Afjal

Name: Afjal

Joined King Edward's in: Year 7

A Levels: Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science

Clubs & Societies: Sustainability Prepositor, Robotics and Maths Clinic

How would you describe your time at King Edward's Sixth Form?

While I’ve been at KES since I was in Year 7, joining Sixth Form has been a completely different experience that I have thoroughly enjoyed. I decided to specialise in very maths-heavy subjects, which I (perhaps surprisingly) enjoy a lot. A big part of why I love my subjects is the tight-knit bond I developed with my classmates and teachers over the past 2 years. Every lesson is something I look forward to, and I am never shy about asking for help or jumping in to explain something to the class. Moreover, the teachers really encourage us to explore beyond the syllabus. For me, that meant diving into Physics Olympiads, Robotics Competitions and Team Maths Challenges. Aside from being a lot of fun, I managed to achieve really impressive results which has really boosted my university applications and fuelled my passion for my subjects.

Aside from academics, I’ve found that the most valuable experiences come from taking on responsibilities, like in my role as the school’s Sustainability Prepositor. This has involved presenting assemblies for the whole school, writing articles, leading meetings, and even appearing on the BBC! Getting involved in sustainability has been really fulfilling to me and is something that I definitely want to incorporate into my further study/career. Plus, I have found that it’s a good change of pace from my very technical A-Levels. I think generally, clubs, societies, and just hanging out in the Concourse, have been really useful for me to step away from my intense workload, and have allowed me to also be super social over my time at KES.

What are your top three favourite things about the Sixth Form?

1. Really fun and friendly class environment

2. All the opportunities for academic competitions and challenges

3. Playing (and winning) card games in the Concourse

What are your plans, next steps and aspirations for once you have finished your A Levels at King Edward's?

Next year, staying on the theme of maths, I will hopefully be studying Pure Mathematics at Imperial College London, or Maths and Philosophy at The University of Bristol. This will hopefully set me up well to break into the field of Artificial Intelligence, which is something I have recently found a keen interest in, through student robotics and my computer science coursework.

What would be your message to students looking to join the Sixth Form at King Edward's?

There are countless opportunities waiting for you at KES, whether it’s taking on a senior position to develop your leadership skills, participating in competitions that are absolute gold dust for your university application, or simply engaging in something just for fun. Make the most of everything because these two years will fly by far too quickly.