Truong Thi Phuong Thanh was born in 2001, from Ninh Binh, is a student of class K64 Psychology, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi. She admits that she is a person who likes to explore, ask questions and find answers. Her friends often consider her an encyclopedia, if they need information or advice, they will come to her for answers.
Truong Thi Phuong Thanh - double valedictorian of VNU-USSH Psychology
Sharing with the Vietnamese Student page of Tien Phong newspaper, Phuong Thanh said she was very surprised and happy to become the valedictorian of her major. “I didn’t expect to be the person with the highest GPA in the major. Just like when I took the university entrance exam 4 years ago, I didn’t think I would be the valedictorian of the D01 group of the school,” she said.
Phuong Thanh has dreamed of pursuing a career in Psychology since her middle school days. She found that understanding the complexities of human life and psychology was a challenge, so she wanted to challenge herself. Although her parents wanted their daughter to choose an easier and more stable path, she was determined to apply and be admitted to her favorite school.
Having loved it, researched it thoroughly and determined early on what she wanted to study, she also decided on her major, Management and Business Psychology, before entering school. This did not change until her final year when she chose her major, despite many suggestions about other majors such as Counseling Psychology or Clinical Psychology.
That clarity and determination helped Phuong Thanh quickly find a suitable learning method and easily achieve high scores. “The most important thing is that learning must be accompanied by purpose and goals. If you study in a vague state, study to pass the subject, or think that this knowledge will not be on the exam so you do not study, it will be very difficult to absorb,” she affirmed.
Phuong Thanh at her university graduation thesis defense
Phuong Thanh also believes that studying is more or less related to personal emotions. Positive emotions help her “absorb” knowledge more easily and learn faster. For general subjects, she tries to find interesting points in that subject, for example, the image of a dedicated and energetic lecturer.
With long classes and a lot of knowledge, she often looks through the textbook, reviews the main ideas of the lesson, and marks the issues she wants to ask more about before going to class. During class, she always tries to interact with the lecturer, taking notes of examples or content that the lecturer has noted for the midterm and final exams.
With outstanding academic results, she has received the school's Academic Encouragement Scholarship many times, received the Japanese Shinnyo Scholarship for all 4 years of study, and achieved the title of "5 Good Students" at the school level in the 2019-2020 school year. In addition, she enthusiastically participates in the student scientific research movement and is an active member of the Nhan Van Stone Flower Club.
Phuong Thanh in a student extracurricular activity.
Besides studying, Phuong Thanh's student years were also filled with work experiences in various positions in different types of businesses. She was a volunteer for a wildlife protection organization, a tutor, a teaching assistant at a soft skills training center, a customer service staff... She is also the administrator of the Instant Psychology fanpage, in charge of translating articles, writing articles to share useful knowledge about psychology with the public.
She said there were two main reasons why she chose to start working early. First, she wanted to gain work experience, get used to the environment and the problems she might encounter. Second, because of her “Southward” orientation, she chose companies with offices in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City so she could be more proactive in her work.
Thanks to that, she also learned many things outside the school such as ensuring labor rights, office computer skills or how to negotiate. She also learned how to show the advantages of a Psychology student when the position she applied for was not really related to her major.
Phuong Thanh as a volunteer at ENV Center for Nature Education on wildlife protection
Phuong Thanh received the good news of becoming double valedictorian and being honored at the graduation ceremony of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi in early August 2023, more than 1,000 km away from home. Because she is currently working in Ho Chi Minh City. This was a plan she had cherished since before going to university, so after completing her studies and arranging the procedures, she began her journey "to the South".
“Although I had researched and prepared myself mentally, I still couldn’t avoid a bit of culture and environmental shock when I moved here. Hanoi was sunny and bright, but the first day I arrived in Ho Chi Minh City, it was pouring rain and the streets were flooded.
The economy is in recession so finding a suitable job is more difficult. Before coming here, I found an online job while waiting for a full-time job, so the pressure is a little less,” Phuong Thanh confided.
According to her, a high GPA is a plus in the job search process. Especially for jobs that require quickness and good grasp. For her, academic achievements, extracurricular activities, part-time jobs, and internships are all good support tools in the job application process if we know how to use them skillfully. Students need to balance their time and effort for the above activities, avoid being too absorbed in studying and away from real work or focusing on work and neglecting their studies.
Like many recent graduates, the 22-year-old female student also has constant worries and insecurities about the future. However, she always believes in herself and is not afraid to take risks and face challenges in a new job in a strange land. That spirit is thanks to the great encouragement and support from her family. Her parents and siblings are the ones who always respect all her decisions and are a solid support for her to study and work with peace of mind.
Currently, Phuong Thanh is working in the field of human resources and learning more about career counseling. She plans to gain more work experience before applying for a scholarship to study for a master's degree abroad.
Vietnam Student Newspaper: Double Valedictorian in Psychology: Creating positive emotions to effectively 'absorb' knowledge
