A Cardiff teenager who achieved 14 A*s in his GCSEs has shared his revision tips, though some may find them extreme. Dewen Wu, 16, from Cardiff, said he sometimes stayed up until 7am to complete coursework and even took coursework on holidays abroad.
Results day surprise
The pupil at the independent St John's College in Cardiff said he had worked hard but was "surprised" at how well he did when he opened his results on Thursday. Dewen got A*s in 11 subjects, from art and design to maths, further maths, numeracy, Chinese, and all the sciences, as well as English literature and language, geography, product design and computer science. Combined with three A*s he already had for GCSEs taken early, this totals 14.
Dewen said he felt inspired by the "rigorous work ethic" of other teenagers in Cardiff who have achieved 14 A*s in one go. He added that revising for his GCSEs saw him regularly spend long nights going over coursework, staying up until 7am and even taking coursework on holidays abroad.
Hard work pays off
Dewen said: "The moment when I opened my results was completely indescribable - it was as if all of the hours I poured into coursework and late revision sessions finally paid off in 10 seconds.
"I really wanted to share my story to show that hard work and dedication always pays off, and is reflected in my results. While my time spent doing coursework was long and tiring, it taught me valuable lessons on persistence and resilience."
He added: "If I had a message to upcoming year 11 students who may be stressed out over looming exams, it would be that the work that you put into your learning is reflected in your outcome - but it's probably better to stick to the daylight hours."
Scholarship and future plans
Dewen also thanked his "ever-supportive" teachers, saying: "They are my academic backbone and I would be nowhere near where I am academically without them."
On Friday, Dewen learned that his results earned him a 100% scholarship at Cardiff Sixth Form College, dubbed "Britain's brainiest school" for often posting the best results. "I am so ecstatic! I think I'm going to Cardiff Sixth Form College," he said.
After A Levels, Dewen thinks he wants a career after university that will let him use maths and science skills.
