Rural Student Achieves Second-Highest Score Nationally in High School Graduation Exam

Nguyen Dinh Trung, from a rural area in Thanh Hoa province, Vietnam, has achieved the second-highest score nationwide in the 2024 high school graduation exam, earning 38.25 out of a perfect 40. His remarkable achievement is a testament to the relentless effort of his parents. Trung scored a perfect 10 in Mathematics, 9.8 in Physics, 9.5 in Chemistry, and 9 in Vietnamese Literature. Furthermore, he attained a score of 84.12 in the Thinking Assessment Test (TSA) administered by Hanoi University of Science and Technology, placing him among the top 175 out of nearly 60,000 candidates who scored above 80. Trung, a former student of class 12A1 at Trieu Son 2 High School in Tan Ninh commune, comes from Quần Trúc village, An Nông xã. He is the youngest of four siblings, and his parents are farmers who have faced considerable hardship. "Despite our difficult life, my parents always worked hard to ensure all four of us received a full education. That has been my motivation to constantly strive," Trung shared. After finishing his exams, in addition to helping with household chores and caring for his nephew, he has also taken on part-time work to gain experience and ease his family's financial burden. Trung showed an aptitude for natural sciences from middle school, winning first prize in Physics at the provincial level in 9th grade. Throughout high school, he maintained excellent academic performance, securing second prize in Physics at the provincial level in 11th grade, and in 12th grade, he again won second prize in Physics and third prize in Mathematics. While aspiring to study natural sciences, Trung also emphasizes the importance of Vietnamese Literature. He believes that excelling in this subject requires not only classroom knowledge but also life experience and social understanding. Outside of his studies, Trung often reads news and follows articles on science, technology, and engineering to broaden his perspective. "I deeply admire researchers and engineers. When answering Vietnamese Literature questions, I try to combine what I've learned with my own thoughts and feelings," the young student stated. Trung attributes his academic success not to a special method but to discipline. He focuses on absorbing knowledge in class during the day and dedicates his afternoons and evenings to review, practice problems, and noting down areas he doesn't understand to ask his teachers. He also ensures he sleeps before 11 PM to maintain his health. For the TSA exam, Trung primarily studied independently using online resources and participated in free mock tests to familiarize himself with the exam structure and hone his critical thinking skills. Mr. Ho Sy Phuc, Trung's homeroom teacher and Physics instructor, described him as "intelligent, diligent, and possessing a very high spirit of self-study." "He is always humble, sociable, and willing to help his friends with their studies, earning him the affection of teachers and peers alike," Mr. Phuc added. With his outstanding results, Trung plans to apply to Hanoi University of Science and Technology. "I hope to become an engineer in the future, to apply my knowledge in practice, create useful values, and contribute to my homeland," he expressed.