Nguyen Thi Cam Tu is the top-scoring student in the entrance exam at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, selected through the X100 admission method (based on high school graduation exam results). In the high school graduation exam, Tu was also one of 19 top-scoring students nationwide in the C00 subject group, achieving perfect scores of 10 in History and Geography, and a 9.75 in Literature.
Nearly four weeks after arriving in Hanoi to study, Tú is still not used to speaking with a Northern accent. This is the first time the student from Yên Thành, Nghệ An, has been away from home and living independently. Tú rents a room a few hundred meters from the school and cooks her own meals to save money.
Nguyen Thi Cam Tu. Photo: Provided by the subject.
Tú's parents currently work at a massage parlor run by blind people in Vinh City, 50 km from their home. Since Tú went to university, her younger sister moved from their hometown to live with her parents. The whole family reunites every day and keeps in touch by phone, so even though she lives far away, Tú doesn't feel homesick.
The female student said that her father has been visually impaired since childhood, and her mother has a brain tumor and has undergone several surgeries, causing her eyesight to gradually deteriorate. Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong, Tu's mother, is ill year-round, but since her two children started higher education, which increased expenses, she has been working alongside her husband to share the burden. They visit their children once a month. Ms. Huong worries most about the rainy season, when their house is often isolated by rising water levels.
The mother said that her children were well-behaved, understanding, and independent from a young age. With their parents away, the Tú sisters managed their own lives, took care of the chickens, and looked after each other. Despite the hardships, Ms. Hương and her husband always encouraged their children to study so they could have stable jobs in the future.
"There are many difficulties, but we have to try our best to overcome them in order to raise and educate our two children," said Huong, 42.
Out of love for her parents, Tú focused on her studies, often waking up at 3 am to study until 5 am, then preparing meals for the whole day for her and her sister before going to school. Because her family was not well-off, Tú never attended extra classes and studied at home. She usually concentrated on listening to lectures, taking notes using keywords to memorize the material in class, and if she didn't understand something, she would ask her teachers for clarification. At home, Tú thoroughly completed each practice test and learned from her mistakes.
The female student said she often takes free online classes from teachers or joins various groups to exchange knowledge and materials. For Literature, Tú studies by focusing on the main points of each work; for History, she memorizes using keywords; and for Geography, she studies using maps and atlases.
"This method is effective, so I don't need to study as much. Closer to the exam, I stay up a little later to review," Tú said.
Throughout her 12 years of schooling, Tú was an outstanding student and received numerous awards. In her senior year, she won second and third prizes in the provincial-level student excellence competition in Civic Education and History. Tú was also a model student at Phan Thúc Trực High School.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Ha, Tu's former homeroom teacher, described her student as intelligent and determined. In class, Tu excelled in social studies and English. The quiet student always strived to overcome her circumstances to achieve her academic goals.
"The exam results accurately reflect Tú's abilities," Ms. Hà said. "She fully deserves it."
When she learned that her daughter was the top student, Ms. Huong burst into tears of joy.
"I'm so happy. God doesn't take everything away from anyone," she said.
While happy that their child is going to school, Huong and her husband are also slightly worried about the monthly expenses. With fewer customers in the winter, she plans to save money to send her child three million dong each month for rent and living costs. She hopes her child will be happy and do well in their chosen field of study.
Currently, Tú is improving her English and learning Chinese to increase her job opportunities. After graduation, Tú hopes to work for a media company. She also aims to win a scholarship and plans to work part-time to help support her parents.
"I will study hard so that I can help my younger sister and our parents in the future," Tú shared.
Tu (front row, right) with his parents and younger sister at their home in Nghe An. Photo: Provided by the subject.
