Behind the 45s | Nicky W: Study Smart, Not Hard
Over the past few months, we have been profiling the remarkable students in our Group who achieved a perfect 45 in their IB Diploma final results and asking them to share their advice with our community.
Nicky W, who just graduated from Dulwich College Shanghai Pudong, is one of these amazing students.
His piece of wisdom?
"My main piece of advice for younger students is to study smart, not hard. The IB is a marathon, not a sprint."
It’s no secret that the IB diploma programme is academically rigorous. As Nicky puts it,
"The IB is definitely a challenging curriculum as it demands that students must master a range of subjects over just two years."
In order to stay motivated throughout the two years, Nicky developed a wide range of soft skills, including resilience and time management, that helped keep him on track.
"During the academic year, I followed the Pomodoro technique – 25 minutes of revision followed by a 5-minute break. This provided me with a set routine that I could easily follow and ensured that I had sufficient time to rest. It also motivated me to study hard during these sessions to 'gain' my well-deserved break at the end of each cycle."
He also advises younger students to hone their study techniques. For Nicky, studying two to three hours each day and revisiting concepts on a regular basis allowed him to consolidate his subject knowledge and avoid waiting until the last minute to revise.
Finally, Nicky shares that he leaned heavily on the Dulwich community, which supported him in a "multitude of ways" throughout his IB journey.
"My subject teachers were incredibly helpful. Whenever I had a question, they would always be more than happy to help out and offer support. Moreover, my friends at school were also a great addition to my time at Dulwich. They made going to school much more enjoyable and sociable, which actually motivated me to continue studying hard. Overall, Dulwich provided me with a home and a place where I felt supported and included."
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