National First Prize in History: Study so that life is no longer difficult

Up until this point, Chau had not known how to use a phone. This was perhaps quite a surprise for the student who had just won first prize in History, even though Chau looked quite pretty, active and completely unlike a… bookworm.

Sharing about this, the girl confessed: For a long time, people have mainly contacted me through my mother's phone number. There are many reasons for this, but partly because I want to spend more time studying.

Portrait of the First Prize Winner of the National Excellent Student Contest in History. Photo: My Ha

Simplicity and modesty have also been Chau's character for many years. Partly because compared to many other students in class 12C2 specializing in History, Dau Tran Ai Chau had a rather low starting point because she only attended an ordinary school in the city for primary and secondary school.

Entering Phan school, Chau was only a "reserve" student because her first choice was Literature. But then, because she didn't have enough points, she switched to History according to her second choice.

Not being able to study the subject she liked was initially thought to be a hindrance for Chau. However, Chau herself was surprised at herself when the more she studied History, the more she liked it. Therefore, from a student with only average academic ability, Chau made remarkable progress and by grade 11, she won second prize in the provincial excellent student competition.

To get this result, Chau's secret is diligence. However, Chau does not study by rote but has a very scientific and creative way of studying.

Ai Chau (far left) with friends. Photo: NVCC

In particular, with the main events, Chau studied according to the diagram and divided them into stages to learn. Before each problem, Chau analyzed to find the cause, meaning, and lesson. In particular, to grasp the lesson effectively, Chau diligently read documents, watched historical movies, and read more books and newspapers to understand more about current reality.

This is also the reason why each of my essays and connections are very lively and related to contemporary reality. Chau also added: Everyone says that History is dry and only related to numbers. But in reality, it is not like that. Studying History can help us learn more about our nation's past and see how the world has changed. Studying History also makes us love our country more and be proud of our homeland's traditions.

Love and seriousness with the subject were also the motivation for Chau to enter the National Excellent Student Competition with a rather relaxed mindset. However, when she heard that she had won First Prize, she was still surprised and the only thing she could do at that time was to "cry".

Happiness was even more complete when in this exam, 10/10 students of the school's History team also won prizes with 1 First Prize, 3 Second Prizes, 4 Third Prizes and 2 Encouragement Prizes. The History team is also one of the most stable teams of Phan school in recent years and almost every year there are students who win high prizes.

Speaking about Ai Chau, teacher Le Thi Phuong - the class's homeroom teacher - was also proud and affirmed that "the results Chau achieved are completely worthy". In fact, during her studies in class, despite many difficult times, Chau was always ambitious, hard-working and diligent.

The History excellent student team of Phan Boi Chau High School for the Gifted. Photo: NVCC

Chau's results are also a great encouragement and consolation for her family. Chau said: My family is quite difficult with four siblings and I am the eldest. There are many children, one of whom is undergoing physical therapy, but all income depends on my father's hairdressing job. My parents themselves do not have the conditions to send me to a higher education, so their greatest wish is for their children to have a good education so that they will have less hardship in the future.

Because she loves her parents and because of her financial situation, even though she is in her final year of high school, she does not use a phone. In life, Chau is quite frugal and only studies at school, not taking extra classes. Besides studying in class, Chau spends her remaining time with her family and taking care of her two younger siblings.

Dau Tran Ai Chau. Photo: NVCC

The current conditions also make Chau quite hesitant before entering university even though she has many opportunities for direct admission. Talking about her plans, Chau shared: I want to study Law because this is a profession that can give me a lot of experience. However, I also want to try my hand at some other fields, so I may continue to review for university entrance exams to have more options for myself.

These worries and concerns also show that Chau is a very mature girl and always wants to find the best things for herself and her family. She also believes that, despite the difficulties, if you try, if you make an effort and if you are truly passionate, you will definitely succeed...