Nguyen Hoang Hong Phung, a former student of Nguyen Du High School in Ho Chi Minh City, has graduated in Industrial Management from Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology with a perfect GPA of 4.0/4.0, becoming one of the highest-scoring graduates in the university’s history.

Her achievement in a field often regarded as male-dominated left a strong impression on lecturers and peers alike.

Overcoming pressure to reach a perfect GPA

Since high school, Hong Phung had been interested in Industrial Management, a discipline that bridges economics and engineering, closely tied to production processes, operations and corporate governance. The interdisciplinary nature of the program and its broad career prospects were what drew her in.

After carefully studying the curriculum and receiving guidance from her family and teachers, she decided to apply to Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology.

“I felt the program matched both my abilities and my long-term direction, so I chose to challenge myself,” Phung said.

In her early days at one of Vietnam’s most rigorous technical universities, Phung struggled with self-doubt and worried about keeping pace with the demanding coursework. Encouragement and trust from her family and lecturers gradually helped her regain balance and set higher goals for herself.

Even so, maintaining near-perfect academic results for two consecutive years was far from smooth. Phung constantly imposed high standards on herself, allowing pressure to accumulate. At one point, she felt overwhelmed and even considered taking a year off to restore her balance.

A turning point came when she heard the story of a lecturer at the university during her most difficult period. He had once failed Calculus and temporarily suspended his studies due to academic pressure. After overcoming a psychological crisis, he returned, persevered and eventually became a lecturer at the very institution he once struggled to keep up with.

“That story helped me realize that stumbling is not the end. What matters is not giving up,” Phung reflected.

Study habits behind a 4.0 GPA

According to Hong Phung, the most important factor in sustaining her perfect GPA was proactivity in learning. Before each class, she would read materials in advance to grasp the foundational concepts. This allowed her to follow lectures more easily and focus on advanced content. Whenever something remained unclear, she actively discussed it with lecturers or classmates to avoid gaps in knowledge.

She also built a structured schedule, prioritizing urgent deadlines while flexibly allocating time to other tasks. This method helped her prevent overload and maintain consistent academic performance.

The subject that left the deepest impression on her was Research Methodology. Although she had frequently read academic papers before, she once struggled to understand how research methods were constructed and how data were processed. After completing the course, she gained a clearer understanding of the structure of scientific research - from defining problems and selecting methods to analyzing and presenting results. The experience strengthened her confidence in approaching professional literature.

Beyond improving her academic reading skills, the learning process equipped Phung with essential competencies such as analytical thinking, data processing, teamwork and presentation skills. She believes these abilities will prove invaluable in her future career.

In the coming time, Hong Phung plans to pursue postgraduate studies abroad. She prefers not to disclose details until everything is finalized, but affirms that her long-term goal is to continue developing her expertise seriously and contribute positively to the community.

Le Huyen