The special thing about the female student who failed the 10th grade exam but became the national runner-up

Doan Tu Anh, currently a first-year student at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi. Sharing her story with VietNamNet , Tu Anh hopes that students who have just passed the entrance exam to public high schools but were not lucky enough to pass like her 4 years ago can stand up strong and continue to strive to create miracles.

“Failure to get into public school seemed like the end of the road in my mind when I was 15. But in the end, I chose to stand up so I wouldn’t keep falling,” the female student said.

Doan Tu Anh, currently a first-year student at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi . *Photo: NVCC*

Being a good student, in the 2021 10th grade entrance exam, Tu Anh registered at Tran Hung Dao High School, the school with the second highest admission score in Nam Dinh province (old). However, on the day the exam results were announced, Tu Anh was "shocked" to learn that she was 0.9 points short.

“I felt like the sky was falling down. Most of my friends got into specialized schools, or even top schools. At that time, I felt self-conscious and disappointed, thinking I couldn’t overcome it,” Tu Anh recalled.

In the following days, Tu Anh was immersed in disappointment about herself, not daring to face her parents and those around her. However, when she thought back, the student felt lucky because at that time, her parents did not scold or pressure her, but were only there to comfort and encourage her. A few days later, her mother took Tu Anh to a private school to register.

During the first days at the “option two” school, Tu Anh kept to herself and did not participate in class activities. The female student was wary of the eyes of those around her.

“Many people said that I must be lazy, bad at studying, or naughty to have to go to a private school. That made me even more disappointed, living in the fear of failing the 10th grade exam,” Tu Anh said.

But it was during the “darkest” time that Tu Anh felt lucky to have her family and teachers by her side to give her the motivation to overcome her early life crisis. That was her History teacher - the one who recognized the female student’s special love for this subject and guided her on the path to achieve the best results.

It was also the support of my parents. “My mother told me that the environment is only a part, the most important thing is to try hard yourself. I decided to start over instead of continuing to slide down the ladder,” Tu Anh shared.

From that moment on, Tu Anh was no longer burdened by the past failures and tried to study to the best of her ability. Thanks to that, for 3 years, Tu Anh was continuously in the top of her class. In the 2024 high school graduation exam, Tu Anh scored 29.5 points, becoming the runner-up of the C00 block nationwide in 2024.

From her own experiences, the female student believes that not being able to get into a public school is not the end. “Environment is also important, but you are the one who decides your life. High school is just a very short stage on a very long journey. Why do you feel like there is no way out just because of a short stage that is not as expected?”, Tu Anh said.

The female student is also grateful for the "fall" 4 years ago that helped her learn how to stand up after an incident, perseverance and knowing her own worth.

“Success does not only come from smooth roads but sometimes it starts from unexpected turns,” the female student said.

Sharing with VietNamNet, Dr. Nguyen Tung Lam, Chairman of the Hanoi Association of Educational Psychology, said that after each exam, when the results are not as expected, the child himself is very sad.

At this time, parents need to “suppress” their expectations to share and accompany their children. Any criticism or scolding at this time will only make the child more hurt, resentful, and even lead to foolish actions.

Choosing another suitable school is also the most important problem at this time. Parents need to encourage and give their children the will and determination to continue and make efforts in the future. According to him, in many cases, when studying at lower-ranked schools, students, thanks to their good academic performance and encouragement from teachers, can lead in school exams and easily get into good universities in the country.

Therefore, instead of regretting what they couldn't do, students need to be steadfast to continue to improve.

After the specialized high schools affiliated with universities and the Hanoi Department of Education and Training announced the admission scores for grade 10, many parents continue to face the "brain-weighing" problem of which school to choose when their children are admitted to many top schools at the same time.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/tam-su-cua-nu-sinh-tung-thi-truot-lop-10-sau-thanh-a-khoa-toan-quoc-2420766.html