These days, instead of taking a break after completing the high school graduation exam, Vu Bao Duc and many other candidates admitted through the talent selection method have started attending an AI training course organized by the School of Information and Communication Technology, Hanoi University of Science and Technology. Choosing to study at a domestic school in Germany makes many people regret because they think that with his ability, studying abroad is inevitable.

However, Duc feels happy with his choice. When he was asked to represent the new students admitted through the talent selection method to speak, Duc said that in order to set foot through the parabolic gate of Hanoi University of Science and Technology, he and many other students had to "sweat, cry, even spend many sleepless nights and wake up before dawn". Just like that, the male student made every effort, and the "seeds sown in tears" of the past can now "reap in radiant happiness".

As a student majoring in Mathematics at Nguyen Hue High School for the Gifted (Hanoi), Duc said that he had planned to study for the SAT and IELTS certificates early on. According to the student, this is the simplest and easiest way to realize his dream of being admitted to Hanoi University of Science and Technology.

On that journey, Duc felt lucky to have been exposed to English early on. Thanks to that, he did not consider it a subject but always considered it a language. Therefore, Duc did not force himself to study but was exposed to English very naturally.

“For me, learning English is a process, gradually building up the foundation, not cramming vocabulary and grammar. Through specific contexts, I gradually develop my vocabulary.”

For both the SAT and IELTS, the male student did not study by rote but followed the exam's objective of measuring and evaluating students' thinking and language ability. "Learning tips or tricks to do the test will make you forget right after the exam, but the way to think logically to solve problems will be a skill that has long-term, sustainable value," Duc said.

Fortunately, Duc believes that his family is the foundation that creates all conditions and supports him financially and mentally. "I can adjust and decide on my own learning methods and progress, so I don't face much pressure."

For 12 years, in addition to studying, Duc has maintained the habit of reading books every day. The male student often takes advantage of the 30 minutes sitting on the bus to read. That is also the time when Duc feels he can rest, relax, and balance the pressure of studying during the day. In the evening, the male student usually sits at his desk from 7:30, concentrates for two hours and studies for about 1 more hour early the next morning.

"Training to go to bed at 10 p.m. also helps me stay healthy while still maintaining my study time," Duc said.

At the end of 11th grade, Duc began to seriously research the career he wanted to study. He bought a career guidance book that introduced all the different careers, from creative arts, information technology to social sciences and humanities.

“I opened the table of contents and read each profession one by one. Whichever profession I was interested in, I would write it down and observe to see if I had any common points. After researching, considering, and processing data, I kept the engineering major and set a goal for the major I wanted to study. I approached this major by trying out programming languages, building algorithms, processing data... Finally, I realized that I loved Data Science and Artificial Intelligence.”

Duc said that this is an industry that goes into depth to process different types of data, with sophistication because from raw data, through algorithms and models, judgments can be made.

The male student decided to go to a domestic university, choosing Hanoi University of Science and Technology because it is the only university in Vietnam that offers this major entirely in English. He also has no regrets about not choosing to study abroad because "the quality of training here has been affirmed for a long time".

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ta Hai Tung, Principal of the School of Information Technology and Communications, commented: “With a perfect SAT score, Duc is qualified to enter any university in the world, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology - MIT, Stanford University or Harvard University... However, Duc chose not to study abroad but to study at the School of Information Technology and Communications. His dream of studying abroad will certainly be achieved, but from this launching pad straight into doctoral training programs (full scholarship plus living expenses) is a perfect choice.”

After being admitted, Duc said he did not dare to take a break because studying general subjects is notoriously difficult. If he did not prepare and get familiar with the subjects early, he would be "overwhelmed".

“I once read that the soul of Bách Khoa lies in the parabolic gate, whose real name is the soliton wave gate. Like the waves, I will continue the spirit of many generations of students to walk on the thorny path and devote myself to science,” Đức said.

The shock helped the male student 'wake up', becoming the valedictorian of the Natural Science School . He used to be addicted to games, and would rush to the internet cafe every time he came home from school, but it was the failure to become an excellent student in 9th grade that was the jolt that made Phu "wake up".