All or Nothing

After failing his Cambridge School Certificate exams, Kevisen decided to give up all his extracurricular activities to dedicate himself entirely—and exhaustively—to his studies. A difficult choice that speaks volumes about the relentless race for success that defines the Mauritian education system.

For the past year and a half, I’ve turned my carefree teenage life into one totally focused on my studies. This means huge sacrifices. For me, it’s all or nothing. There’s no other way but to study, sometimes until two in the morning. After school, I rush to catch a bus to get to private lessons. The classes at school aren’t enough to pass the exams with all the knowledge needed. My life revolves around this. It’s a constant pressure on my shoulders. Sports are out. Going out with friends is out. I’m always buried in my textbooks and notebooks.

The turning point for me was the day I got my SC results. That moment hit me hard and has stuck with me ever since. It was like a wake-up call, making me realise that I had to change my approach if I wanted to succeed.

I remember sitting in front of my laptop, waiting for my Cambridge School Certificate results, I was a mess of nerves. Just a few minutes to go, and my heart was pounding. At 10 am sharp, the results came out. Each student had a specific site and password. My hands were shaking. Gathering my courage, I entered my password. When I saw my results, I was shocked and confused. Tears streamed down my face; it didn’t reflect all my hard work and sleepless nights. I was devastated and disappointed. My parents were furious, but by the end of the day, they reassured me of their support.

That night, in my room, I thought about my dreams and future. I wiped my tears and told myself that from now on, I’d set aside my extracurricular activities. No more going out with friends. I started researching the best tutors. I asked my friend Axel, who had passed his exams, where he took his tuition classes and who his tutors were. The teachers were far from my home. Accounting is at Pointe aux Sables, near to Port Louis. English lessons are at Providence, a really long way from Rose Hill. For sociology lessons I had to travel to Curepipe, in the center of the island, and for Maths, I have to go to Port Louis, the capital.

Moreover, the fees are pretty high, and they vary for each subject. For the four main subjects, it is more than Rs 800 a month, and the others were between Rs 500 and Rs 700. My parents are making a lot of sacrifices for me; they worked overtime to earn extra money. They agreed to pay only if I promise to bring back good results. Life as a busy teenager without all my usual activities isn’t easy, but I made this choice for my parents and my future. Some days, returning home from tuition on the bus, I am exhausted and feel hungry. I did once more my SC exams and succeeded. My parents were very proud of me.

I met a friend named Ryan. He barely talk in class, but one day he told me that I am not the only one working hard and that he was exhausted too. Then, I realised I am not alone in this period of sacrifice.

I stopped all my daily activities. One of them was practicing taekwondo. It helped me relieve stress and socialise. But many of my friends, both in and out of school, don’t understand my choice. At school, my friends interact less with me. I keep focusing on my goals, with or without them. Another sport I used to do before cutting off extracurricular activities was jogging. I used to run at a small park called Cavalot near my house to keep fit and shape my body. After quitting all these sports, I feel more often tired and sometimes even sick.

The rat race hasn’t disappeared from the Mauritian education system. I feel like I have to be part of this race to build a future for myself. For me, that means giving up anything that might distract me from this single goal. There are thousands of us in Mauritian colleges, all running the same race.

Kevisen, 20 ans, Plaisance