Valedictorian of Hanoi University of Science and Technology

(Baonghean.vn) –The news that Nguyen Thanh Trung was admitted as valedictorian of Hanoi University of Science and Technology with a score of 30 (rounded to 10 in Math, 10 in Chemistry, 9.75 in Physics) made the whole small alley of Tran Binh Trong Street (Vinh City) buzz. When the official score was known, teachers, friends and neighbors crowded the house.



Neighbors came to celebrate with Trung's family.

Nguyen Thanh Trung was born in 1994 in a family of two brothers, his parents were workers at the 45 stone factory, Nghe An Road Company. Since childhood, living in a collective area, his parents worked overtime all day, so the two brothers Trung encouraged each other to study, always upholding the spirit of self-discipline and diligence. From grade 1 to grade 12, Trung was an excellent student at school; second prize in the provincial Physics competition for grade 9 and second prize in the provincial Physics competition for grade 12. What is special is that this is Trung's second year taking the university entrance exam. In last year's university entrance exam, he passed the Mathematics Pedagogy Department, Hanoi National University of Education with a score of 26.5 and was the candidate with the third highest score in the whole school. However, after two months of studying, he realized that he was not suitable for the teaching profession and asked his family to drop out of school to retake the university entrance exam.



Nguyen Thanh Trung and his mother.

“When my son called home to explain the reason for dropping out of school and asking to retake the exam, everyone in the family was surprised and firmly tried to stop him. I left my housework and took the bus to Hanoi to talk to him, hoping he would think carefully, stabilize his mind and continue studying. However, he was still determined to retake the exam… Well, I had no choice but to indulge him…”, Trung’s mother recounted.

After convincing his parents, Trung packed up and went home to study for the exam by himself and determined to pass the university entrance exam with a high score so as not to disappoint everyone. “When I took the exam the first time, I liked the automation major of Hanoi University of Science and Technology, but my friends said that I had a talent for communication and easy-to-understand explanations, so I was very suitable to be a teacher. So I took the exam for pedagogy… In fact, when I wrote the application to retake the exam, I was quite hesitant, but studying a major that I did not like, so I was determined to retake the exam to enter the school I loved… I do not think it was reckless, because I believe in myself,” Trung said.



Nguyen Thanh Trung in his study corner.

After nearly a year of self-study, Trung had plenty of time, and he still had knowledge from the previous university entrance exam season, so he created a scientific timetable for himself. He reviewed one subject each high school session, then did a practice test, graded himself, found his mistakes, and wrote down the questions he couldn't do. He took careful notes in his notebook to make up for his knowledge gaps. After two mock university entrance exams at Vinh University, Trung scored 27 points and he was confident when entering this year's university entrance exam.

“The result of 29.75 points was not too surprising to me, because after finishing the exam, I scored about 29 points myself. But being the valedictorian of the school, I did not think about it. I felt happy, excited, my confidence and expectations were rewarded by my own efforts. Through this, I want to share with you that it is never too late to start over. The important thing is to believe in your own abilities and try your best,” Trung shared.


Having two brothers, in addition to studying, Trung also diligently helps his mother with housework and allocates time reasonably to play his favorite sport. Trung considers himself a gentle, quiet, introverted person.

“For now, when I enter school, I will try to get into the school’s gifted class. Then I will improve my English to study abroad. I want to go to Singapore, Japan, countries with advanced automation technology…” She admitted that her brother, Nguyen Minh Duc, a former student of Hanoi University of Transport, an excellent student, who studied for a Master’s degree in France and is currently working at Thang Long Construction Corporation, has greatly influenced her efforts in studying.

“My brother is my role model. I don’t compete with him, but I still want to prove that I am not inferior to him…”, Trung shared.

Duy Nam