Three Top Achievers in CAIE and EdExcel Exams

This year we have three top achievers in Cambridge Assessment International Education and EdExcel exams at Dulwich International High School Suzhou, in Geography, Additional Maths and Economics. Student Alaric H. won top in China award in CAIE AS in Geography, Steven C. won top in China award in CAIE IGCSE in Additional Maths, and Olivia Y. won top in China award in EdExcel IGCSE in Economics.

Such exciting news has drawn attention from media, and a popular WeChat official account has interviewed the three students. Since Geography has not been a very popular subject among students in China and even around the world, Alaric was first interviewed about the reason he chose Geography, how he studied the subject and how the subject was taught differently at Dulwich. 

No Black-and-White Mindset

Unlike other subjects that are distinctively different from others, geography is an inter-disciplinary subject that requires both memorizing of facts and calculations, so students need to be both literarily and scientifically excellent to achieve top result in the subject.

Alaric believes that the difference between geography and traditional A-level subjects is that it has higher requirements for English, especially in English writing. Students need to be able to express ideas fluently, and think critically, black-and-white way of thinking is not acceptable. In the process of learning geography, we must see that all things have two sides, and the right mindset is to consider when advantages overrun disadvantages, and vice versa, and think objectively. 

Alaric’s Secret to Success: Self-Discipline is Very Important

In most schools in the traditional system, teachers only transfer knowledge in a class with few interaction with students. In an international school like Dulwich, teachers will teach more interactively, through group work, discussions and presentations. This not only cultivates students' critical thinking skills, but also guides them to learn and research by themselves. Students will also be able to apply theoretical knowledge to practical situations. Alaric admits that in addition to the guidance of teachers, it is also necessary to proactively do exercises yourself. Learning and practicing proactively alone is the secret to success.

Alaric’s Learning Tips: Use syllabus as a guideline, one needs to consolidate knowledge points after learning each chapter. When moving on to the next chapter, combine the previous points with your current knowledge. Using such combination is a good way to answer questions.

Don’t Do Last Minute Preparation

“Say no to last minute preparation for exams!” Alaric stressed strongly in the video. Alaric said that one should develop the habit of long term learning, because unlike subjects like economics and mathematics, geography requires lots of memorization. If you pile up all the knowledge till the last minute to review, the workload is impossibly large. He also suggests that once you complete a chapter, link previous knowledge points together, and consolidate them. It’s like building a Pyramid, only when each layer is firmly stacked slowly, one can climb to the peak. If the foundations are not well laid at the beginning, and the final blocks are layered in a rush, the Pyramid will easily fall apart.

A Lighthouse Guide me Forward

Alaric's ability to achieve such an impressive achievement in geography is inseparable from his love of the subject. His journey in geography began as a child. “When I was a child, my parents often took me out to play in places where I could experience the differences in geography. In terms of natural geography, I would see mountains, plains, and canyons in nature. In terms of human geography, I could also taste and feel the different aspects of food, clothing, housing, and culture. I have slowly cultivated interest in these differences. Junior high school geography gave me the opportunity to apply what I had learned, but at that time it was very simple to learn, as there was not much to understand. There were many ‘only knowing, not knowing why’ things that you didn’t need to understand the truth behind. When I arrived at Dulwich, I found that geography taught in a Western style helped you understand how these things were formed. Why did it happen in these places? It can help me solve some problems I encountered in my experience. I think it is very useful. ” Geography to him is like a lighthouse to a seafarer. It can guide him forward, and can also illuminate his direction.

"50 questions in 1 hour"

Learning is inseparable from a teacher who is good at answering questions. Alaric said that the teachers at Dulwich always did their best to help the students. He takes himself as an example. Before an exam, he sorted out 50 questions for the class teacher. The teacher took him to the office and spent an hour explaining it to him. His teachers are also good at giving examples during class, which can help students deepen their understanding. In the process of learning, the teacher is a leader, able to help students and understand them. This is a trait shared by all the teachers at Dulwich.

Olivia’s Secret to Success: Good Teacher + The Correct Method + A Little Bit of Luck = Success!

Olivia’s success in economics is due to her teacher. Her teacher often gave examples of real-life economics during class. It is because of this that she gradually cultivated her interest in economics. It is really linked to your own life. Every time you ask a question, the teacher will be very patient, and the answeris very authoritative, very clear and detailed, which helps to guide your test-taking skills. In addition, the teacher also pays great attention to 1-on-1 counseling, so that every student has the opportunity to communicate with the teacher.

In terms of study skills, she also shared three points for us:

• Read more books! You don’t have to recite sentences, just remember the key points, to understand how to reason, combine the knowledge of new learning with the previous, you can deepen the memory.
• Reading frequently helps you build memory skills.
• Manage your time carefully.

Steven’s Secret to Success: E-Notes + Inference Drawing + Time Management = Success!

Mathematics is the foundation of all sciences and a subject that requires the most meticulous logic. From the 11th grade, Steven used an iPad to complete the whole process of mathematics learning, including the recording of class notes, the completion of homework and review after class. He thinks that compared with traditional paper notes, electronic notes are more environmentally friendly, and all the handwritten notes can be quickly found, which is convenient for reviewing and revising. The emergence of electronic notes is an advancement in technology, and provides more opportunities for students to "read books."

Teaching is Inseparable from Learning

The success of our students is very important to the continued success of our school. As the only international high school in Suzhou that is operated and managed by foreign parties, Dulwich has achieved the teaching model of international schools. The teachers have very well integrated the advantages of foreign teaching, allowing students to sum up the rules from a more flexible way of teaching and stimulate their autonomy. Students willingly accept that these are the only teaching methods that actively prepare them for university.

At middle schools, teaching and learning complement each other. Alaric shared with us that in the process of learning geography, the school also provided opportunities to connect theory with practice. It included activities such as going to New Zealand to inspect natural geography and participate in the Mobike market promotion analysis business competition. Steven thinks that 75-minute classes are both different and better than the 45-minute teaching in the ordinary high schools in China. Dulwich has tailored the curriculum to students from the dual perspectives of students and teaching. Students Grown in Dulwich Thrive in Life!