Meet the academically gifted female student from the tea-growing region.

These days, the home of Nguyen Tai Phuong Dung's family in Xi Nghiep hamlet, Thanh Mai commune (Thanh Chuong district) seems happier because their youngest daughter achieved high scores in the National High School Graduation Examination. With a score of 28.1 in the D-block subjects (Mathematics 9, Literature 9.5, English 9.6), Dung became one of the top 5 candidates in the province in terms of D-block exam scores.

According to Dung, right from the moment she entered high school, she focused on studying the science subjects (Group A), but after a while, because she realized she had a talent for Literature and English, she switched to studying the humanities subjects (Group D).

"I had a foundation in English from middle school, so I did relatively well in high school and didn't have to worry too much. Of the three subjects in the humanities group, Literature and English are my strengths, and I'm quite confident going into the exam."

Regarding her admission score for the D group subjects, Dung said: “I am satisfied with the scores I achieved. It accurately reflects my academic ability in each subject. After the exam, I thought my score for the three D group subjects would be around 27+, but I got 28.1 points, and I'm very happy.”

When Dung's exam results were announced, her teachers and classmates weren't surprised by her achievement. Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh, the homeroom teacher of class 12A and Dung's math teacher, said: "Nguyen Tai Phuong Dung is a well-behaved, diligent, and sociable student. Throughout the course, she actively interacted and cooperated with teachers and classmates. Dung was among the top students in math. During the exam preparation period at school, she only studied math and literature, while she studied English on her own at home."

Dung is the youngest of two sisters. Her father used to be a tea farmer, but now works as a carpenter and aluminum and glass worker. Her mother is a kindergarten teacher. Dung's older sister graduated from Hanoi University of Architecture.

Growing up in a family that valued education, Dung was quite diligent, hardworking, and independent from an early age. Her father shared that Dung was very studious, sitting down to study as soon as she got home. Many nights she studied so late that her parents had to remind her to stay up late.

Dung still remembers vividly her early years in middle school. Her house was 5 km from the school, and the little girl would ride her rickety bicycle to class every day. Later, when her mother bought a new car, she was able to ride an electric bicycle.

My house is near the Ho Chi Minh Highway, far from Dang Thai Mai High School. For three years of high school, I had to travel 18 km each way to and from school every day.

Through hard work and dedication, Dung achieved several notable accomplishments during her studies: Second prize in the district-level excellent student competition in Literature, a consolation prize in the district-level excellent student competition in English in 9th grade; and third prize in the provincial-level excellent student competition in Literature in 12th grade.

In particular, the university's admission scores for Group D ranked among the top 5 provinces in the 2024 National High School Graduation Examination.

Sharing her study methods, Dung believes that to study well, one needs to be self-disciplined, proactive, and actively seek out and grasp knowledge. Studying in the humanities/social sciences group (Block D) is slightly more complex than in purely natural or social science groups. In addition to studying at school, she regularly reads books and searches online to improve her knowledge.

I consider the internet and social media to be effective learning channels. I found Literature, in particular, easier. During my study time, I read and wrote quite a lot.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Van – Dung's mother – couldn't hide her pride: "Throughout her studies, her parents have always been attentive and supportive, allowing her to focus on her education. Currently, we only offer advice and guidance; the choice of which school to apply to is entirely up to her."

Dung said that at this time, she is having dilemmas about choosing a career and a school, but the school she has long dreamed of attending is the Academy of Journalism and Communication.

Good academic achievements, coupled with hard work and self-confidence, will be the potential starting point on the path to success for these ambitious female students from the tea-growing region.