Setting her sights on graduating as valedictorian from her first year, the female student reaped the rewards after 3 years.

Graduating a year early and becoming the valedictorian of the Literature Department at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi in 2026 is the "sweet fruit" of Nguyen Duong Phuong Anh's arduous academic journey.

Behind that achievement lies not only an excellent academic record but also a persistent pursuit of goals, continuous learning, the courage to try various roles, and the proactive accumulation of experience from the very first days of entering university.

Choose your field of study based on self-understanding, not by following trends.

Sharing with a reporter from the Vietnam Education Online Magazine, Nguyen Duong Phuong Anh said that her love for literature began in her elementary school years. From a young age, she realized that Literature was the subject she was most interested in, and also the field where she could develop her strengths. Through each grade level, this passion was not only nurtured but gradually became a clear direction for her future.

Determined to pursue her passion, Phuong Anh passed the entrance exam to the High School for Gifted Students in Social Sciences and Humanities. When she reached the threshold of university, she chose to major in Literature at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

According to the top-scoring student, this was not an emotional or impulsive decision, but the result of careful consideration of her abilities, interests, and long-term career goals.

"From a very young age, I understood that choosing a field of study is also choosing a foundation for personal development in the future. Therefore, I think the most important thing is to understand what you are suited for, instead of just following trends," Phuong Anh shared.

While fields like technology, economics, and artificial intelligence are attracting more and more students, Phuong Anh believes that basic sciences still play a particularly important role. She argues that each field has its own unique value and contributes to the development of society.

For Phuong Anh, Literature is not just a field of study that provides specialized knowledge, but also helps students build a foundation for critical thinking, hone their analytical, critical, and expressive abilities, and cultivate empathy and humanistic values. She believes these are all core competencies with lasting value, enabling students to adapt to various professional fields in a constantly changing job market.

With that mindset, Phuong Anh wasn't overly stressed by concerns about job opportunities for social science students. She believes that, in the context of increasingly popular and market-demanding fields of study, the important thing isn't to chase trends, but for each student to proactively cultivate their expertise, skills, and accumulate experience throughout their studies to create a competitive advantage.

Through her studies and practical experience, Phuong Anh became increasingly convinced that students majoring in Literature in particular, and social sciences in general, are not limited in their career opportunities if they are equipped with a solid professional foundation. This is because the characteristic of basic sciences is that they provide a system of fundamental knowledge and methods of thinking, thereby creating the ability to adapt to many different fields of work.

Besides fields directly related to their major such as education and research, Literature students can also develop careers in journalism, media, publishing, content creation, working in government agencies, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, as well as many positions requiring language skills, analytical thinking, and information processing skills.

"The Literature major may not train students for a specific profession, but it equips them with a foundation to pursue many different careers. With strong professional skills, continuous learning, and a proactive approach to seizing opportunities, I believe that Literature students can absolutely find suitable positions and create value in many areas of life," Phuong Anh expressed.

Behind the title of valedictorian lies a persistent journey in pursuing one's goals.

For Nguyen Duong Phuong Anh, graduating as valedictorian is not the result of a "last-minute rush," but rather the culmination of perseverance throughout her university journey. For her, learning something new each day is a step closer to her goal.

Sharing her study methods, Phuong Anh said that from her first year, she set herself the goal of becoming the valedictorian upon graduation. Looking back, she considers it a somewhat "naive" thought, but that very goal has become the motivation for her to always maintain a serious attitude towards studying and constantly strive for improvement.

"From my first year, I've always hoped to achieve something that would make my parents, teachers, and myself proud. Therefore, I always remind myself to strive every day, and the more I learn, the better," the valedictorian shared.

Besides focusing on her studies, Phuong Anh actively participated in class activities and faculty and university events. She served as class president of the K68 Literature class and was also a member of the Student Union Committee for the first two years. She was involved in most of the faculty's programs and activities during this period.

