"This result exceeded my expectations," said Minh Anh, a student in class 9D at Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for Gifted Students.
The female student assessed the Geography exam as not too difficult, with knowledge concentrated on grades 8 and 9, but there was one tricky question.
Given a data table on crude oil and natural gas production from 2010-2021, the question asked candidates to choose the appropriate type of chart to draw. This type of question required a combined bar and line chart, but most of my friends mistakenly chose a stacked bar and line chart instead.
What I regret most is the poor time management. In the first two questions, Minh Anh exceeded the allotted time by 5-10 minutes, which led to her rushing in the later questions.
"I only had 75 minutes left for the last three 2-point questions, and I rushed to write, so I ran out of time before I finished," the female student recalled.
This is the first year that the specialized high school for the Faculty of Humanities is admitting 10th-grade students with only a specialized subject exam, instead of the three common subjects of Mathematics, Literature, and English as in previous years. Minh Anh's score was the highest among more than 1,500 candidates.
Pham Minh Anh. Photo: Provided by the subject.
The female student said she has loved Geography since the 6th grade, when she first entered the junior high school at Ams High School. Studying general geography, Minh Anh learned about natural phenomena in life and could explain why days are longer than nights in the summer. In higher grades, she expanded her knowledge about regions, economic sectors, etc., and developed her comprehensive thinking skills.
"I find this subject interesting; I can study for hours without getting bored," Minh Anh said.
Minh Anh's love and admiration for the geography students in her high school motivated her to study hard. In 8th grade, she competed in the district-level geography competition with 9th-grade students and won an honorable mention.
Aiming to be the top student in the city-level excellent student competition next year, the female student is determined to study hard. Minh Anh recognizes that for specialized subjects, in addition to focusing on lectures in class, she needs to study a lot on her own. She divides her time into daily schedules, determined not to touch her phone while studying at home.
In addition, the female student asked older students for books, materials, and past exam papers to practice. On days when she had classes all day at school, she took advantage of her lunch break to study extra.
"I spend 5-6 hours a day studying Geography," Minh Anh said. "I want to study thoroughly and understand deeply so I can answer difficult questions that require a high level of application."
For anything she didn't understand, Minh Anh watched videos and lectures online. Instead of memorizing, she looked for evidence, wrote down her answers based on her understanding, and compared them with the correct solutions. After a few days, she reviewed the material again to ensure she remembered the knowledge.
"It's easier to remember if you think things through, use examples, and write them down," the female student said.
Minh Anh's hard work and effort helped her win first prize in the district-level and then city-level student excellence competitions last school year.
As Minh Anh's Geography teacher since 8th grade, Ms. Ta Quynh Trang clearly sensed her student's determination. She assessed that the girl had good geographical thinking skills, was diligent, and had goals, so she progressed quickly. Minh Anh always proactively asked her for extra practice problems and feedback after class.
"She must really love the subject to have the patience to do that throughout the entire school year," Ms. Trang said.
Minh Anh is currently awaiting the results from the High School for Gifted Students affiliated with Hanoi University of Education and Hanoi - Amsterdam High School. Her goal is to participate in the national geography competition for gifted students and win a scholarship to study abroad when she enters high school.
