ACADEMIC HIT: Scots College student Jun Lee is off to Otago University at the age of just 15. He is also a black belt in taekwondo, and credits the sport with helping him mentally with his studies.

He's been made dux of his school, blitzed his senior classmates at NCEA exams and he's off to Otago University to study pre-medicine – oh, and he's only a fourth former.

Most 14-year-olds are more interested in playing video games than mastering applied calculus.

But Jun Lee spent his second year of high school nailing scholarship exams three years above his age level and hopes to win the country's top academic award.

Though only year 10, Jun was this week named dux of Wellington's prestigious Scots College, beating top year 13 pupils.

The taekwondo black belt, who turned 15 in October, is also handy on the piano and nationally competitive in chess. One day he hopes to work in the field of medical research. He is definitely not your ordinary over-achiever.

"He's not one of those geeky kids," headmaster Graeme Yule said. "He's exceptionally mature ... and a really nice kid. He's an exceptional young man."

The sociable teenager is being described as a "prodigy", though comparisons to a child genius are inevitable.

And despite passing NCEA level one maths while still at primary school, Jun is uncomfortable with the genius tag, though admits he's "hoping to be one one day".

"Genius means a lot more than just being smart. I'm not a genius yet. It's about having goals, dreams, aiming to realise them, doing your best.

"Just because someone might be smart, it doesn't mean they're going to get good grades. I worked hard for my marks. I had to kill a lot of my social life during exams. I missed a lot of movies."

Jun studies with classmates three years his senior – up to eight hours a day during exams – but still hangs out with friends his own age. However, the academic ace, who says the logic of numbers somehow made sense to him early in life, has lofty aspirations that transcend those of ordinary kids.

"It's always been my dream to win the Nobel Prize in medicine. However unlikely it is, I'm never going to get anywhere if I don't dream and aim for it.

"When I was small I always wanted to be the person who found a cure for cancer."

Jun's dad, Brian, an IT specialist, said he and his wife were average students and had no idea why Jun was so clever. Their philosophy was to let their son follow his interests and support him.

"We shouldn't stop him from his journey. But I still want him around me so we can play together. We're going to miss him a lot."

Jun's tips for top grades

Have goals: "If you're kind of aimlessly studying you're not going to get anywhere."

Stay focused: "Three unfocused hours of study is worse than one focused hour of study."

Believe in yourself: "Don't think you're incapable of something."

Be organised: "It's so important."