All work and no play paid off for 18-year-old Brandon Jones, who will be paying $15,000 less to complete his degree after receiving five scholarships this year.
The two-time-Dux of Havelock North High School said he was pretty pleased with the results, as he'd aimed to get the NZQA scholarships in all five subjects.
He received scholarships in biology, chemistry, statistics, calculus, and was one of 28 in the country to receive an outstanding scholarship for level three physics.
"I enjoy studying, I never had to make myself sit down and work," he said, "if there was nothing pressing I had to get onto I just studied anything.
"I enjoy learning and figuring things out, I find it really rewarding to get things right and to work out how I should have done it if I get things wrong."
The 18-year-old had planned on sitting the scholarship exams because of the financial contribution. Luckily, he didn't have to sit these on top of regular exams as he passed all five subjects in 2014.
He said: "I just studied a lot, and I worked really hard in class. The teachers also offered schol classes for a couple of hours a week ... they were great, and were always willing to have a chat about study."
The scholarships he received meant he met the criteria for the Outstanding Scholar award, and will be receiving $5000 a year for three years as long as he maintains his grade average. But that shouldn't be too hard for the student who began taking level three calculus in Year 10. This year Brandon will be studying toward a bachelor of science with a double major in calculus and physics at Massey University.
His former principal Greg Fenton said Brandon was a very talented and hardworking young man. When asked if he thought his success would inspire others, Mr Fenton said "absolutely".