Seville graduate scores 13.952 on entrance exam despite noisy home. In Seville, a public high school graduate achieved one of the highest scores in the university entrance exams. The student prepared for the tests amidst constant noise and without a door in her room. She now plans to pursue a degree in biochemistry.
In Seville, 18-year-old Noelia Besada graduated from the public San Jerónimo Institute with top marks in her diploma and one of the highest scores in the university entrance exams — 13.952. This result was the second highest in the province and was achieved under conditions that can hardly be called favorable for studying.
The main challenge for Noelia was the constant noise in her apartment: she has two younger brothers, one of whom has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Her room had no door due to renovations, and she couldn't go to the library — it was important for her to review material out loud, which was at odds with the rules of silence. As a result, she had to prepare for her exams at home, despite constant distractions.
The Besada family lives in the working-class San Jerónimo neighborhood. The father is currently unemployed, and the mother works as a telephone operator. To support the family budget, Noelia plans to take a summer job at a fast-food chain. According to her, the neighborhood has both affluent and disadvantaged families, but for her, the most important thing was not the environment, but her own determination.
Throughout the year, Noelia studied every evening, without exceptions even on weekends. She notes that her ability to quickly memorize information and connect different topics has helped her. In the final weeks before the exams, she tried not to give in to anxiety and not to leave her preparations until the last moment.
After successfully passing her exams, Noelia plans to study biochemistry at the University of Seville — last year, the required admission score for this program was 12.3, which she confidently surpassed. To celebrate her achievement, she will join her classmates for a week-long trip to Malta — a journey she financed herself, raising money through lotteries and selling sweets throughout the year.
Teachers played a significant role in her preparation: her mathematics teacher taught her how to work with material, her chemistry teacher helped her stay calm, and her biology mentor guided her in independently searching for and analyzing information. Despite intensive studies, Noelia found time for family, friends, and her boyfriend, who also achieved high results in the exams and plans to study physics.
If her chosen field does not provide the expected prospects, she is considering additional education in dietetics. This year in Seville, more than 430 graduates scored over 13 points on the exams, with an overall average of 7.61. According to official statistics, 90% of the nearly 9,600 candidates successfully passed the tests.
Stories of overcoming obstacles on the path to success regularly become topics of discussion in the Spanish media. For example, a recent highlight was the finale of a popular television show, where a participant shared personal challenges — more about this can be found in the article about José Manuel Soto's revelation on the show Supervivientes.
The university entrance exam system in Spain (PAU) is a significant challenge for graduates every year. High scores open the door to prestigious specialties, and competition among applicants remains intense, especially in large cities and for highly sought-after fields.
