(Dan Tri) - During 2 months of self-studying for the SAT at home, Ngo Tien Anh (a student at Nguyen Sieu Secondary and High School) had 2 weeks to travel and explore historical sites along the Central region. The actual review time was only 1.5 months.
Late start with English and no extra lessons
Before switching to the Intensive Academic English program, Ngo Tien Anh was a Cambridge student, IGCSE class in economics, Nguyen Sieu Secondary and High School. Tien Anh did not study Cambridge from a young age like most of the students in his class. He studied the Vietnamese general education program at another private school from grades 1-8.
Ms. Doan Thi Mai Anh - Tien Anh's mother - said that her son only really learned English in grade 5.
Since childhood, Tien Anh loved reading. Every weekend, Mai Anh took her son to Dinh Le street to read books. By the time he was in 5th grade, Tien Anh naturally switched to reading stories in English.
Seeing her child's love for English books, Ms. Mai Anh bought her child a Kindle reader . Every time her child did something good, she rewarded him by buying more books on Kindle.
Portrait of Ngo Tien Anh - student of Nguyen Sieu Secondary and High School (Photo: NVCC).
Three years later, Tien Anh's English ability was good enough to transfer to the Cambridge 9th grade without having to take extra classes. In his first IELTS test, Tien Anh achieved a score of 7.5, with 8.5 in listening and reading.
His passion for reading is also the main reason why Tien Anh did not need to go to a review center to achieve a near-perfect SAT score after only 2 months of self-study.
Four months ago, the international standardized test SAT was still a foreign concept to Tien Anh. However, due to a change in direction, Tien Anh needed an SAT certificate to apply to the Faculty of Pharmacy at Monash University (Australia). He started his review plan in June, right after finishing grade 11.
Normally, it takes 6-12 months of preparation to achieve a target SAT score. But Tien Anh only had 2 months to study before the exam took place in August. Ms. Mai Anh looked into some test preparation centers for her son but Tien Anh refused. He wanted to study on his own first.
To support her child, Ms. Mai Anh went to parent groups on social networks to ask for documents. Tien Anh also searched for free learning resources and free practice tests on Khan Academy (a non-profit online educational toolkit from the US).
Despite the tight schedule, Tien Anh still went on a two-week trip with his family. The trip spanned the central provinces to explore historical sites from the two wars against France and the United States. The actual exam preparation time was only 1.5 months.
As a result, I achieved a near-perfect SAT score of 1590/1600, with 800 in math and 790 in reading comprehension. This score is in the top 1% of the world.
Tien Anh assessed that the math part of the SAT test is not too difficult, the knowledge is equivalent to the secondary school level in Vietnam, so it is an advantage for Vietnamese candidates. However, there are practical problems that require creative thinking, and candidates also need quick processing skills because the questions are very long.
For the reading comprehension section, candidates are required to have the skills of analyzing context, searching, synthesizing and using information. Tien Anh said that the ability to skim and scan helps him a lot in this section.
In addition, a solid language foundation and comprehensive social knowledge gained through reading books and stories helped Tien Anh solve difficult test requirements such as interpreting poems with hidden meanings.
Want to become a pharmacist because I admire my mother
Ms. Mai Anh is the production manager of a famous pharmaceutical brand. Because the factory is located in Ha Nam, Ms. Mai Anh commutes nearly 100km back and forth every day. Her husband works in the construction industry and is often away from home.
Despite her busy work schedule, Mai Anh always tries to make time for her children. Sometimes, she takes her children to work with her so that they can understand and share the nature of her work.
Since childhood, Tien Anh showed a sociable personality, eager to learn, and loved to communicate, so his parents oriented him to study economics. However, while following his mother to work, Tien Anh liked pharmacy without realizing it.
Seeing his mother’s hard work, Tien Anh was not only not afraid but also attracted by her energy while working. She was always full of enthusiasm, joy and passion when at the factory. She was patient and persistent when working with the workers to help them improve their skills.
Admiration for his mother made Tien Anh decide to quit economics to switch to pharmacy in the final stage.
Ngo Tien Anh (wearing glasses) and his friends practice chemistry (Photo: NVCC).
Tien Anh's goal after graduating from high school is the Faculty of Pharmacy at Monash University - one of the top three universities in the world for pharmacy training. Tien Anh has submitted his first application with the hope of winning one of the 31 50% scholarships for outstanding candidates worldwide.
Talking about her child's miracle, Ms. Mai Anh shared that what makes her most proud and happy is not the score but the way her child always sets goals and is determined to achieve them through self-study ability.
"Self-study is the most valuable asset for children to go far and overcome all obstacles in life," Mai Anh confided.
"When taking the test, the most important thing is to keep a relaxed spirit, do not be stressed before and during the test. It is best to go to bed early. Because the SAT is of considerable length, candidates also need to have endurance and health to complete the test in the most complete way.
Prepare all necessary items before the exam such as calculator, pen, eraser, test device and charger (you should fully charge the device before the exam day because it is not 100% certain that there will be a charging outlet for the device at the exam location), passport/citizen ID card, test notice (can be printed or sent via personal email and presented at the exam location), water and snacks.
Before taking the test, you should turn off all other applications on the test device, turn off notifications and delete SAT-related documents because the app has the right to scan the device during the test to detect cheating," Ngo Tien Anh shared things to keep in mind when taking the SAT test.
Dantri.com.vn
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