No TV

Jan 25, 2008
No TV - that's how top Malay student did it
THE eldest of five siblings, 16-year-old Nurul Azizah Johari tries to always set a good example to her two sisters and two brothers.
She did just that yesterday when she was named top Malay student at the O levels.

The Methodist Girls' School student scored eight A1s - and an A2 for Physics - to the delight of her parents, who took time off work to join her at the school.

'I was surprised she did so well as she did not perform well for her prelims,' said mum Rosidah Muhamad, 41, who runs a cafeteria. Her dad runs a courier business.

Azizah scored B3s for Physics and Combined Humanities in the prelims, but turned these into A2 and A1 at the O levels.

The former Shuqun Primary pupil took Chinese as a third language but dropped it in Sec 3 when she found it hard to cope.

Azizah, who has always been among the top students in class, focused on revising for the O levels by giving up her favourite TV shows like drama series CSI.

'I refrained from watching TV and stopped going online,' she said.

Azizah, who likes sports especially soccer, hopes to become a doctor.

Another mission girls' school student who did well was Lauren Lindsay John, 16 - one of 10 top Indian students at this year's O levels.

The Paya Lebar Methodist Girls' School student scored 8A1s, one of which was for Chinese. An only child, her software engineer dad is Indian-Chinese and her mother is Chinese.

She has not thought about a future career but guessed it will have to do with accounting. 'I like math!' she said.

HO AI LI and DIANA OTHMAN