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Early Childhood Education Articles 
How Amir Hariz nailed his IGCSE Sociology exam after his mother denied his request to drop the subject
When Amir Hariz signed up for Sociology as his elective in Year 10, little did he know that the subject would be one of the most challenging subjects he had to deal with.
“I thought it would be the easiest subject because the word ‘socio’ connotes socialisation and I had the perception that I would be learning how to communicate with others. I realised I was completely wrong by the end of my first term,” Amir recalled.
The subject involved a lot of writing and its content stretches from social issues pertaining family, education, and the media to crime and social inequality.
“The subject matter is so diverse and you have to read a lot to truly understand a topic. There is no way you can slack off because every single lesson is connected to another,” Amir said.
With the copious amounts of reading required, Amir felt he should drop the subject when he was in Year 11.
“I scored a D for Sociology in my term exam and I thought I was not going to pass this subject in my IGCSE exam. On top of that, I was struggling with other subjects. That was when I had this thought of dropping Sociology” Amir said.
However, Amir’s thought of dropping the subject was not blessed by his mother, Ms Ija Abdullah.
“I think it is a waste for Amir to drop the subject just because he is worried that he won’t be able to score a stellar result.”
“We did a readout on the subject together and we both agreed that Sociology gives a wide breadth of perspective of how humans live in this world. I find the subject stimulating for the mind and I think it is good if Amir gets to learn something new. The result is not the main point.” Ms Ija shared.
Ms Ija thanked Amir’s Sociology teacher, Mr Peter Soh, for his endless support rendered to Amir throughout his school term.
“Mr Peter keeps Amir challenged and gives him the confidence needed to tackle the subject.” Ms Ija added.
When Amir’s request to drop the subject was not encouraged by his mother, he started to work closely with his teacher to improve his learning progress instead.
“It was thought-provoking when Mr Peter told me that I was doing fine. I started to reflect deeply about what he said and decided to do my utmost for this subject.” Amir said.
Amir became very patient with his learning curve and dedicated four to five hours a day to practising his answers for sociological essays.
“When I realised that I can tackle the questions without referring to the coursebook, I had this sense of satisfaction. I realised that to struggle is an opportunity to learn.
“I learnt about information extraction and to be consistent in my efforts.” Amir shared.
Amir’s hard work paid off! In his June 2022 IGCSE Sociology Exam, he scored an A*.
“Being forced to face our fear is not a bad thing after all,” Amir shared.
He advises his juniors that not giving up easily, falling and picking themselves up again and again, pays off!
“It is an advantage to work closely with your teachers and most importantly, you must have strong faith in yourself,” said Amir who is currently studying his IB Diploma Programme in India.
