ICS Alumni Spotlight: Umar’s journey to academic success
Published: Fri 6 March 2026Hello, I am Umar, an ICS alumnus now studying at King’s College London.
When I started ICS, I had no clear idea of what I wanted to pursue, and even if I had, I would not have known how to get there. For a long time, I blamed by ADHD and dyslexia, convincing myself that personal growth was beyond my reach. From day one, the growth mindset instilled at ICS and its high expectations environment changed that belief and began to change the way I saw my own potential.
Just before Year 13, I came across a quote from Viktor Frankl.
“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”
As straightforward as it is, it genuinely stayed with me. I stopped telling myself it was out of my hands and focused on the parts I could change, starting with my effort and attitude. Even though I still didn’t have a clear idea of what I wanted to become, I knew what I wanted to achieve. I wanted to finish Sixth Form in a position that would keep as many doors open as possible. I wanted to ensure I could thrive in whatever direction I chose, even if I hadn’t chosen it yet.
From that day, I started taking action and it began with asking for help and and advice from the people around me. I was lucky to be part of ICS, where people genuinely supported one another. Even though everyone had their own goals and priorities, and everyone was working hard to improve together. I found people who pushed me in the right way and kept me accountable, which helped me stay consistent.
All that work paid off, resulting in top grades in Maths, History and Psychology. I built extremely close friendships with those who supported me and who I still value. The community spirit at ICS was key to exam success. ICS is not just about academic excellence but also about personal development and wellbeing – this balance allowed me to thrive.
Now at university, I’ve continued that progress. In the my first term at King’s, I ranked among the top few students in my cohort in my first set of exams, and I have started the Hedge Fund Society at KCL – not because university is easier, but because I know how to learn and how to stay consistent.
If there is one message I would leave to current student, it’s that you don’t need to have everything figured out to start improving. Focus on what you can control, ask for help as soon as you can, build a system that works for you, and give yourself enough time to turn small daily progress into real results.
Umar
Class of 2024 and Undergraduate Student at KCL
