What's special about the two female students who won first prize in the national History competition?

The memorization secrets of the national top-scoring female student.

Hoang Thi Thu Hien concludes the exam season.national outstanding studentWith an outstanding score of 18 points, she not only won first prize but also achieved the top score nationwide. Hien admitted that she was completely stunned by this unexpected result.

Hoang Thi Thu Hien was the top scorer in History at the 2023 National Excellent Student Selection Exam. Photo: My Ha

Sharing her joy, Huyen added: "The exam lasted 180 minutes, and I filled six exam papers. Even so, there were some answers that I wasn't entirely satisfied with. So, I'm really happy with the results I achieved."

Like many other candidates, Hien faced considerable pressure before entering the National Excellent Student Selection Exam. However, instead of worrying, Hien chose to study "all night" alone in the dormitory of Phan Boi Chau Specialized High School. During her three years there, Hien earned the respect of many classmates for her diligence and her rather unusual study method: memorizing material aloud. Initially, this method might have disturbed others. But many of her dorm mates say that they later became so accustomed to hearing her recite that they felt something was missing when they didn't hear her studying.

For two consecutive years, Hien won top prizes at the National Excellent Student Selection Exam. Photo: Provided by the interviewee.

Hard work is also one of the primary reasons why the top-scoring female student in History nationwide has achieved such remarkable success, especially in her final year of high school.

Previously, during her high school years, Hien attended Tran Phu Junior High School – a very ordinary school in Thai Son commune, Do Luong district. Because she wasn't in the gifted class, Hien never imagined she would be selected for the gifted student team. Later, she recounted her experience, saying she was lucky because in the selection exam, she and a classmate from the gifted class had the same score, but because Hien had better handwriting, she was chosen for the school's team. She diligently studied for four consecutive years, but in 9th grade, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, she couldn't participate in the provincial gifted student selection exam. Feeling sorry for her fellow students who had worked so hard, Hien and her classmates were encouraged by their teachers to apply to Phan Boi Chau Specialized High School. Surprisingly, Hien passed the mock exam, although her passing score was quite modest, ranking 24th in the specialized subject and 34th in the specialized class.

For three years studying away from home, Hien lived in the school's dormitory. Photo: My Ha

Hien has four sisters; she is the eldest, followed by three younger siblings. Her mother is a kindergarten teacher, and her father is a driver, so the family faces many difficulties. Knowing her family's circumstances, since moving to Phan High School far from home, Hien has felt even more love and respect for her parents and strives to excel in her studies, aiming first and foremost for a scholarship. However, due to her modest entry-level background, Hien admits that maintaining the scholarship is not easy. After finishing 10th grade, Hien was selected for the school's competitive team, and a year ago, while in 11th grade, she won third prize in the National Excellent Student Competition.

As the homeroom teacher and direct mentor of Hoang Thi Thu Hien, Ms. Bui Bich Hau shared: "After three years of working with Hien and seeing all her efforts and hard work, I wasn't surprised to hear that Hien won first prize at this year's National Excellent Student Competition and secured the top position."

As the eldest of four sisters in Do Luong district, Hien always strives to bring joy and pride to her family and set a good example for her younger siblings. (Photo: Provided by the interviewee)

Speaking about herself, Hien said that she doesn't have many secrets to excelling in History besides hard work, a love of reading, and always trying to find more information around the lessons to broaden her understanding. But according to her teacher, Bui Bich Hau, Hien has four strategies for success. In addition to the reasons Hien has already shared, there are other reasons: when taking exams, Hien is very alert, always prioritizing and choosing questions she is strong at to answer first to maximize her score. In the section on connections, which is very difficult because it requires students to analyze, observe, and make connections between the past, present, and future, Hien usually completes it thoroughly because she has a solid knowledge base and knows how to expand on the topic. Hien is also a very meticulous student; her handwriting is beautiful, neat, and she never uses abbreviations, which easily wins the favor of the examiners.

