Quang Nam student 'rises up' with his hometown's rice and seedlings

A steady journey from the fields

Admitted directly to the University of Natural Sciences in Ho Chi Minh City thanks to his impressive academic achievements, Duy Nhan (19 years old) is currently a second-year student majoring in computer science and information technology. Nhan commented that his journey to pursue his university dream is "the longest ever". Because the school he attends is more than 800 kilometers away from his hometown in Vinh Xuan village, Thang Binh district, Quang Nam province by "bus".

Growing up in a farming family, Nhan said his childhood was spent helping his parents with the fields. In addition to herding cows, every harvest season, the Quang Nam boy was busy drying rice, carrying straw... under the blazing sun on a field of about 8 sao. Nhan did this regularly from childhood until he graduated from high school, through which he learned to be persistent and optimistic.

In the family, after the eldest brother who is now working, Nhan is the second oldest, with a younger brother who is just entering 10th grade and a younger sister who is in kindergarten. Although the family is in a difficult situation, with his father only having a second job as an electrician, according to Nhan, both parents wholeheartedly support their children in their educational journey. "My parents tried every way to let my siblings and I go to school, did not interfere in our decisions and only wanted us to study what we truly love," Nhan proudly said.

Chàng sinh viên Quảng Nam 'vươn lên' cùng lúa mạ quê nhà - Ảnh 1. — Ngo Nguyen Duy Nhan, student of Computer Science and Information Technology, University of Science, Ho Chi Minh City

That day, after graduating from Phan Boi Chau Secondary School, Nhan was admitted to the specialized math class at Nguyen Binh Khiem Specialized High School, one of two specialized schools in Quang Nam. Because he studied at a specialized school, the male student received a monthly salary, which partly helped ease the pressure of tuition fees for his family. And because the school was too far from home, Nhan also chose to rent a room near the school, starting his journey to independent living.

Here, Nhan continuously achieved many remarkable achievements in mathematics. In grade 11, Nhan won third prize in the provincial excellent student competition, third prize in the national excellent student competition and a bronze medal in the traditional Olympic competition on April 30. In grade 12, the male student won second prize in the national excellent student competition and an encouragement prize in the Olympic competition for students and pupils.

Overcome loneliness to hope for success

With his strength in mathematics and passion for computers, Nhan decided to pursue information technology in Ho Chi Minh City, where many famous technology companies and corporations gather, not only in Vietnam but also in the world. Right from his first year at school, Nhan achieved an average score of 9.4 and 8.8 in two semesters respectively. These are high achievements that not many students can conquer.

According to Nhan, this result comes from a process of continuous effort, devoting all his heart and soul to studying since high school. For math, Nhan advises candidates to practice solving different types of questions over and over again to gain experience and create reflexes in doing the test. As for programming, students should master the basic knowledge and apply what is available along with problem-solving thinking to create the best "answer".

Chàng sinh viên Quảng Nam 'vươn lên' cùng lúa mạ quê nhà - Ảnh 2. — Duy Nhan takes a photo with his classmates at Nguyen Binh Khiem High School for the Gifted, Quang Nam province.

Although his studies were so smooth, few people know that the Quang Nam boy experienced a feeling of loneliness and homesickness when he first came to study and live at the Ho Chi Minh City National University dormitory. "At that time, the city was very big but I didn't know anyone. Now, although it has lessened somewhat, in the afternoons, I still miss my hometown a little bit," Nhan confided.

Currently, Nhan is studying the basic theory of information technology, and reviewing English to take the TOEIC certificate exam to meet the entrance standards of the major. "In addition, I also self-study technology and programming knowledge on social networks, as well as use artificial intelligence like ChatGPT to support my studies because of its speed and accuracy to a certain extent," the male student commented.

"Ripe rice bows its head" is a Japanese proverb that advises people to always be humble in acquiring knowledge, and that is also the spirit that Nhan wants to aim for. Because, when asked what message he wants to send to new students who have just entered university, Nhan said there are two things they should do. First, be open, interact with seniors and friends to connect with each other and practice soft skills. "And second, spend your free time studying a lot, continuously becoming a better version of yourself," Nhan advised.

"Technology billionaires like Bill Gates, Elon Musk... are the ones who motivate me and inspire me to strive to succeed in my field," Nhan added, adding that this school year he is also looking for a math tutoring job to make ends meet. In the future, one of Nhan's "backup plans" is to program websites for organizations and businesses, he shared.