At St Andrew’s Cathedral School, Julius found the IB Diploma Programme taught him logical thinking and reflective learning, with Physics as his favourite subject. Julius plans to study Physics and either Mathematics or Music Composition at university, keeping an open mind about his future.
What have you most enjoyed about going to St Andrew’s Cathedral School?
Two things. Supportive friends … and food!
My friends and I had ‘Cuisine Tuesday’, where we ventured to new locations to try the different tastes the city has to offer during lunch hours—from crepes to ramen. This was one of my favourite past times.
How have you seen yourself change and develop since being at the School?
I was always drawn to Music, Mathematics and Science, but I definitely developed other interests and hobbies due to the influence of the community around me. When you see people that are extremely passionate about something, you gain an interest in what they’re doing.
One of my piano-playing peers showed me the basics of jazz harmony in such an animated manner that it started a long-lasting interest in music theory and improvisation.
Similarly, bonding with a quantum physics and trigonometry enthusiast on snow camp heightened my thirst for knowledge in Mathematics and Physics.
Aside from this, I learned to enjoy life a lot more and worry less, which is nice.
How did undertaking the IB Diploma Programme teach you how to think and learn? Was there a particular subject you most enjoyed?
One of the most important skills I learned was how to think logically and clearly.
I also learnt honest reflection – admitting to yourself that you don’t understand something or that a skill needs improvement is the first step towards learning and improving.
Mr Ryan, my Year 10 Science teacher was one of the first people to spark my interest in Physics, because it was clear how passionate he was about it. Having Dr McGonigle for IB Physics was inspiring—he had so many intriguing stories about his adventures as a volcanologist! He was a super caring and considerate person, and an excellent teacher who ensured everyone understood the content.
My favourite topic was waves: the crossover between trigonometry and calculus is mysterious and exciting, especially because you see the real-life phenomena that are governed by these mysterious equations.
The more I learnt, the more questions I seemed to have, but I always gained satisfaction from understanding new concepts and making connections between them.
What do you hope to do next year and in your future?
I want to study Physics and either Mathematics or Music Composition at university. However, I’m open to seeing where the wind takes me.