With these advantages, Hoang Thi Thu Hien seems to have no hesitation in deciding to pursue a career in Education to become a History teacher in the future. Hien also said: "Studying History has given me many things, helping me to slow down, be patient, and appreciate the past. And I want to pass that inspiration on to many of my students in the future."

Hoang Thi Thu Hien and Nguyen Ngoc An with the teachers who coached the History team. Photo: My Ha

The "leap" of an 11th-grade female student.

Nguyen Ngoc An is also a member of the History Olympiad team at Phan Boi Chau High School for the Gifted. However, to make it into the list of 10 outstanding students, with only a few spots available for 11th-grade students, An had to go through a process of relentless effort and hard work. This 17-year-old girl couldn't avoid the pressure of an exam that seemed beyond her capabilities. Therefore, before the exam, instead of studying all night and feeling empty because she suddenly forgot everything she knew, An chose to stay alone in her room and sob uncontrollably. After a day of being locked up, An finally regained her motivation.

An lives in Hung Tay commune, Hung Nguyen district, bordering Vinh city. Although she doesn't have to travel far to school, commuting more than 10km each day is still a challenge for the young girl. Previously, if she hadn't spent four years training at the gifted school in Hung Nguyen district, An probably wouldn't have developed this kind of perseverance.

Nguyen Ngoc An is currently in 11th grade and is one of the youngest members of the History Team at Phan Boi Chau Specialized High School. Photo: Provided by the interviewee.

An is the middle child in a family of three sisters. Her mother sells goods at the market, and her father works in transportation, so the sisters' education is mainly based on their own efforts. During her middle school years, An excelled in all subjects and won third prize in both Literature and History at the provincial-level gifted student selection exam in 9th grade. Before taking the entrance exam for 10th grade, An considered a specialized program, but ultimately decided to choose History because she truly loved the subject. When she took the entrance exam for Phan Boi Chau Specialized High School, An ranked in the top 5 in her specialized subject, giving her a fairly favorable start.

Recalling her student, teacher Le Thi Phuong – An's homeroom teacher and mentor – said: "From the beginning, An was a bright star in the class because she spoke well, presented confidently, and wrote well in many extracurricular activities. I was also very impressed with An's first tests because she wrote confidently, emotionally, and flexibly applied the knowledge she had learned."

Nguyen Ngoc An was a student at Le Hong Phong Secondary School (Hung Nguyen district). Photo: My Ha

Teacher Le Phuong also particularly emphasized the emotional element in a history test. She noted that even if students have knowledge, their writing can be dry and boring. However, with An's test papers, she was always captivated by her writing. An's strength lies in her solid grasp of the textbook material, and with her advantage in Literature, she transformed dry knowledge into emotionally resonant writing. Meeting a student like An, Teacher Ha Phuong said she felt fortunate because, "in today's era, most students are focused on pragmatism and economics, but there are still students who love history, and that is the most important factor for them to excel in history."

Emotionally expressive writing is Ngoc An's strength in history exams. Photo: My Ha

Winning first prize in History while still in 11th grade inevitably put a lot of pressure on An. However, with her special love for the subject, An embraced the pressure calmly and found ways to overcome it through daily effort. Even close to the exam, despite being a year behind her classmates and having to rush to catch up on 12th-grade knowledge in a few months, An and the other members of the team remained confident in their success.

The first-place winner in the national History competition shared: "My teacher often advised me that to study History well, you shouldn't use your intellect but your heart. Therefore, I'm very happy because History has helped me understand the past and present, and has honed many important skills, allowing us to showcase our abilities. Through History, I've also come to love my nation's history more and feel more proud of my homeland."

The team of outstanding students in History achieved a 100% success rate, with all students winning awards. Photo: My Ha

This is the first year that the Phan Boi Chau High School's National History Olympiad team has had two students win first prize. Furthermore, it was a successful season as all 10 students participating in the History competition won prizes, including 2 first prizes, 3 second prizes, 4 third prizes, and 1 consolation prize.