Now in awe of all possibilities for the future, former Reddam House Constantia learner Stilla O’Rilley overlooks the splendour of the city from the immaculate campus of the University of Cape Town (UCT).
She was accepted at UCT for both options for study she had applied for. “The one is for a Bachelor of Sciences (BSc) in genetics and the other for a Bachelor of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering. But I declined the engineering one and have accepted the BSc route. I’m currently at the faculty of science where I’m still tailoring my academic path going forward.”
On day two of her orientation, she said: “The orientation has been pretty good! It’s cool just to meet people and I’ve already met so many. It’s just splendid, super-light, friendly interaction.
“It’s also major information overload, which feels like ‘whoa! There’s a lot going on’. But the campus is beautiful and I’m so happy to be at UCT.”
Having secured no less than eight distinctions in the matric exams of 2023, O’Rilley also received the Commendable Achievement Certificate as one of the top 5% of learners who excelled in multiple subjects.
She stood out among her celebrating peers on the front steps of Reddam House in January. Crouched on the ground, rummaging through her many envelopes that bore the honours marking the triumphant fruits of her labour. Despite all these achievements – her eight distinctions – she reckons she’s still not the best at maintaining a healthy balance between schoolwork and recreational activities.
“I definitely struggled with that, in that I’ve always been a ‘slacker’, technically throughout my schooling, but one who pulls it together. I have flunked a few tests in my life. This is why I have a slight impostor syndrome when I’m characterised as a ‘diligent student’, because I feel it doesn’t represent me too accurately, although I do declare studying does consume me when I am in that mode.”
So she can relate when anyone refers to slumps in drive that they experience. “Oh, yes! That happens a lot, and the slacker in me definitely tends to procrastinate and leave things to the last minute. I don’t have a specific method of beating it; I just often push myself in doing new things in small ways to improve myself. I do get frustrated when I’m not developing new habits outside my comfort zone. But facing tough challenges in my comfort zone, where one feels safe and calm, also helps to push through trying times.”
She made sure to select subjects that piqued her interest the most and which she found more stimulating. “I liked Afrikaans, although I can’t speak it very well, while English was very stressful because it is so open-ended . . . And maths, well, I’m not a mathematician, but I could just about do it.
“It always helps tremendously when I make my own study notes. As someone who’s not a natural note taker, I normally take notes in class, but I tend to make it aesthetically pleasing, with colours and highlights that trigger my memory best; understanding core definitions of subjects and applying them in different ways and so on. These methods help with memory, but they also help me talk to myself a lot.”
For now, she is not quite enveloped in a hostel culture and is now nestled in a private residence located just off the middle campus. “I’m really happy to be staying there, with a 10-minute walk to my classes.”
Career paths at this stage, for O’Rilley, are elusive. “I know what I don’t want. Most traditional careers don’t appeal to me, such as working for corporate or as a lab assistant, geneticist or doctor. I feel I’ll probably turn something traditional into my own thing. I’m also taking a design short course on the side because I wish to intertwine my studies with my creativity.”
She sees herself somewhere overseas in five years. “I’m most excited, as I plan to do a post-graduate design degree, hopefully in Europe where there are great design schools. If I could intern at a job internationally for basic work exposure that’d be great.
“I just hope to be happy and enjoy whatever it is I find myself doing, something creative.”
She relishes the thought of getting up in the morning for a swim in the ocean. “I get up early and go for a plunge at the tidal pools, which I often do with my mom in Kalk Bay. Hopefully, I will do something that sustains the kind of life I grew up with.
“I’m not exactly sure where I’ll be. I know I love Cape Town, I’d most likely return if other opportunities don’t keep me abroad.”
