马同学's Journey

I'm a girl studying A-Levels in Shenzhen who has always loved maths but harboured an inexplicable fear of exams. I first heard about the TMUA at a school university guidance talk — another exam to prepare for, and my stress doubled instantly. My diagnostic was 4.4; Paper 1 was passable but Paper 2 was a disaster.

My mum enrolled me in the Foundation + Logic Specialist combination. Ms. Wang was the first teacher who made me feel that maths class could be warm. She never showed impatience at simple questions, instead saying: 'That's an excellent question — it shows you're thinking.' This encouragement was crucial for someone as anxiety-prone as me.

Dr. Zhang in the Logic Specialist course transformed my understanding of mathematics entirely. I used to think maths was about calculations and equations, but she showed me that its core is logic — rigorous reasoning, elegant argumentation. Her Structured Proof Method turned me from someone who trembled at proof questions to someone who enjoyed the proving process.

Mr. Liu's mock exam review in the final week gave me my last confidence boost. He said: 'Mock exams don't exist to scare you — they exist so the real exam becomes your ninth mock.' That thought made me remarkably composed in the exam hall. My 7.4 secured a UCL Mathematics offer. As a girl who once feared exams, I want to tell others like me: the fear doesn't disappear, but you can learn to coexist with it.