Congratulations to a student who was admitted to Seoul National University's Department of Physics—an outstanding result in a highly demanding field.
I taught this student for three or four years, yet we rarely spoke about anything beyond the lesson itself. The student was quiet, focused, and consistent. The acceptance message may have been our longest conversation, and it was wonderful to hear the news.
The result also reminded me of a former student who progressed to UCL Biomedicine. After receiving a 5 on the first Chemistry examination, the student responded by rebuilding every part of the preparation process.
The workbook was completed two or three times, mistakes were collected in a separate notebook, and multiple-choice questions were practised repeatedly. The student used textbooks to make concise notes, reviewed them while travelling, asked questions whenever something remained unclear, and organised the recurring patterns found in past papers.
The account is detailed, but that is precisely what makes it useful: strong results came from many small, disciplined habits rather than a single shortcut.
I no longer ask students about university results before they choose to share them, because admissions can be personal and not every outcome is easy to discuss. When messages like these arrive, however, they remain one of the most rewarding parts of teaching.