My Route into Manchester: Dukula De Alwis Jayasinghe
Student experience 4 August 2020
You may have seen posts from Dukula on our blog before. Today he’s been telling us about his experiences before he came to Manchester. Dukula shows how hard work, determination and support from the right places led to him achieving his dream of studying Chemistry – even after some surprising examination results.
My Route to Manchester
In the past, I was not an academically bright student. I considered myself an average student but my life completely changed between 2016 and 2018.
In 2016, I became Deputy House Captain and Senior Prefect at my secondary school. This honour put a lot of pressure on my time and I stopped focusing on my studies, spending my time on the Deputy House Captain and Senior Prefect roles. I did not understand work-life balance and this led me to me achieving incredibly low marks in my Grade 11 examinations, including a 7% in chemistry.
As soon as I received these results, my parents and I met this wonderful teacher, Mrs. Tanya Withanage. She talked with my parents and explained that she felt I wasn’t living up to my true potential. Nor was I taking steps to improve my examination results. After listening to this, and amidst my protests, my parents changed my school and this changed my life completely.
A Fresh Start…
The two years I spent at Royal Institute was really life changing. To this day, I still remember walking into the school for the first time. I waited near the gate for a minute thinking, “Forget my past, nobody knows me in this school, I will be somebody here that everyone will know one day”. I started studying AS Levels in Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry and met some of the most wonderful teachers. They were truly exceptional and not only did I enjoy their subjects, I became passionate about what I was doing.
I requested to do psychology as a fourth subject but it was not available. However, I had a feeling “in my gut” to do a fourth subject at AS Level and chose to self-study Marine Science. I achieved four grade ‘A’s my AS Levels and even more surprisingly, I later received news that I had been awarded 3rd Place for best average across four Cambridge AS Levels and also a top in country award for my self-studied subject, Marine Science.
6 months before the A Level examinations, I started studying AS & A Level Psychology after a request from my mother to do a fifth subject. It was really a difficult task because I was already teaching myself A Level marine science and there was limited time to complete both AS and A level syllabus.
Hard work pays off
I managed this by planning my studies adequately and completed the full syllabus one month before the examination. I cannot say this was easy – it was actually really stressful – but hard work paid off in the end. On results day, I received fantastic news that I had received A*s in all five of my subjects and also got an unconditional offer from the University of Manchester to study chemistry! This was the best day of my life – I knew that my life path changed.
After coming to Manchester, I received even more wonderful news that I had received an International Excellence Scholarship for the Faculty of Science and Engineering. I also received the news that I achieved the best A Level results and top in the country awards for A Level Marine Science and Psychology!
Looking at my past, I really have come a long way. I am now studying chemistry at one of the most prestigious chemistry departments in the world, which seemed an unattainable dream back in 2016. Our failures in life are what make us human, in my opinion. I did not understand balance, but now I do. I was able to manage my school work with other general work as well including starting a chemistry club at my school. Sometimes failures bring people down, but it’s really the negative thoughts that leads you down. Sometimes, with a small change and with the correct guidance from special people, you can overcome it.
Striking a balance
Now I am at University I balance my studies alongside other roles. I am currently a PASS Coordinator, and Student Ambassador for both the Department of Chemistry and the Faculty of Science and Engineering.
I am really grateful to my parents, teachers and friends who helped me reach this stage today. Studying at Manchester has been a wonderful experience so far and I am sure there are even more surprising events in the future both good and bad, but I will always try my best!
Thank you Dukula for sharing your story about your route into Manchester.
With everything that has been going on over the past few months, opening examination results this year may feel like a step into the unknown. Whatever your results, remember that one set of examination results does not define you and you can take steps to change this, like Dukula did. If you find yourself without any offers on results day then why not take a look at our vacancies in clearing.
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