With the 2014 external exam season mere days away from its conclusion, teenAGE has decided to reflect with a few students on their efforts to achieve the highest grades possible. While everyone would have gone about their studies in their own way, at one point or another, those who were a part of the Jamaica Observer’s CXC Lecture Series Workshop 2014 certainly saw the value in being a part of the initiative. These workshops — which took place over the course of a month — were geared specifically towards providing helpful exam tips and revision exercises to students sitting the CSEC mathematics and English examinations.

The first workshop took place on Saturday, April 26, 2014 at Jose Marti Technical High School in Spanish Town. Students from a variety schools listened to the words of wisdom that some of the leading educational practitioners in the country had to impart. Participants were treated to lunch curtesy of KFC at the various workshops In addition to giveaways from the sponsors throughout, there was also a quiz competition — contested in both subjects — that really got the students excited, and tested their knowledge of the topics they had engaged on the day.

This would set the trend for the three workshops to follow; hosted at the Queen’s School in Kingston, Herbert Morrison Technical in St James, and Belair High in Manchester on consecutive weekends. For the last, some were even given the opportunity to participate in a vox pop, and they all sang praises of the event.

Special thanks must go out to the sponsors who contributed to the event’s overall success. They includes Flow, KFC, Seprod, and Scotiabank. Appreciation is also extended to the many teachers who gave of their time to deliver valuable insight on how students can execute with the right preparation and focus prior to each test. The 2014 instalment is just about over, but we are already looking forward to another successful staging in 2015.