The Results Are In: From Sleepless Nights to Life-Changing Moments
And what really matters
A*AA.
Two years ago, I walked into Newham Collegiate Sixth Form with high aspirations. A few days back, I opened my A-Level results (A* in Maths, A in Physics and Further Maths) alongside my acceptance letter to study Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science MEng at the University of Southampton.
But as I sit here writing this, I know this moment isn't really about grades.
The Real Journey
This is about the countless hours of Further Maths homework that seemed to stretch on forever. Those practice papers that made me question if I was cut out for this path. Every moment I wanted to throw in the towel but found the strength to keep going.
What I've been taught by my parents since I was a kid: the gap between where you are and where you want to be isn't about natural talent — it's about consistency. It's about showing up when motivation fails. It's about working toward the best version of yourself.
Time and effort. That's the lesson I've carried since childhood, and today it proved true.
The People Who Made It Possible
None of this would have happened without the incredible teachers at NCS who pushed me to my limits and gave me life-changing opportunities. Special thanks to Mr Rashid, Mr Edwards, Mr McCauley, Mr Lo, Ms Asif, Dr Maugeri, Dr Cardenas and Mr Farhat. You didn't just teach subjects; you taught me that relentless practice turns the impossible into routine.
I'd also like to thank all my teachers throughout my life, both in and out of school.
To my family and friends who listened to moments when I needed to vent and took time for me to work things out — this win belongs to all of us. And massive congrats to everyone else who got their results and offers!
My Reflections
I think the key takeaway from the grind of these last two years has been: what are your goals?
A lot of us got carried away with the pursuit of the big universities: Cambridge, Oxford, UCL, KCL, you name it.
We sometimes forgot that at the end of the day, our goal should be to get into the best university we can, because the competition is rough, especially for Computer Science.
The truth is, I don't blame anyone. At my school, the focus was heavily on prestige.
At the end of the day, where you go in life depends on what you do within your control. You'll get where you want to be if you put in the work and have a clear understanding of what your goals are. Because that's what matters most.
Knowing where you want to go.
For me, the university I attend doesn't change my core goals. My plan was to get into the best university possible, excel academically, then build startups on the side to live on my own terms. Whether that happened at Cambridge or Southampton doesn't affect the ultimate outcome.
What matters about university is making the most of your time during the 3, 4, or 6 years you're there, and getting a first-class degree. There are people from less prestigious universities who have landed incredible jobs over top-class university graduates because they used their time more wisely and achieved better grades.
Never underestimate the power of time and effort, and trust in God.
So define your goals, and focus on them. The long run is more important, and work compounds.
If you have clear principal goals, you can adapt your plan as life throws curveballs at you. That's success.
The last thing I want to say is that no matter what life throws at you—whether you didn't get your firm choice or the grades you hoped for — you should always pick yourself up and keep going. Being able to adapt is key to success, and no single moment defines you until you're no longer here. So make the most of your time in this world, and pursue what you want to do with what you have. If you focus on what you can control, you'll fare well. Trust me.
What This Means for MemVis
Here's where this personal journey connects to something bigger I've been working on.
Throughout these two years of grinding through endless homework and practice papers, I kept thinking: there has to be a better way to learn. A way that doesn't feel like you're drowning in content, where you can actually see your progress, and where the system adapts to how your brain works.
That's why my co-founder Armaan and I have been building MemVis —an AI-powered learning platform designed specifically for GCSE and A-Level students. Think of it as "Notion meets Duolingo meets an AI tutor" for academic revision.
The platform we're creating includes:
AI-powered revision calendars that track your memory and reschedule topics using spaced repetition
Auto-generated quizzes and flashcards tailored to your exam board
Interactive knowledge maps that show your progress like a skill tree
An AI tutor that explains concepts and guides you through problem-solving
Smart goal tracking and gamification to keep you motivated
This experience taught me something fundamental: every student deserves tools that make learning feel less impossible and more achievable. That's exactly what we're building.
We've been quieter than usual these past few months because we've been deep in development, but I'm excited to start sharing more about our journey and progress with you all. This is just the beginning.
If you're interested in being part of our beta testing community, I'd love to have you join our waitlist!
Looking Forward
Sometimes the biggest breakthroughs happen when you're too focused on the work to notice you're breaking through. That's exactly how these two years felt — one homework assignment, one practice paper, one small victory at a time.
Southampton, here I come. MemVis, let's change education.
More updates on the platform (and life) coming very soon. Thank you for being part of this journey.
What's a moment when consistency paid off for you? Hit reply — I'd love to hear your story.
P.S. Here’s an ironic meme
