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DESPITE schools across the kingdom being forced to remain closed at the begining of term following a flu alert and teachers and students being caught up in ash cloud delays on their return flights back to the kingdom, determined children produced stunning examination results.
In the second part of an education series, reporter Anasuya Kesavan, highlights the achievements at The British School of Bahrain and asks their top students for wise words of advice for this year's exam-takers on the island.
Self-motivated students at the BSB worked on their own unique styles of learning to produce some excellent results in a challenging year that saw, among other things, a move into their new school building in Hamala.
Calling it a lot of hard work and a nerve-wracking experience, Othman Ali Khan, 16, said: "The workload grew as we faced unforeseen delays.
"It all resulted in a lot of stress, particularly in the start and in the end. Finishing the curriculum and then revising the entire portion was not easy.
"I used to try and utilise every minute to do something useful rather than sitting around and doing nothing. If there were 10 minutes to spare at form time I would use it to finish homework or read another chapter of a book."
Others like Sarah Wanniarachchi, 17, said supportive teachers held extra lessons and spent extra time with students during break and after school.
She said: "There is always a pressure to perform. Some subjects, especially those that I liked, were easier to study. I read ahead and that helped me understand my subjects better. We also got loads of past papers to do - which sort of helped. It was a lot of hard work but in the end, after seeing the results, it was very rewarding."
Mona Elmenoty said her results at her mock exams proved to be her wake up call to sit up and work harder. She said: "I was very stressed and scared that I would not do well and honestly I did not expect my final results to be so good.
"My mocks results were a grade below what I actually got and I didn't like them at all. I am not very optimistic about myself so I tried to calm myself down whenever possible. I talked to my friends, took breaks, walked and got back to work.
"I opted out of Easter holidays. My family went to Greece but I stayed back to study."
Relaxed Ananth Pallaseni, 16, said: "It all comes down to being completely focussed when you actually sit down to study and not just haphazardly glancing over the material.
"Exam time can become crazy but I feel like I have accomplished something."
The fabulous four are aspiring to go into different careers. While Othman wants to do research in nanotechnology, Ananth wants to specialise in science or engineering, the girls are concentrating on securing a commercial future as Mona wants to be a banker or involved in business and Sara wants to pursue mathematics and use her skills in a business environment. TOP TIPS FROM STAR PUPILS
Othman Ali Khan, 16, 3A* 5A
Revise work, if possible every day. What is taught in class can be reinforced with extra reading at home.
Sarah Wanniarachchi, 17, 5A*3A
Practise a lot, especially maths. Read through notes and if possible read ahead to the next chapter because it will really help you to gain a better understanding.
Mona Elmenoty, 17, 3A*6A
There is nothing so silly that you can't ask a teacher. It is also important to get into a regular sport or activity to take a break from studying all day.
Ananth Pallaseni, 16, 7A* 1A
Time spent studying should be focussed, this will help you get the most out of your time. It is really painful especially for people who are easy-going like me, but it will all pay off in the end.
