The self-study spirit of a male student from Nghe An province achieved a score of 10 in Geography.

These days, when talking about the small hamlet of Tien Thanh, Nghia Hoan commune, Tan Ky district, everyone admires Tran Khac Phuc's will and determination to study hard to achieve high scores in the 2018 National High School Exam.

With 3 subjects in block C, I got a total of 26 points, of which Geography got 10 points. I am the only candidate from Tan Ky district and also 1 of 3 candidates in the whole Nghe An province to get a perfect score in Geography.

Receiving us in her small, cramped house, Ms. Nguyen Thi Tam - Phuc's mother could not hide her joy when telling us about Phuc's circumstances and learning process.

Born into a family of farming parents, in his spare time his father worked as a blacksmith, the family's economic conditions were still very difficult, the family had 2 brothers, Phuc was the eldest son, his younger brother was in 6th grade this year.

It is worth mentioning that this year Phuc is an independent candidate, taking the exam to get the score for university admission because last year he took the exam and got 27 points but did not pass the school he had dreamed of for a long time, which is the Political Officer School. Not discouraged, Phuc tried his best to study day and night, and his result today is the result of many nights of studying.

After school hours, Phuc helps his father with work. Photo: Cam Tu

Ms. Nguyen Thi Tam added: "Last year, my son took the exam to enter the Political Officer School but failed, so my parents advised me to find a review class to study, but I refused. I said that the cost of review classes was high and my parents were in financial difficulty, so I stayed home to study by myself. In addition to studying, Phuc also helps his mother cook and his father with blacksmithing."

It is known that since childhood, Phuc was very obedient, gentle and always conscious of self-study. Outside of class, Phuc always took advantage of his time to read advanced reference books and do test questions to both improve his knowledge and increase his test-taking speed.

When talking about his secret, this young man said: Because I have been trained to self-study since I was young, I am not distracted or discouraged when studying alone, so I do not go to any extra classes. The important thing is that I know how to set a goal that is within my ability, that I feel happy about, to have the determination to achieve it and be proud that if I achieve it, I will have more motivation to study better.

Phuc shared more: “My secret is not to study far away but to focus mainly on sticking to textbooks and I can search for advanced lessons online through official sites, learn from some teachers online and solve problems. For Geography, in addition to the above learning method, I also exploit data from Atlas and I know how to link everything together.”

Tran Khac Phuc's academic achievements:

- For many years I was an excellent student at school.

- In grade 8 and grade 9 of Nghia Hoan Secondary School, Phuc was an excellent student of the district in both Geography and Chemistry.

- In grades 9 and 11 at Le Loi High School, Phuc was an excellent student in the province in Geography.

After 12 years of schooling, participating in the National High School Exam in the 2016-2017 school year, with 3 subjects in Block C, Phuc scored 27 points but failed to get into the Political Officer School. Phuc confided: “When I heard the news, I was really sad and disappointed. Disappointed in myself, I kept thinking that if I had tried a little harder, I would have gotten 0.25 more points to get into the school I loved and sad because I had failed the teachers' teaching and the trust of my parents.”

But then, with his own determination, the support and encouragement of teachers, friends, especially his parents, Phuc quickly regained his spirit of studying. And that failure also helped him realize his own weaknesses so that he could focus on learning the basic knowledge in the textbooks before taking more advanced classes.

Meeting and chatting with Phuc at his study corner, what surprised me was that he did not hang any certificates of achievement in his studies but instead he posted many small pieces of paper with numbers, events, and places related to Geography and History.

When asked about this, Phuc smiled gently and said: "This is my way of learning that is very easy to remember. These two subjects require precise memorization, while there are a lot of numbers and a lot of knowledge, so if I do this, every day when I go to my desk, I can see it and remember it very well."

Tran Khac Phuc (second row, far left) takes a graduation photo with his classmates. Photo: Cam Tu

To his friends and teachers, Phuc is not only a good student but also an active and sociable student, knows how to help his friends study well and actively participates in activities organized by the school and class.

Teacher Phan Thi Hoang, who teaches Geography at Le Loi High School, Tan Ky District, commented on Phuc: “As a very talented student who loves Geography, Phuc always answers questions quickly and correctly. He openly discusses difficult exercises with me to find the best solution. Last year, he scored 27 points but did not get into the school he wanted. After 1 year, he now has very high scores, especially in Geography, he got a perfect score. I really admire Phuc's will, effort and perseverance.”

Saying goodbye to Phuc's family, I always thought of Phuc's words: "For myself and understanding the hardships of my parents, I always have to strive to overcome my circumstances to get the best learning results." That's why I have constantly tried to realize my dream. If I pass the Political Officer School as I wish, this will be the result of Phuc's will and determination and a precious reward that I dedicate to my family and teachers./.