By: Roodwill
RANAU: Sleeping just four hours a day for 12 consecutive days, to the point where her health suffered and she required hospital treatment – that was among the sacrifices Casharina Tugoh made in her pursuit of academic excellence before ultimately achieving a perfect 4.0 CGPA in the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) examinations.
However, this success did not come easily. It all began after Casharina faced a disappointment that had once left her disheartened.
Her failure to gain admission to the Institute of Teacher Education (IPG) became a turning point that drove her to prove her capabilities.
“That event caused me to make a firm resolution, and it became my determination to achieve excellent results, because I believe that God placed me here and surely He has the best plan,” she said.
In the early stages of her studies in Form Six at SMK Mat Salleh, Casharina’s results were not particularly impressive.
“Although initially my STPM results were just average, I forced myself to rise again,” she said.
The journey was also filled with disappointment when her results did not always meet the targets she had hoped for.
“Imagine studying really hard but then getting results that didn’t hit the target and receiving low pointers. That’s what I faced during STPM,” she said.
When facing such moments, her teachers became among those who greatly helped Casharina to keep going.
“What caused me to rise again were my teachers. I would often share my disappointments and feelings with them.
“They were very supportive and became my strength,” she said.
Besides receiving support from her teachers, Casharina also turned to motivational videos as a source of inspiration when under pressure.
For Casharina, the biggest challenge throughout her studies was not a particular subject but rather laziness, which could cause one to delay tasks and lose focus on their goals.
“When we have a lazy streak, we tend to procrastinate on completing assignments, coursework and also studying.
“This can cause stress to become unmanageable,” she said.
Her determination to succeed drove Casharina to spend between five and seven hours a day revising her studies.
Ahead of the Semester 2 examinations, she slept only four hours a day for 12 consecutive days to ensure she was truly prepared.
“I have 24 hours in a day but I hardly had time to rest adequately.
“I can say my revision time could reach five to seven hours a day and if I had no school work, I would continue revising rather than taking a break,” she said.
Many were unaware that much of Casharina’s time was spent studying, including through her mobile phone, which was often assumed to be used for entertainment.
“They would see me focused on my phone but they didn’t know I was studying through it.
“When they studied, I studied; when they slept, I woke up to study,” she said.
Such a packed schedule eventually took a toll on her health.
Casharina said she frequently experienced fevers, headaches and gastritis due to lack of rest, and was once hospitalised because of extreme exhaustion.
“I was once admitted to hospital because my body was too fatigued, and the doctor advised me to take care of my rest and diet,” she said.
Despite the challenges she faced, her family remained a source of strength that helped her persevere.
“Even though I myself would often say I wanted to give up, when I think of them, my heart becomes strong again to face it all,” she said.
Ultimately, all the effort she poured in over two years bore fruit when Casharina saw a 4.00 CGPA displayed on her STPM result slip.
At that moment, all the challenges, pressure and sacrifices she had endured came flooding back to her mind.
“When I saw the results, I immediately thought of God. God is so good,” she said.
Today, Casharina views the failure that once disappointed her from a different perspective.
“Before this, I always said that I entered STPM because I failed to get into IPG.
“But now I say that I failed to get into IPG because I was able to achieve the best results here,” she said.
Looking ahead, Casharina intends to pursue further studies at the Institute of Teacher Education and enter the field of education, as she believes she can serve as a role model and inspiration to the younger generation.
Casharina also hopes to secure a scholarship to help fund her studies and ease her family’s financial burden.
Concluding her sharing, Casharina offered this advice to other students: always be diligent and never give up easily in pursuing their dreams.
“STPM doesn’t just require intelligence or cleverness, it greatly requires diligence.
“Never stop studying as long as the answer paper and pen are not yet in your hands. Remember what you have started, that is where God begins to work. Ora et labora,” she said.
