Winning many awards at prestigious competitions, Nguyen Tuan Phong became a 'phenomenon' of Bac Ninh as the first student of the province to win an international Olympic gold medal, admitting that he is 'very normal'.
Nguyen Tuan Phong in daily life - Photo: CONG NHAT
- "I was born into a family that was not too wealthy but always created opportunities for their children to study in the best environment. Since high school, I have been used to an independent life, moving into a dormitory because the school was more than 30 kilometers from home. And the first subject I pursued was math, not physics," Tuan Phong began the story with a "secret" that few people know.
Failure is sometimes a blessing
* Why did you choose math at first but then choose physics?
- In secondary school, like many other students, I only focused on math because I thought it was the most important subject. However, I could not keep up with my teammates, and the climax was that I was at the bottom of the list in the district-level exam. Of course, I was shocked, but later I was grateful for that failure because it helped me develop a love for physics.
This new subject helped me realize that I had the opportunity to apply it more closely, to solve problems or problems in a more soulful way. Over time, my interest in physics grew and I saw that the failure above turned out to be a blessing, leading to another more suitable door.
* Many people think that you must have outstanding intelligence so studying is easy?
- I think intelligence is just a catalyst to help us learn in a more thoughtful way, with less stress. But achieving high achievements requires anyone to work hard day and night.
There is no way that a person with intelligence can gain experience and understand problems that many others spend months or years studying and researching to grasp. Nowadays, a lot of knowledge is closely related to life experience.
Improve your skills
* Besides effort and the right attitude, what other factors do you think young people need to study effectively?
- This is another personal failure that I think is meaningful and want to share. In the Asian Physics Olympiad , I fell to second place in the Vietnamese team, losing to a friend I had often "beaten" before.
Thinking back, I realized that the above exam did not require absolute accuracy in the solution, while I am a very meticulous person and this wasted time unnecessarily. Each game has its own rules and to conquer, sometimes we should not be too perfectionist.
Instead, try to understand the competition and focus on being the best fit for the criteria.
* Is there something about yourself that you need to improve?
- During my last years of high school, I was mostly with the team, studying in a separate area so I had little contact with my friends, and had little time for other training activities.
That's why I think I still have many limitations such as English or communication skills. I am currently focusing on perfecting these skills as well as many other points.
I like a quiet life, having enough money to take care of my family and personal interests is synonymous with success and happiness.
A little more ambitious would probably be to try to win a scholarship to study abroad at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), get a PhD, and research and create something so that later on my name will be somewhat remembered by everyone.
Impressive gold plaque
Nguyen Tuan Phong (former student of Bac Ninh High School for the Gifted) won second prize in the national physics competition in grade 11 and first prize in the national competition in grade 12. He also won a silver medal in the 2022 European Physics Olympiad and a bronze medal in the 2023 Asia-Pacific Physics Olympiad...
Tuan Phong created a "miracle" when he won the gold medal (the highest score of the Vietnamese delegation) at the 2023 International Physics Olympiad and was directly admitted to Hanoi University of Science and Technology. This exam was hosted by Japan in July 2023 with the participation of 398 candidates from 84 countries and territories.
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