In her final years of university, aiming to complete her program early and dedicate more time to her graduation thesis, Phuong Anh proactively reduced her extracurricular activities to focus on her studies and research. Throughout her three years, this journey wasn't always smooth sailing. Phuong Anh admits to making mistakes many times during her studies and research, from approaching knowledge and developing her topic to her work methods. However, instead of being discouraged, she viewed each setback as a lesson to improve herself.

According to the top-scoring student, her greatest blessing was always receiving the support, dedicated guidance, and understanding from the lecturers of the Faculty of Literature as well as the university. It was the trust and encouragement of her teachers that gave her the motivation to persevere in pursuing her goals to the very end.

Besides academic achievements, scientific research is also a memorable highlight of Phuong Anh's student life. In her opinion, this is a meaningful activity not only for students pursuing in-depth research but also for anyone wishing to develop their academic abilities and professional skills.

The top-scoring female student believes that the process of conducting a research project helps students develop independent thinking, critical thinking, the ability to search for, process, and analyze information, and learn how to solve problems arising from practice. Especially for students in Literature and social sciences, the source of information is not only found in books or academic texts but also comes from real life.

The process of conducting field surveys and gaining firsthand experience allows learners to observe, listen, and view issues from multiple perspectives. These are all essential skills for future employment.

Besides providing professional value, scientific research also gives Phuong Anh more opportunities to work and exchange ideas with lecturers, connect with friends who share a passion for academia, and expand her professional network even while still in school.

"I've always thought that scientific research is a very worthwhile activity for students to experience. It not only helps you grow professionally, but it's also an opportunity to learn from teachers, friends, and real-life situations," Phượng Anh expressed.

According to Phuong Anh, the quality of education at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, is not only reflected in specialized knowledge but also in how the university accompanies students throughout their learning and growth. For the valedictorian, her years of study there have helped her not only accumulate knowledge but also develop her thinking, learning methods, and many essential life skills.

In fact, professors not only guide students in their studies and research but also spend a lot of time sharing about learning methods, work ethics, and how to behave in life.

"What I appreciate most is the humane way the professors interact with students. Whenever I encounter difficulties or make mistakes in my studies or research, the professors don't scold me but patiently analyze and point out what I need to improve. Thanks to this, I have the opportunity to reflect on myself and grow stronger after each setback," Phuong Anh shared.

According to the top-scoring female student, in addition to providing knowledge in the classroom, the school also creates many opportunities for students to participate in academic activities such as scientific research, in-depth reading of specialized materials, attending seminars and conferences, and interacting with scholars and researchers both domestically and internationally. These experiences not only help students broaden their knowledge but also hone their research thinking and ability to approach problems from multiple perspectives.

In particular, Phuong Anh highly appreciates the school's training philosophy, which always emphasizes the proactiveness and self-learning spirit of students. According to her, instead of "micromanaging," lecturers primarily play a guiding role, creating conditions for students to explore, solve problems independently, and take responsibility for their choices. Only when students truly encounter difficulties do teachers provide timely support and guidance.

Phuong Anh, representing the new graduates, shared her thoughts at the 2026 Bachelor's Degree Award Ceremony.

Based on her experiences, Phuong Anh also shared a message with students who wish to study Literature. According to her, the most important thing for excelling in this field is not memorizing a lot of information, but cultivating a daily reading and writing habit.

The top-scoring female student believes that these are two core skills for literature students, and also the foundation for developing thinking and expressive abilities. Reading helps broaden life experiences, accumulate knowledge, and form a multi-dimensional perspective. Meanwhile, writing is the process of organizing and systematizing thoughts and honing expressive skills.

Specifically, according to Phuong Anh, the concept of "reading" should be understood in a broader sense than simply reading books or textbooks. It also encompasses the process of observing, receiving, and decoding information from life, from people, from social phenomena, and from everyday experiences.

"Therefore, I think that to excel in Literature, one should first cultivate the habit of reading and writing more. When one knows how to observe, listen, and reflect on life, one will gain more life experience, material, and thinking skills to write and to understand people and society more deeply," Phuong Anh shared.