Bibek Ramdam
A-Level World Topper in Mathematics, 2013
I never liked the idea of memorizing a paragraph, writing the exact same thing on exams, getting straight forward questions, and forgetting everything the very next day like when I did in SLC. I wanted to know how I can use my knowledge in real life.
The questions in A-levels are not exactly straight forward. One has to look for key words in it, figure out what the question is trying to ask, and then use your knowledge to answer the question. This is a process that is somewhat similar to real life problems and prepares young minds to face greater challenges in like. A-Levels expands one’s horizon and enables one to find multiple solutions to every problem.
When I was first told about being the world topper in Mathematics, it really took me some time to process the news. I was listening to Mathematics lecture in the classroom when there was a sudden knock at the door. It was by our A-Levels coordinator who said, “Congratulations Bibek, you are this year’s world topper in Mathematics.” I replied offhandedly, “okay, thank you.” It took some time to hit me and when it did, my happiness broke boundaries and I could not just stop myself from smiling all through the lecture. My family and friends were as much elated. I felt like a movie star back home and in school for at least a week.
After completing my A-Levels, I got Founders Scholarship to study Mechanical Engineering at Howard University in Washington DC. I am in my first semester of the junior year.
In the future, I plan to go to a graduate school and study either robotics or aeronautical or biomedical engineering.
For those teenagers who are aspiring to study A-Levels, I would like to say A-levels is completely a new experience coming from SLC; it does take some time getting used to it, and when you do, you'll not want to go back.
How to do well in it? Don’t study just for the sake of getting an A or an A+. Study A-Levels to learn new things and to enjoy the learning process.