Poor female student shares her secret to overcoming difficulties and achieving 29 points in the humanities/social sciences block.

Nguyen Thi Huong is the eldest of four sisters in a family living in Hamlet 4, Quynh Dien Commune, Quynh Luu District. Huong shared: “When I was in 7th grade, my father passed away from liver cancer, which was a huge shock to the whole family. Losing the breadwinner meant all the living expenses and the responsibility of raising four children of school age fell entirely on my mother's frail shoulders. Playing both the roles of father and mother, she always tried her best to provide the best support for her children. To ensure we weren't disadvantaged, that we could go to school and enjoy learning like our peers, my mother didn't shy away from any job, from catching crabs and snails, to doing housework, farming, or any other work she could find. She saved every penny she earned to buy books and school supplies for the four of us.”

For many years, my family has been plagued by poverty and hardship, lacking everything. We don't own any valuable possessions. However, this situation hasn't dampened my determination to learn. Furthermore, at the beginning of each school year, the school and local authorities have shown their support by giving me meaningful gifts. This has been a great source of encouragement, helping me to strive for knowledge. To reassure my mother and live up to the expectations of my teachers, I have worked tirelessly, diligently studying and accumulating knowledge from them. With my self-study and self-improvement spirit, I have consistently achieved excellent academic results throughout all 12 years of schooling. In 9th grade, I won third prize in Literature at the district level, an honorable mention in Chemistry, and third prize in Science and Technology at the district level.

Recently, when the Ministry of Education and Training announced the results of the 2024 National High School Graduation Exam, Huong was delighted to find she had achieved an outstanding score of 29 points in Block C, including 9.5 points in Literature and 9.75 points each in History and Geography. Despite the high score, she wasn't too surprised, as it was within her expected range.

Sharing her study secrets, Huong said: "I always allocate my time wisely and scientifically, using logical study methods to be able to study all subjects equally. At the same time, I focus on memorizing as much basic knowledge as possible that teachers teach in class. Due to difficult circumstances, I always believe that self-study is the core principle. Therefore, I always try to explore and research useful and interesting knowledge through reading books and advanced online courses on the Internet. In the final stages, I prioritize spending more time reviewing the three subjects in the C group for university entrance exams. With my good memorization ability, I both memorize and study using mind maps, writing down the main points to master the knowledge from each subject. Huong also actively seeks out and practices many mock exam papers from schools across the country."

What's special about Huong is her love and passion for Literature. Huong says this passion simply stemmed from her essays receiving high scores above 9. These meaningful numbers motivated her to constantly create, reason logically, and strive to conquer new heights. Furthermore, through literature, she has cultivated her emotions, developed a compassionate way of life, and learned to love and share difficulties with her family and those around her.

In 11th grade, Huong was a student on the gifted student team for Literature at Quynh Luu 1 High School, achieving the highest score in the school's competition. However, she declined to participate in the provincial-level gifted student competition. Her philosophy was to avoid focusing on only one subject and instead dedicate her time evenly across all subjects, aiming to excel in both natural sciences and social sciences.

Ms. Phan Au Sao Mai, homeroom teacher of class 12D3, said: "When Huong entered 10th grade, she was a student in the science stream (Group A), but later switched to the humanities stream (Group C). Thanks to her self-study ability, quick learning, good memory, and intelligence, Huong excelled in all subjects. With her scientific thinking style, she knew how to organize information to remember more and retain knowledge for longer. Besides being academically excellent, Huong is a cheerful and sociable person, loved by her teachers and friends. Understanding her particularly difficult circumstances, the school and benefactors often awarded her scholarships at the beginning of the school year or at the end of the first semester. However, she once refused, wanting to share the reward with other students who also faced less fortunate circumstances. This quality made her even more beloved by her friends."

Upon learning her university entrance exam scores, Nguyen Thi Huong decided to pursue a teaching degree, aspiring to become a Literature teacher. Speaking about this choice, Huong shyly shared: "This field of study reduces the financial burden of tuition fees, but it's also my dream. I want to have a brighter future and become a strong support for my mother and siblings, worthy of being the eldest sister in the family."

“The income from part-time jobs is unstable, but we still have to struggle and make ends meet to raise our four children and ensure they get a good education so they can have a better future. However, now that Huong is about to enter university, I feel a little hesitant and worried because I don't know where to find the money for her tuition, living expenses, and rent…” - said Ms. Ho Thi Lan, mother of Nguyen Thi Huong.

Not only Huong but also her three younger siblings have excellent academic achievements. Given this situation, we hope that benefactors will help and support Nguyen Thi Huong so that she can overcome her difficulties, focus on her studies, and fulfill her dreams in the future.