Once again, some of my students have been accepted to SNU. Let's take a look.
First is a student accepted to SNU Physics.
We hadn't talked much outside the lesson content, but I'm so happy they got in.
They quietly and consistently attended lessons without missing a single one. I'm delighted.
Nobody could match this student's diligence. Congratulations!
Next is a student accepted to SNU Chemistry.
This student was already so strong that they didn't need much teaching.
I only needed to touch on the few things they didn't know. They were excellent. It's so rewarding to hear that they're going into Chemistry.
Finally, here is a reflection from a student who earned 7s in almost every IB subject.
Student: One important thing I realized while studying IB Chemistry is that repeatedly doing past papers helps you get familiar with them, identify recurring material, and learn to anticipate question types. But I think the most important thing is to learn each chapter's concepts thoroughly, until you're confident enough to explain them to someone else, and then solve questions—or do both alongside each other. As the IB finals approach, comparing yourself with friends and reflecting on your progress can make you anxious. It's easy to start blindly doing past papers, nervously telling yourself that you'll pick up the concepts along the way, while actually studying the concepts carelessly. I don't think you should do that!
In my case, I tried to make my conceptual understanding as solid as possible. I also did past papers, marked difficult questions, and kept a notebook of the question types I hadn't been able to solve.
Another thing: don't get into the habit of saying, 'This is difficult, so I'll come back to it later,' instead of working through it and resolving it there and then. That's just postponing the work. It comes back multiplied, and as you do more past papers, the material you skipped turns into gaps in your knowledge.
I don't think there's some special trick. You shouldn't settle for the self-satisfaction of saying, 'I worked pretty hard today.' When I studied Chemistry, instead of recording how many hours I studied, I set a definite section to finish that day and stopped when it was done.
Honestly, I was so harsh and strict with myself that I damaged my health. At school, I ate only salad at lunchtime because I didn't want to feel sleepy while studying in the afternoon. As soon as lunch started, I ran to an empty classroom and ate my salad alone while solving Maths and Chemistry questions. Looking back, I worked 'hard,' but I wonder whether I could have studied more 'efficiently.' I think the points above can help improve efficiency. Keep going!
At the time of writing, my schedule isn't full, so I can take students. Later, even consultations may be difficult.
Consultations are currently available!