Ngan Ha earned excellent scholarships in every semester, had international publications in Q1, before becoming the valedictorian of the University of Technology with a GPA of 3.96/4.
Duong Ngan Ha, 22 years old, from Hung Yen province, is a student majoring in Computer Science , in the high-quality program at the University of Technology, Vietnam National University, Hanoi. With this result, Ha was honored as the top student in Hanoi this year. Her impressive academic record includes nearly 30 titles and awards in academics, scientific research, and extracurricular activities.
"When I found out I was the top student, I felt like I had just finished a midterm exam in middle school and gotten a good result. I called my mom right away to tell her," Ha said.
For Ha, this award is a significant milestone from her university days. She regrets not being able to attend the city's awards ceremony in October because she had already left to pursue a master's degree on an Erasmus Mundus scholarship from the European Union.
Ngan Ha poses for a commemorative photo after her graduation ceremony at the University of Technology. Photo: Provided by the subject .
Ha is a former student specializing in Mathematics, who was admitted directly to university thanks to a national honorable mention award. After spending a lot of time researching the training programs of various universities, she chose Computer Science at the University of Technology because "the curriculum provides a solid foundation of theory to create cool products."
Entering a new learning environment with lecturers whose teaching style was very different from high school, Ha still maintained the habit of attending lectures fully and actively discussing with teachers. Anything she didn't understand during class, Ha would usually make notes in the margin of her notebook and ask again at the end of the session.
"I asked questions almost every day, to the point that sometimes when class was over, the teacher would remind me if I had any questions," Ha shared.
For many subjects, Ha chose a study method that she herself considered "somewhat arduous." Even though she listened to all the lectures, studied at night, and kept up with the curriculum, when it came time for exams, Ha still spent 3-5 days reviewing the entire curriculum for each subject, including reading slides, books, reviewing notes, videos , forum discussions, and materials sent by her teachers.
Ha also made handwritten study outlines on A4 paper to review. After four years, her collection of study outlines for all subjects totaled 327 pages. Although it was time-consuming and laborious, Ha believes it was useful because she always learned something new when reviewing the material.
These handwritten outline pages were kept by Ha. Photo: Provided by the subject.
Despite the demanding schoolwork, coupled with her responsibilities as class president and numerous extracurricular activities, from her first semester, Ha joined the Large Systems Optimization Laboratory - ORLab. There, she participated in research on Operations Research, a field of study related to applying advanced analytical methods to make better decisions.
Ha has worked on both theoretical and practical research projects. She has undertaken projects such as scheduling timetables for high school students and optimizing vaccine allocation. The student believes that through each project, she has strengthened her knowledge, honed her scientific writing skills, improved her information selection and problem-solving skills, and developed the ability to find solutions that fit within available resources.
"Practical projects also help me see what people need in the real world every day, and from there I know what I need to learn and the value of what I need to learn," Ha said.
Ha's early involvement in scientific research also gave her the opportunity to intern at Singapore Management University (SMU) as a research assistant for three months. She was also the lead author of an award-winning paper at the 2022 KSE International Conference – a highly prestigious conference in the field of information technology in Vietnam – and published an article in the Q1 journal "Computers & Operations Research" (one of the most prestigious scientific journals).
Ngan Ha and some ORLab members at the KSE 2022 international conference. Photo: Provided by the subject.
Participating in multiple activities simultaneously puts pressure on Ha in terms of time management. Besides studying, researching, and school activities, she also has periods where she has to prepare for certification exams and participate in several competitions both inside and outside the school.
However, Ha also has a particular love for dancing, and despite her busy schedule, she never misses a dance class. This is her most consistent activity, helping her balance both physical and mental health, especially when she has to work so much with computers. Ha also frequently participates in baking and knitting workshops.
Dr. Ha Minh Hoang, head of the ORLab laboratory, shared that because Ha participated in many activities and had little time for the research group, he wasn't very impressed with her at first.
"Ha is a product of an education system that produces exemplary, well-behaved students but lacks early career guidance," said teacher Hoang.
Gradually, Mr. Hoang realized that Ha possessed many talents and had the ability to learn new knowledge very quickly. Ha was also willing to accept challenges and venture into new fields to discover herself. Despite doing many things, Ha did them thoroughly and achieved considerable success.
"That's the quality I admire most about Ha, and it's also something young people today need to have to adapt to a rapidly changing world," Mr. Hoang shared.
Ha also admitted that she used to lack good direction. In her final year, when she had to choose her next path, Ha didn't know whether to study abroad, continue her research, or work in a company. Ha applied to companies three times but was rejected because she lacked the relevant experience and couldn't answer the question of "how long would I stay with the company?".
"My mindset at the time was one of haste, fear of making the wrong choice, fear of missing out," Ha shared.
Currently, Ha is pursuing a Master's degree in Applied Mathematics. Under the Erasmus Mundus scholarship program, Ha spent her first semester in Italy, then moved to Austria, Germany, Spain, and France. During this time, she continued her research with the ORLab group.
"After graduating with a master's degree, I plan to pursue doctoral studies. However, the plan may change during the research and learning process," Ha said.
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