Few people know that Bui Anh Tu’s journey to the national first prize in Physics began with an unexpected “turn.” Initially, Tu planned to major in Mathematics. However, during his studies, he realized that he had not fully tapped his strengths in Math, while Physics sparked greater interest.

The deeper he studies, the more he felt that Physics was not a dry subject but one that requires thinking, and has the ability to explain many phenomena, and has many practical applications. From 9th grade, Tu determined his direction and spent significant time on in-depth Physics studies.

Upon admission to the Physics major class at Bien Hoa High School for the Gifted, since 10th grade, Tu has won a lot of prizes at competitions, including Silver Medal at the Excellent Student Contest for high schools for the Gifted in the Coastal and Northern Delta regions, and a Gold Medal at the Hung Vuong Summer Camp for gifted high schools in the Northern Midland and Mountainous regions.

Through selection rounds, Tu was chosen for the national excellent student team in Physics for the 2025-2026 academic year and surpassed many upperclassmen to win First Prize.

Tu said he was very surprised when he learned the result. In a highly competitive exam such as the national excellent student selection, winning a top prize as an 11th grader is no easy feat.

“When joining the team, I saw it as a chance to test myself. So I kept a relaxed mindset, did not put too much pressure on myself, and focused on reviewing and strengthening my foundational knowledge,” Tu said.

Tu shared that besides classroom learning, he spends considerable time self-studying from after dinner until late at night and wakes up early the next morning. To broaden his knowledge, he reads foreign textbooks and takes suitable online courses.

According to Tu, the most important thing in studying is to maintain a relaxed mindset and avoid putting excessive pressure on oneself.

Pham Thi Trang Nhung, who is in charge of the Physics excellent student team at Bien Hoa High School for the Gifted, said that Tu shows rapid progress in learning.

Tu’s exam paper surprised many teachers as he applied knowledge at the university level, demonstrating strong self-study and in-depth research skills.

“For students in previous cohorts, results were often within expectations. With Tu, however, his progress was much faster than initially anticipated. In reality, even a capable 11th grader finds it very difficult to win a national first prize. At first, we only expected Tu to win second prize, but he surprised us by taking first prize,” Nhung said.

Nguyen Thi Bich Hang, principal of Bien Hoa High School for the Gifted, said that at the national excellent student selection exam for the 2025-2026 school year, 58 out of 74 students from the school won prizes, including two first prizes. Bui Anh Tu stood out as a highlight, making a strong breakthrough to win first prize in Physics despite being only an 11th grader.

Hang added that Tu has a rather special background, having lived away from his parents since childhood and being raised by his maternal grandparents. Throughout his schooling, his grandparents have supported and guided his studies, helping shape his early sense of self-discipline and independent learning.

With this outstanding result, Tu has been selected to take part in the regional and international Physics Olympiad team selection exams in 2026. The school hopes that with his determination and effort, he will achieve deserving results.

However, to perform well in upcoming major competitions, in addition to the knowledge provided by teachers at school and his own study and research, Tu needs more opportunities to learn from experts through advanced training programs. This is a long-term process that requires substantial funding. Given the student’s circumstances, the school hopes to receive support from organizations and individuals so that Tu can have the best possible learning conditions, fully develop his potential, and be ready to compete in major academic arenas in the time ahead.

Le Huyen