Female students of district school share skills to make studying easy and effective

Golden tips

Ho Thi Hong Anh’s family house is isolated, at the end of Hamlet 5, Hung My Commune, Hung Nguyen District. The road leading to Anh’s house is just over 2m wide, with uneven ridges of grass and gravel, running along a vast field.

As the eldest sister in the family, Hong Anh became independent early and took care of the housework to help her parents. Photo: Diep Thanh

Anh is the eldest of two siblings. Perhaps that is why Anh's independence was cultivated from a very early age. Since grade 3, Anh's studies have been completely her own initiative, she has arranged her own time and books. Outside of school time, Anh is aware of her role as an older sister, so she proactively does housework and looks after her younger siblings to help her parents.

12 years of achievementexcellent student, always being in the top list of the class are convincing achievements for Anh's ability to be independent and self-study. In the preparation stage for the high school graduation exam, Anh's independent skills were once again maximized, from choosing a block, choosing a school to choosing teachers and arranging study time.

“From grade 1 to grade 11, I did not study anything other than the school curriculum, but in grade 12, because I wanted to improve my knowledge of the subjects, I registered for extra Math and Literature classes. I hope to find teachers who have an open and oriented learning method for students, not passively stuffing knowledge,” Anh said.

Right after the high school exam, Hong Anh set out to conquer a new foreign language. Photo: Diep Thanh

Commenting on Anh's learning method, Ms. Pham Thi Tra My - homeroom teacher of class 12A7 said: "With the ability to concentrate highly, Hong Anh does not spend too much time studying but still has a very solid and solid knowledge foundation, in all subjects. For subjects that require memorization, Anh focuses on memorizing the lessons in class. In addition, Anh is always proactive in connecting with teachers and friends to discuss difficult exercises, proactively searching for different types of questions to practice."

Learning from seniors, consulting friends and forums, Anh chose to study Literature from a teacher in Hung Chau commune (Hung Nguyen), 10 km from home, and at the same time registered for an online Math course. While studying Math online at home saved Anh a lot of time and effort, studying Literature required great determination. The 10 km distance with many complicated intersections, many long dikes with many potholes, many fields without lights was a big obstacle for many people, especially on rainy, windy, and cold nights, but for the little female student, she still went home regularly, without missing a single day.

“During this period, while waiting for the results of my admission, I am learning Chinese because I believe that in the future, I will need more than one foreign language and early preparation will help me be more confident when entering university,” Anh confided.

Thanks to her preparation habits, Anh has almost never been stuck, frustrated or stressed before exams and difficult subjects. She shared: “From my preparation, I know how to use time effectively, stay calm in difficult situations, and easily find solutions to problems. Thanks to good preparation, even with subjects that are not my forte such as Math or subjects that require a lot of memorization such asHistory, Geography, I also did not have much difficulty to overcome. Studying and reviewing for exams were smooth, not stressful".

A fun learning journey

Hong Anh's study corner is surprisingly compact and simple, and has remained almost unchanged for the past 12 years. The current table and chair set was bought by her parents when she entered first grade. The study lamp and clock are also old-fashioned and were manufactured a long time ago. On the wall next to it are scribbles from kindergarten, above them are certificates of merit from elementary school... With those details, if not introduced in advance, many people would believe that this is the study corner of an elementary school student. Since the high school exam, this study corner has been cleaned up, and the old textbooks were given to a student of the next grade.

Hong Anh believes that studying is important, but on the learning journey, it is necessary to balance time for personal interests, health training and surrounding relationships. Photo: Diep Thanh

Anh smiled brightly when asked about her intention to change her desk: “This study corner may be old and small, but to me, it is lovely and familiar, helping me accumulate knowledge every day and until now I still love it very much.” On the 60 cm wide table and chair, nestled in the space between the wardrobe and the wall, Anh carefully familiarized herself with the first hieroglyphics of Chinese.

“Excellent academic performance, outstanding in all subjects but Hong Anh is very modest, does not like to show off in front of everyone. This female student is also loved and trusted by all her classmates because she is always ready to help and tutor her friends enthusiastically throughout the learning and exam preparation process. Not only that, in the superficial and extracurricular activities of the school and class, Anh is always the most enthusiastic participant, fulfilling her responsibilities no matter what role she plays" - Ms. Pham Thi Tra My shared more about her young student.

Hong Anh with her homeroom teacher and friends before graduation day. Photo: NVCC

Using time effectively, even in the last months before the exam, Anh still ensures a scientific schedule, does not stay up late and still has time to play sports, entertain, and do housework every day. "During high school, the thing I regret the most is that the Covid-19 epidemic has reduced the time to meet friends at school. For us students, connecting and interacting with friends, teachers, and creating memories is just as important as studying" - Hong Anh confided.

When asked about her desired future career, Anh shared:“I haven't yet figured out exactly what job I'll be doing, but I always hope it will be a job that gives me the opportunity to travel to many places in the world, experience many cultures, and accumulate a lot of valuable knowledge.”