The IB Chemistry final was finally over, and the end of that examination season brought an enormous sense of relief.
Most students who contacted me said the paper had felt manageable. Even a student who had regularly received a grade 3 at school—and then studied with me every day for two intensive weeks—said the examination felt straightforward. From those early reactions, the overall difficulty appeared reasonable.
Parents also sent many thoughtful messages, and some delivered gifts in person or by courier. I opened the gifts from parents, but I planned to keep one student's letter and present unopened as a lasting memory.
The messages collected in the post included students who ranked first or second in their school and students who received Chemistry awards. It was impossible to publish every message, so I selected only a few representative examples.
One student had studied IB Chemistry with me for two years and received a school Chemistry award. Another award winner had also worked consistently throughout the course. Seeing those long-term students finish was especially meaningful.
The university news was equally exciting. One student was heading to the University of Toronto with a scholarship, and another had been admitted to Imperial College London.
So many messages arrived together that I could not include them all. The overall feeling, however, was that the students had performed well, which was a tremendous relief.
The students preparing for the following year—from China, Dubai, Thailand, Vietnam, and Korea—were also ranking near the top of their classes. After the intensity of the final, it finally felt possible to rest for a while.