On the morning of 1/7, Nguyen Le Yen Nhi, a grade 12B4 student from Le Thanh Tong Primary, Secondary, and High School in Ho Chi Minh City, checked her high school graduation exam scores with her mother and younger brother. Her family was overjoyed when she achieved a perfect 30 in the B00 block (math, chemistry, biology).

"I never even dreamed of this", the student said. "I was confident about achieving a perfect score in math and biology, but I was anxious waiting for my chemistry score because I wasn't able to review the exam paper to check my answers".

Nhi considers this a well-deserved outcome after one year of boldly stepping out of her comfort zone. Previously, she had followed the A00 block (math, physics, chemistry) and even won a city-level award in chemistry. However, at the beginning of grade 12, to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor, she decided to switch to the B00 block.

"My parents asked if I was sure, as studying medicine is tough", Nhi recounted. "At that moment, I knew I was taking a risk and was scared, but once I chose, there was no turning back".

Nguyen Le Yen Nhi. Photo: Provided by subject

Switching subject combinations meant Nhi almost had to relearn biology from scratch. She focused on the knowledge her teachers provided, asking questions whenever she didn't understand. Instead of relying on shortcuts, Nhi spent considerable time reading theoretical concepts. She believed that understanding the core principles would make it easier to tackle similar problems.

The valedictorian's secret was to adhere closely to the content in various textbooks. Additionally, she reviewed lectures and practiced exam questions compiled by her schoolteachers. After each test, Nhi recorded her incorrect answers, identified the causes, and corrected them until she achieved mastery.

"One time, I made the exact same mistakes again", the student shared. "I continued to practice more questions of the same type until I understood the core principles".

Nhi found the biology exam manageable, with relatively simple calculation questions. Initially, she worried about the problems concerning the laws of inheritance, but the actual exam was much easier than anticipated. For the math exam, Yen Nhi paid careful attention to the short-answer questions involving geometric probability and complex geometry. She managed to spot an error in the second question and correct it. In all three subjects, Nhi completed the exams about 15-20 minutes early, using the remaining time to review her answers.

Upon receiving the results, her homeroom teacher, Cao Van Sang, was also overjoyed for his young student. "Nhi is diligent and thorough, always striving for higher scores", her teacher stated.

As a boarding student, Nhi followed a fixed schedule from 6 a.m. to around 10 p.m. During the day, she attended classes, dedicating most of her evenings to self-study and practicing exam questions. According to school rules, she was not allowed to use her phone during study and activity hours. The student admitted it took some getting used to, but found it ultimately helped her focus better.

Outside of study hours, she chatted with friends, read works by author Nguyen Nhat Anh, or sang to relieve stress. "Even though I don't sing well, I still enjoy it", the student said.

Yen Nhi plans to apply for the medical program at Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy. "I want to focus on studying as hard as possible, and later, when I have the ability, use my heart to treat and save people", Nhi shared.

Chau Anh