His mastery of the subject is so profound that he attained perfect scores in both Mathematics and Further Mathematics in the October/November 2021 series of the AS-Level examinations. His achievement earned him the “Top in the World” award for both subjects, which he undertook under the encouragement of his older brother.
“He saw that I enjoyed mathematics throughout my years in secondary school.
“Doing well in my International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) examinations gave me further motivation too,” Nathaniel told StarEdu.
To do well in the subjects at the AS-Level, the 19-year-old Methodist College Kuala Lumpur student shared a few strategies that he had adopted.
Throughout the examination preparations, he said, focusing on the journey rather than the end goal was the key for him. “When it comes to the results like scoring well, it isn’t something you have a lot of control over such as a good night’s sleep.
“What is under your control, however, is how well you prepare for the examinations,” he said.
Having overcome his initial shyness to speak up, Nathaniel is a firm believer of getting his doubts cleared.
“Always ask your lecturers when you are unsure about anything,” he advised.
“It’s your educator’s duty to help you learn; you’ve got everything to lose if you don’t take the initiative to clear your doubts with them,” he added.
He said that online learning – which was the medium of instruction for the most part of his first-year lectures – did nothing to deter his enthusiasm for learning.
However, like most youths his age, Nathaniel is not immune from the pull of social media platforms. To avoid getting distracted while he was studying, he resorted to recording himself focusing on the task at hand.
“Doing time-lapse recordings of myself studying disciplined me to stay on course and prevented me from watching YouTube videos during the mid-study session,” he said. He added that working on past year papers contributed immensely to his examination preparations. “My Further Mathematics lecturer advised us to treat every past year paper as a test – which meant to not do as many, but to sit for it as if you were under examination conditions and apply pressure on yourself. Quality over quantity,” he shared.
He also pointed out the benefits of studying with a group of friends. “My teachers would give us the past year papers at the start of the class and have us hand them in at the end of it. So among my friends, it would become a race to complete the papers. That experience made our preparations really fun,” he recalled.He also urged students to find more challenging questions to work on as a test of whether they truly understand the concepts.
“I wish I had marked down those questions so that I could redo them,” he said.
In addition, Nathaniel said it is imperative that they pay attention to their lecturers and are always consistent in completing their coursework.
“The reason why a large number of those who took Further Mathematics in my batch dropped the subject was that they fell behind on assignments.
“A few people had weeks’ worth of assignments and they kept stacking up, so they decided to drop the class as it was too much to work through,” he cautioned.
The A-Level student said he plans to take a gap year after completing the programme to familiarise himself with different degree courses and educational pathways.
“Right now, I’m looking more into mechanical engineering and electrical engineering. I’m also planning to take an internship,” he said.
Sydney, 18, a student in Kuala Lumpur, is a participant of the BRATs Young Journalist Programme run by The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (Star-NiE) team.
1. In the article, Nathaniel offered tips for doing well in mathematics. Identify the seven tips from the article.
What are some other tips that you can add to the list?
Do you think these tips can be used to motivate yourself to do better in other subjects, as well?
2. Using words and pictures from today’s copy of the Sunday Star newspaper, design a poster to remind yourself to put your best foot forward in your exam preparations.
Your post must include at least three tips you have listed in the activity above.
When you are done, pin it up in your study area.
3. In what way is mathematics a part of our lives?
Look through the newspaper for examples of its role.
Then, cut them out and paste them in your Star-NiE scrapbook, with descriptions to explain your findings.
4. What do you think are some tertiary courses that Nathaniel can consider taking since he excels at mathematics?
Do some research.
When you are done, prepare for a speaking exercise with an activity partner.
Imagine that you are having a conversation with Nathaniel in which you suggest some viable options for his tertiary course.
How would you carry out the conversation?
Let the role-play begin!
Since 1997, The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (Star-NiE) programme has supported English language teaching and learning in primary and secondary schools nationwide. Through Star-NiE’s teacher and student workshops, annual contests and monthly English language resources for classroom use, participants of the programme reportedly showed marked interest in the language and progress in their proficiency. Now in its 25th year, Star-NiE is continuing its role of promoting the use of English language through a weekly activity page in StarEdu. These activities are suitable for use individually and in groups, at home and in the classroom, across varied proficiency levels. Parents and teachers are encouraged to work on the activities with their children and students. In addition, Star-NiE’s BRATs Young Journalist Programme will continue to be a platform for participants to hone and showcase their English language skills, as well as develop their journalistic interests and instincts. Follow our updates at facebook.com/niebrats. For Star-NiE enquiries, email starnie@thestar.com.my.
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