Hanoi Do Hai Nam, valedictorian of grade 10 at Hanoi National University of Education, won perfect scores in both Math exams.
Hai Nam, a former student of Newton Secondary and High School, Hanoi, and his family burst into tears when they received the news that he had been admitted to the 10th grade Math class at the National University of Education High School for the Gifted at 9:00 p.m. on June 14.
Nam scored 10 points in conditional Math (also known as general Math), 10 points in specialized Math and 5.75 in Literature. With the admission score calculation formula being the sum of the general Math, Literature and specialized subject scores multiplied by a factor of two, maximum 40, Nam scored 35.75 points, the highest among more than 6,000 students taking the 10th grade exam for specialized Pedagogy. According to teachers, very few students achieve perfect scores in both Math exams to enter 10th grade at specialized schools in Hanoi.
"I was very surprised and happy, I didn't think I would get this result," Nam said.
Do Hai Nam in a yearbook photo at Newton Secondary and High School, May 2023. Photo: Provided by the character
According to Phan Thanh Thuy, Nam's mother, he learned to read when he was 22 months old, after his grandparents taught him to recognize letters. However, it wasn't until around the third grade that Nam developed his math skills.
Sharing the reason for his love for this subject, Nam said that because Math is difficult, every time he finds the answer, he feels like he has conquered a challenge. Nam often takes advantage of the time to do his homework during recess in class. In addition to regular school hours, he takes two Math sessions and two Physics sessions a week. On days when he has free time, he studies Math by himself for about 1-1.5 hours.
The student often studies Math by topic, does homework and researches additional documents. When he has free time, he still plays games and sports.
Nam has a memorable experience with Math. He once read the question wrong in an important exam, which led to drawing the wrong shape. "That experience taught me a profound lesson, that I have to be very careful when reading the question. Otherwise, all my efforts will not be recognized," Nam said.
Recalling the day of the entrance exam to the Pedagogical major, Nam assessed that the general and specialized Math tests had a good level of thinking, and could classify students. He had difficulty with the last 1-point problem of the specialized Math test. This problem required proving that there is a positive integer n > 10^2023, such that the sum of all prime numbers less than n is relatively prime to n.
"This is a new question, not like the ones I have reviewed or learned before," Nam said, adding that it took him about 30 minutes to solve this problem.
After completing the exam, Nam also predicted that he would get good results. He even teased his mother, "I'm the valedictorian." However, getting two 10s was still beyond Nam's expectations. The student said that this result was 80% due to ability, 10% due to being in good form, and 10% due to luck.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Linh, Deputy Head of the Math Department at Newton Secondary and High School, who is also Nam's homeroom teacher, said she was not surprised by her student's test scores. Nam has shown outstanding abilities throughout his studies.
Ms. Linh said she often saw Nam diligently reading books and doing math exercises, even during recess. Once he learned math, he was very enthusiastic and confident, and often volunteered to go to the board to solve difficult problems. He also often found new, more creative solutions that were still very rigorous.
In terms of personality, Nam is quiet, but does not separate himself from the group. He still participates in class activities and often exchanges lessons with friends.
"Nam is a talented student with very good thinking, so his achievements are completely deserved," said Ms. Linh.
Sticking with Mathematics, Nam won a series of national and international awards in this subject, notably the silver medal in Mathematics at the 2019 International Mathematics and Science Olympiad (IMSO). This achievement helped Nam get a direct ticket to grade 10 at Chu Van An High School.
Nam (left) with students of the Math team, Newton Secondary and High School, January 2023. Photo: Provided by the character
Before receiving the news of being admitted to the Pedagogical University, Nam was admitted to the 10th grade of Math and Physics at the High School for the Gifted in Natural Sciences, Hanoi National University.
Ms. Thuy said that Nam decided to study Physics from the beginning of 9th grade to expand his knowledge and challenge himself. Because Nam started studying quite late compared to many students who were aiming for specialized exams, his family did not have high expectations or put too much emphasis on passing or failing, especially in Physics.
"Maybe because he was in a relaxed state of mind, he did better than everyone else. The whole family is very happy about Nam's achievements," said Ms. Thuy.
Nam is waiting for the results of Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for the Gifted. Therefore, he has not decided where he will study. For now, he will rest and travel with his family. In the future, he hopes to continue to stick with Mathematics.
"I think I will work in positions related to or using a lot of Math knowledge, such as engineer or teacher," Nam said.
Thanh Hang
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