The student who won first prize in the provincial Chemistry competition shares the secret to learning a "boring" subject

Nguyen Thi Ha at her familiar desk. Photo: Xuan Thuy

Nguyen Thi Ha is a 9th grade student at Quang Thanh Secondary School (Yen Thanh). In the 2017-2018 provincial Chemistry competition, Ha achieved a total score of 18.63 - the highest score among all candidates participating in the competition. Following the example of her brother who is a student at Vinh Medical University, the young student has constantly strived to improve. For 9 consecutive years of studying, Ha has always been an excellent student at the school, and in Chemistry alone, she won an Encouragement Prize in the district-level excellent student survey in previous school years.

Ha shared that she came to Chemistry as a "fate". Whenever talking about Chemistry, everyone is "bored" because it is dry and the amount of knowledge is too broad. But for her, chemical reactions inspire and fascinate her. Especially thanks to the dedicated guidance of Ms. Phan Thi Phuong, the school's Chemistry teacher, she has helped her love this subject more.

“It was Ms. Phuong who inspired me to have a passion for Chemistry. Thanks to her, I have learned many things, and from there I have found a learning method so I am no longer “afraid” of Chemistry but love it more” - Ha shared more.

Certificate of merit for Ha's impressive academic achievements. Photo: Ho Phuong

Ha happily shared her own method of studying Chemistry: “Every day, I spend 1-2 hours focusing on studying, not studying all day long. Besides, I choose times when I am inspired and in a comfortable mood to study, not when I am stressed. In particular, to easily remember knowledge, I always pay attention to the phenomena happening around me, learn poems about Chemistry to make it easier to memorize and remember longer.”

Ha said that when she is stressed or not focused, she turns to music or volleyball to regain her spirit. In addition, during breaks at school, Ha always tries to study by herself, asking questions from her seniors to gain knowledge before learning new lessons. In class, Ha and her friends always study together to help each other grasp the lessons.

To gain more knowledge of Chemistry, Ha often searches for previous years' exams online and downloads the solutions. This way of studying helps her to generalize and gain more knowledge.

The first prize in Chemistry at the provincial level seemed to be a foregone conclusion. However, Ha has a long road ahead of her, and she herself believes she will have to continue to strive.

Ha's father, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Bien (1974), could not hide his joy when he heard that his son won the first prize in the provincial Chemistry competition. He said: "Hearing the news that my son won the first prize in the provincial Chemistry competition, I was so excited that I could not sit still. I told myself that I must work hard to earn more money to reward him with a trip this summer."

Going online to find and solve difficult and interesting problems is one of the methods for Ha to succeed in the competition. Photo: Xuan Thuy

Ms. Phan Thi Phuong - Chemistry teacher at Quang Thanh Secondary School, who is also the person who directly trained Ha, said: "Ha is a good and studious student. Despite her family's difficulties, she always strives to improve. I believe that no matter what environment Ha is in, she will develop her abilities and continue to achieve many high achievements in her studies."

Mr. Phan Van Phung - Principal of Quang Thanh Secondary School shared that Chemistry is a dry subject but if you know how to convey it, it can inspire students. "Nghe An is a land of learning, when sending students to compete, we also expect a lot, but Ha's achievements are beyond expectations. The school is very honored to have students like Ha" - Mr. Phung added.

Xuan Thuy - Ho Phuong