-year-old student refused to disclose her CPEA grade point average since, she admitted, she was waiting on a group of friends to reveal theirs first.
Shay-Zyah’s advice to other nervous test takers is:
“Do not be nervous. Remember you’re taking the test for you so do it to the best of your ability. You have that potential to do it to the best of your ability. So, continue to work hard and don’t let bad company lead you away.
“Go for your dreams. Go get your goals and remember whatever you do is for you.”
JP Schwmon #SituationUpdates