Earlier this year, a team of secondary learners celebrated success at the Regional finals in the World Mathematics Championships, with two learners earning golden tickets straight to the World Finals, taking place at Imperial College London this summer. We caught up with Year 13 learner, Julian, to see how he got on in the Finals, becoming one of the top mathematician learners in the world and to find out more about what he’s hoping to achieve next. See what he had to say below. 

World Mathematics Championship Finalist

Congratulations on getting to the final round of the World Mathematics Championships! Can you tell us a little about it?

Julian: Two years ago, I attended the junior finals at the University of Melbourne. These Senior finals were a lot more intense! We started doing Maths at 8:30am every day and didn’t end until 9pm at night. Despite that, I think these World Mathematics Championships were a lot more enjoyable – I got more out of it, both pushing myself mathematically and being a lot more open to meeting new people. I was surrounded by a lot of talented people, so that was particularly enriching.

What did you have to do during the competition?

Julian: A lot of maths! As I said, most days we were occupied with the different rounds of the competition (with the occasional excursion around London or the Natural History Museum). But it was great that for the maths side of things, it wasn’t just traditional written questions. They prepared very different and dynamic rounds which were more about challenging your overall thinking, and not just how much maths theory you know.

Was it harder than previous rounds? How did you prepare?

Honestly I could have prepared more but as the World Mathematics Championships took place over the long school break, I was in the Philippines visiting family and relaxing for the two weeks before the competition. I think my consistent interest in maths over the past years and how I’ve prepared in the past allowed me to have the knowledge to still do well. This competition was definitely more intense, but the questions were probably around a similar difficulty to previous rounds of this competition.

Did you find anything particularly enjoyable or challenging this time?

What I really enjoyed about the Finals was being able to collaborate with like-minded people who also love maths in such a concentrated environment. It was challenging competing against so many other people, yet I think it pushed me to really do my best.

How many students took part in this round?

There were 51 students who made it to this final round of the World Mathematics Championships and they came from all over the world! There were learners from Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, and the Philippines, amongst others.

How was the team challenge different from the individual challenges?

The team challenges were different because we were paired up in 3 different teams for 3 different categories of team challenges. I liked the diversity of working with so many different people in a team, each of whom had their own strengths. It meant I was able to achieve/solve more than what I could have done on my own.

Julian, you received the highest mark in Singapore for IGCSE Further Pure Maths, and now you’re officially now one of the top 3 student mathematicians in the world! How does it feel?

It feels great! Honestly I was really surprised at the award ceremony, and with how I performed, especially since I felt like there were so many people there who knew so much more than me!

What do you particularly enjoy about Maths?

I enjoy how there’s so much to learn, yet all the knowledge builds upon things you have already studied. Linking to that, I really enjoy how all the problems you solve are objective and how solutions are derived logically. It’s always satisfying once it works out.

How have your teachers supported you in the classroom, and through opportunities like the World Mathematics Championships?

My teachers have been very supportive in allowing me to explore what I want to learn beyond the syllabus and consistently challenging me to learn, even when I already perform well. I really appreciate how our maths department opens up so many of these opportunities to compete, including other competitions like the UK Maths Trust (UKMT) and Canadian Senior Maths Competition (CSMC). Things like this allow me to challenge what I know in maths.

And finally, what are you hoping to do after Nexus?

I’d really like to pursue computer science, either in the USA or UK!

Celebrating Success in Maths at Nexus International School (Singapore)

At Nexus, our Maths teachers go above and beyond to provide learners with authentic learning opportunities both in the classroom, and through external competitions. From Primary School where learners can take part in the FOBISIA maths challenge and UK Maths Challenges, to Secondary School where learners like Julian and Divyansh take part in Senior Maths challenges, every learner at Nexus is encouraged to push themselves to achieve beyond their potential.

Find out more about how our approach to teaching Maths helps every learner at Nexus thrive here, or speak to our Admissions team to see a maths lesson in action.