Now in awe of all possibilities for the future, former Reddam House Constantia learner Stilla O\u2019Rilley overlooks the splendour of the city from the immaculate campus of the University of Cape Town (UCT).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She was accepted at UCT for both options for study she had applied for. \u201cThe one is for a Bachelor of Sciences (BSc) in genetics and the other for a Bachelor of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering. But I declined the engineering one and have accepted the BSc route. I\u2019m currently at the faculty of science where I\u2019m still tailoring my academic path going forward.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On day two of her orientation, she said: \u201cThe orientation has been pretty good! It\u2019s cool just to meet people and I\u2019ve already met so many. It\u2019s just splendid, super-light, friendly interaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s also major information overload, which feels like \u2018whoa! There\u2019s a lot going on\u2019. But the campus is beautiful and I\u2019m so happy to be at UCT.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Having secured no less than eight distinctions in the matric exams of 2023, O\u2019Rilley also received the Commendable Achievement Certificate as one of the top 5% of learners who excelled in multiple subjects. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
She stood out among her celebrating peers on the front steps of Reddam House in January. Crouched on the ground, rummaging through her many envelopes that bore the honours marking the triumphant fruits of her labour. Despite all these achievements \u2013 her eight distinctions \u2013 she reckons she\u2019s still not the best at maintaining a healthy balance between schoolwork and recreational activities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI definitely struggled with that, in that I\u2019ve always been a \u2018slacker\u2019, technically throughout my schooling, but one who pulls it together. I have flunked a few tests in my life. This is why I have a slight impostor syndrome when I\u2019m characterised as a \u2018diligent student\u2019, because I feel it doesn\u2019t represent me too accurately, although I do declare studying does consume me when I am in that mode.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So she can relate when anyone refers to slumps in drive that they experience. \u201cOh, yes! That happens a lot, and the slacker in me definitely tends to procrastinate and leave things to the last minute. I don\u2019t have a specific method of beating it; I just often push myself in doing new things in small ways to improve myself. I do get frustrated when I\u2019m not developing new habits outside my comfort zone. But facing tough challenges in my comfort zone, where one feels safe and calm, also helps to push through trying times.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She made sure to select subjects that piqued her interest the most and which she found more stimulating. \u201cI liked Afrikaans, although I can\u2019t speak it very well, while English was very stressful because it is so open-ended . . . And maths, well, I\u2019m not a mathematician, but I could just about do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt always helps tremendously when I make my own study notes. As someone who\u2019s not a natural note taker, I normally take notes in class, but I tend to make it aesthetically pleasing, with colours and highlights that trigger my memory best; understanding core definitions of subjects and applying them in different ways and so on. These methods help with memory, but they also help me talk to myself a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For now, she is not quite enveloped in a hostel culture and is now nestled in a private residence located just off the middle campus. \u201cI\u2019m really happy to be staying there, with a 10-minute walk to my classes.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Career paths at this stage, for O\u2019Rilley, are elusive. \u201cI know what I don\u2019t want. Most traditional careers don\u2019t appeal to me, such as working for corporate or as a lab assistant, geneticist or doctor. I feel I\u2019ll probably turn something traditional into my own thing. I\u2019m also taking a design short course on the side because I wish to intertwine my studies with my creativity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She sees herself somewhere overseas in five years. \u201cI\u2019m most excited, as I plan to do a post-graduate design degree, hopefully in Europe where there are great design schools. If I could intern at a job internationally for basic work exposure that\u2019d be great. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI just hope to be happy and enjoy whatever it is I find myself doing, something creative.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She relishes the thought of getting up in the morning for a swim in the ocean. \u201cI get up early and go for a plunge at the tidal pools, which I often do with my mom in Kalk Bay. Hopefully, I will do something that sustains the kind of life I grew up with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m not exactly sure where I\u2019ll be. I know I love Cape Town, I\u2019d most likely return if other opportunities don\u2019t keep me abroad.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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