Nguyen Trung Nghia, the valedictorian of the School of Applied Mathematics and Informatics, graduated with a CPA of 3.7/4. Nghia is now a guest researcher at the Institute of Mathematics, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), and a Ph.D. student to-be at the Top 3 Public University in the US.
The learning method of valedictorian
“Before entering HUST, I often heard the rumors about heavy workload and easy-to-fail course. Not confident to keep up with the study, I did not participate in any student activities in my first year”, Nghia laughed.
However, after one year with an acceptable CPA, he decided to join the Standing Committee of the Students’ Association of School of Applied Mathematics and Informatics (SAMI), and later on, became Chairman of the Association and Head of Study and Scientific Research.
Nghia found himself a ‘right’ learning method: For foundation subjects, it is important to attend theory classes. Many students skip theory classes because these sessions do not require attendance.
“Not fully understanding the core theory, learners can only solve the exercise by imitating models and copying formulas”, said the excellent engineer.
According to Trung Nghia, specialized reference papers in Mathematics and Informatics in Vietnamese are not enough for his study and research. After actively looking for English materials, he found the diverse resources which provided him with other viewpoints, helping him fully comprehend the courses and get more inspired by his major.
English was initially not his strength, but he “forced” himself to read specialized English documents. Reading foreign documents in English is an effective learning method, while at the same time improving his English skills. Last October, Trung Nghia earn a 7.0 on his IELTS test.
Nghia often came early and sat in the front row to easily interact with teachers. When not in class, he usually contacted his teachers via email or social media to ask about the information he could not understand.
“SAMI teachers are very enthusiastic. As long as students do not hesitate to reach out, lecturers will be there and give support wholeheartedly,” Nghia affirmed.
“Scholarship Hunter”
Around his second or third year of university, Trung Nghia got caught up in making money, which later negatively affected his academic results. There are a time when he tutored for 12-13 sessions a week, draining all of his energy for studying.
Nghia remembered the time when his score dropped to about 3.37, making him question himself: “Clearly seeing the tumble, I asked myself: Am I going to keep working part-time and neglect my self-development?”.
Realizing a low-grade degree might lead to difficulty in landing a job after graduation, Nghia decided to work just enough to cover personal expenses, and focused on learning English for future opportunities instead.
Nghia started participating in Youth Union activities from the beginning of the second school year. “These activities take up a lot of my time and effort, but I never feel. I have gained more than I have lost,” Nghia shared.
Participating in extracurricular activities at HUST, Nghia “rediscovered himself”. He reconnected with his friends and widened his professional networks. It is no exaggeration to say that it is a turning point in Trung Nghia’s life.
As the Head of Study and Scientific Research, he gained the opportunity to participate in the 18th Conference on Scientific Computation and Optimization organized by the Institute of Mathematics, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology.
At the conference, he met many scientists, professors, PhDs, and postgraduates presenting research results. Following his passion, Nghia met Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy, a SAMI lecturer, and proposed to do research with her.
Realizing Nghia’s potential, Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy encouraged him to study abroad. Inspired by her stories, he was determined to study English and actively participate in scientific research, finding his way to conquer a bigger dream.
Currently, the HUST valedictorian has had 3 scientific articles published or accepted to be published in international and domestic journals focusing on algorithms for solving differential inequality and related problems, including one SCIE-Q1 article, one SCIE-Q2 article, and one article in a prestigious domestic journal, and many scientific reports at prestigious conferences in the field of Optimization and Scientific Computation.
Nghia also received at least one scholarship for outstanding students with excellent results every semester. “Apply for the scholarship requires a minimum CPA of 3.2, but most of the scholarship recipients have relatively higher scores. In addition, the student’s attendance and extracurricular activity score are also very important. Students need soft skills to confidently step out into the world of employment. Besides, achievements in scientific research are also a plus point to increase your chance to receive the scholarship”, shared the valedictorian.
HUST also has scholarships to encourage students with difficult circumstances, such as the Tran Dai Nghia scholarship. “This scholarship represents a very humanitarian side of HUST,” Nghia expressed.
“Thanks to these scholarships, I can focus more on my studies without worrying about tuition fees. Since my first year at college, I have been able to be financially independent and cover a part of living expenses for my family,” Trung Nghia said happily.
HUST opens many opportunities for the future
Nguyen Trung Nghia attended a high school for gifted students and specialized in Physics, so he learned natural science subjects in a very natural way. Realizing that many natural science problems can only be solved by using mathematics, he decided to register for a major in Mathematics and Informatics at HUST.
After graduating from HUST, Nghia believed that he has a competitive advantage over other students majoring in Mathematics who come from other universities.
HUST students’ successes are not only shown on the transcripts but also in the ability to self-study. “When my friend encounters any problem or difficulty at work, he can completely study how to solve the problem by himself. Many big corp leaders agreed that this is a strong point of HUST’s students compared to graduates from other universities”, according to Trung Nghia.
The upcoming plan of the new valedictorian is to study abroad for a doctoral degree in the United State with a full scholarship including tuition fees, health insurance, and salary earned as a teaching assistant, …
Studying abroad is an experience Trung Nghia wants to try to “get out of his comfort zone and discover his growth potentials”. Studying in a multicultural environment can improve his skills and expand his knowledge so that he can continue to contribute to Vietnam and HUST. “In the future, I want to be able to do something for my country,” affirmed the Math – Informatics engineer.
Graduating one term early, Nguyen Trung Nghia regretted that time has passed too quickly. “I remember the days when I went to college with my friends all day, spending time studying without a moment to have lunch. I used to wish for graduation day, now all I have is priceless memories,” Nghia confided.
Self-identifying as a “workaholic”, Nghia always finds a way to keep him busy by tutoring or learning a new language, leaving him little time with his parents. He wanted to spend more time with his family before he sailed off to a new horizon.
“I grew up in a family full of love. I feel lucky that I have received the never-ending attention and love from my parents”, Nghia said. “In my opinion, family is very important. The purpose of studying abroad is to learn new things in a developed country, not ‘escape’ from my country. Returning to Vietnam is a thing I will do,” affirmed Nguyen Trung Nghia.
Writing by Ha San, translating by Tu Uyen, editing by Ha Kim
