‘I had to give up social media’ – Mae’s CSEC student

Sixteen-year-old Khemesh Persaud, who wrote the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations at Mae’s Schools in Subryanville, Georgetown, says one of the things that worked for him and kept him focused while studying was staying off of social media.

The Campbellville, Georgetown student copped 13 ‘Business’ subjects at the exams including seven Grade Ones, and he’s awaiting results for at least two more subjects.

Staying off of social media was by no means easy. In fact, it was a sacrifice he had to make.

“It takes some adjusting from being on your phone 24/7 to being in a textbook a lot. But I found it beneficial taking a break. I felt happier to be honest; a lot more confident,” Khemesh said in an interview with the News Room on Wednesday.

Khemesh shared some of the challenges he encountered as he prepared for the exams, and what helped him to cope and come off successful.

“It was probably one of the most difficult times of my entire life. I studied nonstop. I gave up interactions with my friends, I gave up social media, I basically spent majority of my time studying,” he said, adding, “I had little to no free time because I had extra lessons every day of the week. So it was definitely stressful; it was a lot, but I’m glad I did it because it definitely paid off.”

Khemesh had a clear vision of the grades he wanted to achieve. He knew they were high so he kept pushing and any spare moment he got, he studied.

“I studied with friends, alone, I went to teachers for help, used the internet, I did everything. I knew I wanted to achieve these grades so I pushed myself as hard as I can.”

To fellow students, he says: “It’s not going to be easy. It will be the most stressful period of time. You need to persevere and get through it. You need to motivate yourself; without motivation you basically can’t get through your studying. It’s really important to keep motivated and push yourself as much as you can.”

Khemesh’s next move is to pursue law at a credible university.