KOTA BARU: Siti Bayu Mohd Ridzuan did not let depression stop her from acing her Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) 2023 examination, as she celebrated her achievement of 9As today.
The SMK Kubang Kerian student, 18, said that she did not expect to score straight As in all the subjects she sat for, as she only managed to get 8As and 1C in her SPM trials.
Her trial results spurred her to do better, and her determination, coupled with the encouragement and support from her mother, Che Zusila Che Daud, 49, and father, Mohd Ridzuan Mokhtar, 63, as well as her teachers, ultimately paid off when the SPM results were announced today.
"Even though I have depression to the extent of needing treatment at Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital, my efforts were enough for me to succeed, just like everyone else.
"I took care of my mental health and ensured I got enough sleep, around seven hours, and revised as early as 4am for a month before taking SPM,” she told reporters at her house near Kampung Kedai Baru, Binjai, here today.
Siti Bayu, the fourth child out of five siblings, shared that she had her own style of making notes to revise her subjects, which was catered to her health problems and specifically designed to avoid causing emotional distress or stress while studying.
"I would use red ink and colourful pens when taking brief notes so that I could easily remember and focus.
"I would also drink at least two litres of mineral water daily and avoid caffeinated drinks to avoid any potential headaches,” she added.
Siti Bayu now intends to further her studies at Universiti Malaya or the United Kingdom and achieve her childhood dream of becoming a lawyer.
"I would like to thank all my teachers, my parents and the doctors who took care and treated me,” she said with a smile.- Bernama
