February 14, 2022 – The first day I was officially selected to study in the twelfth grader good student selection team as the only eleventh grader. Indeed, being selected was very surprising for me because I had only done two tests. For the 1st test, my result was quite normal, which could be called low compared to the average score of the whole team at that time. Although the score of the 2nd lesson was better, for me it was quite impossible to be chosen in the team. enough to be selected for the team.
As the younger, at first I found it pretty difficult to integrate in the new environment and express my opinions with other teammates. Luckily, my seniors were helpful and kind towards me all the time, which enabled me to adopt some useful learning tips and find many good books and learning materials .
The time I joined the team was around mid-February and the end of March the competition would take place. In other words, there was not much time left to study. However, with the habit of studying with a scheduled timetable, I gradually prioritize what to learn and then break large tasks into smaller ones to reduce pressure and avoid the situation of studying a lot without being effective. Some apps I recommend you guys can use to better manage your time are Notion (I still use it today), Samsung Note, Evernote… Not only that, dividing the study time during the day is also quite important. In the morning, Nhi would often spend time on memorization, learning new words, doing new exercises related to vocabulary more and using apps like Quizlet or Memrise to test my memory later. I also applied methods like Active recall or Spaced repetition to be more active in reviewing knowledge and putting them in long-term memory. For the afternoon, I would do some sample tests, to improve my problem-solving skills. Timely and appropriate study schedule helped me not only be more confident but also be able to quickly learn the necessary knowledge as well as remember it longer!
Then how do I feel? For me, participating in an advanced placement exam is a great pride, but it also comes with responsibility and pressure! So gradually I feel this is a great opportunity to see how far I can go and step out of my comfort zone. Of course, the pressure in studying is inevitable, no matter how many times I go through it and you are confident that you are tough enough, with each time you will feel different types of pressure. Tp an 11th grader girl who won a gold medal with the highest point last year, this pressure was even heavier. Sometimes I wish time would pass quickly so that I could go back to my normal life but the immediate opportunities don’t always come to your life, so why not? Moreover, I can also work with different people who are older and more experienced than me. From discussing with the teacher to group studying with other teammates helps me a lot in my teamwork and communication skills.
On the day I received the results, I remembered that I had just practiced dancing for Saonam’s Got Talent, and hurriedly took a shower. I was having dinner when my phone suddenly popped up a notification on Messenger! “You won the first prize again, Nhi!”. I rushed to check the results sent by my friends with my mouth still full of rice. Till these days, I can’t believe that I made it. My family all scream with happiness and pride. Thank you to all the teachers and teammates. Thank you to my family. And thank you to me!
At the end of the school year 2021-2022, I was awarded the school’s best student of the year. To me, it was such a wonderful memory on my academic path. Together we said goodbye to the last school year and welcomed the upcoming challenges.
Be the twinkling stars,
Nhi Bui