Valedictorian of school for the gifted reveals secrets to academic success

Continuing the impressive track record of Vinh Trai secondary school (Lang Son City), Nguyen Truc Linh, a student of class 9A4 (academic year 2024–2025), has excelled in becoming the valedictorian of all valedictorians with a total score of 46.5 in the entrance exam for Chu Van An High School for the Gifted for the academic year 2025–2026.

According to the admission results, Truc Linh achieved a total score of 46.5, including: Math 9.5, Literature 8, English 10, and English as the specialized subject 9.5. With this score, Truc Linh is not only the top scorer in English but also the overall valedictorian of the school’s class of 2025–2026.

Sharing her passion for English, Truc Linh said: “Since primary school, my parents have created opportunities for me to be exposed to English, and I quickly developed a love for the subject. English is a global language and a useful tool for communication and learning valuable knowledge from other cultures around the world.”

She also shared that learning about successful valedictorians through the media has strongly motivated her. From there, she nurtured a dream and determination to study hard to achieve similar accomplishments. She always reminds herself that in order to affirm her value in life, one must be serious, disciplined, and diligent in learning and practicing. Therefore, upon achieving the expected results, Truc Linh felt very emotional and told herself she must strive even harder in the journey ahead.

To score high on the recent high school entrance exam, Truc Linh developed an effective and scientific study schedule. She dedicated time to studying and reviewing all three subjects: Math, Literature, and English daily. During her study process, Truc Linh actively identified her weaknesses in each subject and was not hesitant to search for learning materials, share with friends, and seek help from teachers to improve.

For English, she emphasized the importance of building a solid “bank” of vocabulary and grammar. To achieve this, she often noted vocabulary and grammar points in a separate notebook, categorized by topic. Each word included its phonetic transcription, synonyms, antonyms, and a sample sentence with specific context for better understanding and memorization. Truc Linh avoided cramming too much vocabulary at once. Instead, she divided new words into small groups to learn and review daily. Regarding grammar, she believed that actively practicing many exercises helped her master structures better than simply memorizing them. This solid foundation enabled her to fully develop all four skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

In addition, Truc Linh often studied in groups with friends and conversed in English to make learning more engaging and effective. Regular English communication not only brought a sense of comfort and confidence but was also a practical method for improving listening and speaking reflexes and pronunciation. Especially, working together on difficult exercises, reviewing and discussing mistakes helped not only Truc Linh but also her friends retain knowledge much more effectively.

When taking exams, Truc Linh always skimmed the entire test structure first to grasp the number of questions and allocate time appropriately for each section. She prioritized answering easy questions or types she was confident in first to create a relaxed mindset. For harder or more time-consuming questions, she marked them and returned later after completing the other parts.

Truc Linh emphasized that good health is an important factor in effective studying. Therefore, she often gets up early to walk with her mother to improve her health and relax her mind. Breathing in fresh air gives her a positive spirit for a new day and enhances her study effectiveness. At school, she also actively participates in cultural, artistic, and sports activities.

Teacher Pham Thuy Trang, who coached the school’s English team at Vinh Trai Secondary School, commented on her student: “Throughout the training process with the English team, Truc Linh always remained highly focused, diligently reviewed materials, proactively self-studied, and challenged herself with various exam questions. Especially, she always completed her English essay assignments well—a crucial and high-scoring skill in exams.”

Besides consistently being an excellent student for nine consecutive years, Truc Linh has won many prizes in academic competitions since grade 6. Notably, she earned second prize in the city-level grade 9 academic contest in the 2024–2025 school year, and second prize in the province-level grade 9 academic contest the same year.

Becoming the top scorer in English and at a specialized school is no small pressure for Truc Linh. However, it is believed that with her inherent diligence, she will turn pressure into motivation, helping her gain more confidence and continue striving for academic excellence in her new learning environment. Truc Linh also expressed her wish to maintain her academic performance to achieve further success, contributing to the achievements of Chu Van An High School for the Gifted. At the same time, she hopes to participate in many extracurricular activities, clubs, and academic teams to enrich her knowledge and develop her soft skills.