Do Bao Trang, a 9th-grade student at Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for the Gifted (Ams), achieved impressive scores on her high school entrance exams: 8.25 in literature, 9.75 in English, 10 in math, and 9.5 in specialized physics.
With a total score of 47/50 (including double weighting for the specialized subject), Trang placed first in the physics program at Ams.
Trang recounted that on the evening of 4/7, when the scores were released, she was at the cinema with a dead phone battery, feeling anxious. Upon returning home, she was surprised to learn she was the top scorer in physics, as she had consistently placed second in previous exams.
"My hard work has finally paid off," Trang said.
 |
Do Bao Trang. Photo courtesy of the subject |
Do Bao Trang. Photo courtesy of the subject
Her father, Do Ba Dan, described the family's joyous reaction, "We all hugged each other, overwhelmed with happiness." A former physics student himself, Dan had initially hoped to pass on his passion to his eldest son.
However, he later encouraged Trang to pursue chemistry, believing it was a better fit for her. After 7th grade, noticing her growing interest in physics, he began sharing his knowledge and study tips. Gradually, Trang developed a passion for the subject.
Trang explained her shift from chemistry, saying she found it required too much memorization. She preferred physics because it connected to real-world phenomena. When facing challenging problems, she would attempt to solve them independently before seeking her father's guidance.
"Instead of focusing on formulas, understanding the underlying phenomena is key to excelling in physics," Trang stated. Beyond textbooks, she utilized YouTube, explored experiments, and actively sought guidance from her teachers.
In 8th grade, she joined the gifted student program, competed above her grade level, and won second place in the citywide physics competition. The following year, she secured first place.
Trang mentioned that due to the emphasis placed on math, literature, and English at her school, she didn't need to dedicate much extra time to those subjects at home. Instead, she focused on physics, studying 4-5 hours daily, often until midnight.
Initially, she planned to practice with past exam papers but realized the new curriculum might have changed the format. Therefore, she focused on the textbooks to understand the direction of the exam.
According to Trang, this year's exam was manageable, practical, and closely aligned with the curriculum. Her biggest regret was not achieving perfect scores in English and physics. She initially chose the correct answer for the last question in English but changed it later.
She was surprised by the length of the physics exam but found the questions interesting, novel, and less calculation-intensive. However, due to her detailed approach to earlier questions, she ran out of time for the final question on electrical circuits, costing her 0.5 points.
 |
Dan and his daughter. Photo courtesy of the subject |
Dan and his daughter. Photo courtesy of the subject
Nguyen Tien Trung, Trang's homeroom teacher, expressed his excitement upon learning of her scores. He revealed that before being accepted into Ams, Trang had achieved second place in the specialized physics entrance exams for the High School for the Gifted in Natural Sciences and Hanoi National University of Education High School, with scores of 25.5 and 27.5 out of 30, respectively. He had high hopes for her success in the Department of Education and Training's exam.
According to Trung, Trang excels in all subjects, consistently ranking among the top 4 in her class based on GPA.
"While Trang is exceptionally talented in physics, she is also very proficient in math," he commented, also impressed by her determination and composure even when faced with setbacks.
Binh Minh
