Undergraduate wouldn't have pursued maths degree if it wasn't for Kumon

Currently a maths undergraduate at Queen Mary University of London, Shuja is pursuing his passion for numbers; yet you would never have thought that only five years ago he disliked maths and really struggled with it. 

So, what prompted this change of heart? Well it was in part thanks to Kumon. 

At aged 13, Shuja was lacking confidence in maths and together with his mum Yumna, came to Kumon to see how we could help. 

During his enrolment, which included a short test to ascertain his current ability and establish topics that required further development, his Instructor Henna pinpointed gaps in his addition skills – a factor likely to be hindering his current ability to grasp more complex mathematical concepts.

Therefore, together with Shuja and his mum, Yumna, Henna set about tailoring a completely unique programme of study for him, beginning with addition and subtraction.

Having made fantastic progress in his mathematic ability and confidence in the subject, Shuja left Kumon aged 16 to focus on his A-levels; however, his new-found enthusiasm for maths stayed with him, as did the good work ethic Kumon instilled.

We’re so pleased that, amongst his busy university schedule, Shuja had the time to catch up with us and reflect upon his time with Kumon. 

He told us: “Studying on the maths programme improved both my speed and my accuracy in maths. My mental maths also improved greatly; I was able to perform much more complex calculations mentally than I used to be able to.

“Along with improving my skills in maths, doing Kumon worksheets regularly made me feel more comfortable to the subject. My confidence with it grew up to the point that I not only started enjoying maths, but it became my favourite subject to study.

“When I started Kumon, my average grade in maths was C but by the time my GCSE year came, I felt a lot more confident in my maths and I was able to achieve an A grade in my final GCSE exam. Because I really enjoyed maths, I then decided to choose it as one of my A-level subjects and now I am also working toward a degree in maths.”

Yumna credits Kumon with helping Shuja turn things around and is really proud of him. She said: “Kumon helped Shuja to improve his understanding of maths and aided his ability to better perform in tests and exams at school. Alongside the mathematical improvements, Kumon taught him self-discipline and time management which continue to help him in his day to day life. I would like to thank the Kumon team who helped Shuja throughout his time on the programme.”

Learning that with Kumon’s help Shuja got to experience the joy of maths and realise the potential he had inside him is truly gratifying!

We look forward to supporting and inspiring students just like Shuja on our programmes for many years to come.