The class of 2021 talks COVID and (high school) tests.
Name: Charan Kanwal Singh
ATAR: 98.70
Subjects: English, Chemistry, Mathematics: Methods, Mathematics: Specialist, Business Management & Enterprise, Economics, Punjabi (interstate)
Results/Special Awards: Certificate of Distinction, Subject Certificate of Excellence: Business Management & Enterprise (top 0.5% in WA)
School: Scotch College, Perth
University/Course: University of Western Australia – Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours) with Majors in Business Management and Economics
READ ALSO: SACE 2021: Finishing school in lockdown
With your Year 12 now behind you, you’ve probably had opportunity to look back at it all with some wisdom. What did you learn about yourself in the year 2021?
I learnt that with effort and perseverance, your hard work will be rewarded. Even though you might want to procrastinate, when you receive your results in the end, you realise it is worth the effort.
The past two years have caused a lot of uncertainty for students. How did you go about your studies while adapting to a changing health environment?
Living in WA, we have thankfully not been too affected by pandemic-imposed lockdowns. There were a few short periods of lockdown, but we transitioned to distance learning pretty efficiently.
Young people are becoming increasingly aware of news and political affairs. What were your main news sources throughout the year?
Having moved from overseas in the middle of the academic year, I had a heavy workload to catch up on in Year 11 and was fairly occupied during Year 12 too. I didn’t want to read the news as I felt it might distract me.
After online classes, are you Team Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangout or other?
It depends. If I wanted to speak to my friends that lived elsewhere or were tutoring online, I would use Zoom. Microsoft Teams tends to be used more for office and school purposes.
What extra-curricular activities, hobbies, or TV shows helped you through the past two years?
I was the vice-captain of chess at my school and would often spend time during lunch playing chess. Sport was also a nice way to relax and unwind. I watched YouTube videos rather than TV shows. Be careful not to fall into the rabbit hole of social media, where you keep on clicking on recommended videos; that wastes lots of time!
Do you think nerds rule the world?
I think nerds have been negatively stereotyped and poorly defined. If you have passed through Year 12, there would have been periods of time where you would have felt like a nerd and that’s alright. Everyone has been a nerd once upon a time. I feel they do rule the world.
What moments from 2021 do you remember most fondly?
The fondest memory for me has to have been the day my WACE exams finished. I felt very relieved once I knew I had finished school. Results day was pretty fulfilling too; it felt great to see that years of hard work had paid off. During school, some of my biggest achievements include getting the role of Chess Vice-Captain and joining the Student Council.
What would your advice to future final year students be?
Enjoy it. Work hard. Simple.
Describe your final year in 3 words
Busy but enjoyable.
READ ALSO: VCE 2021: Finishing school in lockdown
