After four years of study, Trung achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.61/4, earning him the top spot in his major.

“I’m thrilled but didn’t expect to be valedictorian in a class with so many talented peers. The title isn’t the most important thing to me; it ’s the process of growing and gaining confidence,” shared the student from HaiPhong.

The schooling environment at Vietnam-Japan University opens opportunities for Trung to satisfy his curiosity and passion for exploration, particularly in learning new fields of computer science, AI, and technology applications in daily life.

At Vietnam-Japan University, students must complete mandatory and elective courses. For elective courses, students can register for additional credits without extra tuition fees.

Trung took advantage of this to enroll in extra subjects like AI, Machine Learning, and Human-Computer Interaction to improve his grades and have more options for graduation scores. He graduated with 161 credits, nine more than required.

“Through elective courses, I can not only freely explore my passion but also learn multidimensional problem-solving, logical thinking, and greater creativity. So, I tried to arrange my schedule to take as many courses as possible,” Trung explained.

Trung shared that in class, he focused intensely on lectures, and at home, he spent significant time practicing and applying knowledge. For assignments given by teachers, Trung not only completed them thoroughly but also sought multiple approaches to solve them.

Beyond impressive academic results, he also won second prize in the “Student Scientific Research” award for the 2023-2024 academic year at the university level, earned an encouragement scholarship, received the “Five-Good Student” title at the university level, and was recognized as an Outstanding Young Face at the grassroots level in 2023.

However, during his university years, Trung faced challenges and even mistakes.

“During the Covid-19 period when we had to study online at home. In the Calculus 2 course of the second semester of my first year, I turned on my computer to study but actually slept in, and when it came time for the exam, I didn’t know anything. With a D, I had to study to improve and learned a lesson for myself that at university, I had to be more proactive and self-disciplined. After that, I didn’t miss any classes in all subjects and my results gradually improved,” Trung recalled.

Trung believes that his achievements today are thanks to the environment at Vietnam-Japan University and the support and care from teachers and friends.

“I remember once forgetting to submit important documents to register for a course, thinking I’d lose the opportunity to study. But when I went to the office, the staff not only carefully checked everything for me but also guided me to complete the paperwork and connected with the lecturer to ensure my opportunity. It was a small thing, but it touched me deeply and made me grateful,” Trung shared, adding that such experiences motivated him to be more responsible for himself and the community.

During his studies, Trung was impressed by how teachers always took time after class to talk, guide research, or share experiences with students.

He also participated in research with teachers multiple times and was encouraged to attend international scientific conferences and specialized seminars. “Thanks to that, I could update my knowledge, broaden my thinking, and become more determined to pursue a research path,” Trung said.

Trung fondly recalled the discussions until dark with Dr. Nguyen Hoang Oanh, the Vice Rector of Vietnam-Japan University, about the practical applications of the knowledge he had just learned.

Besides studying, he joined many extracurricular activities, school movements, and volunteer, photography, and football clubs. Trung won the runner-up title in the “Nam Vuong San Co” (Mr. Grass Field) contest organized by Hanoi National University.

Over four years of university, besides the chance to meet and interact with many people and friends, Trung believes his greatest gain was learning to live independently and integrate.

Currently, after an internship, Trung is awaiting results for a job application at a Japanese company specializing in big data. If successful, his starting salary could reach VND45 million per month.

“I see being the valedictorian as just a plus point in my profile and something that boosts my confidence, but I can’t rely on it and become complacent. I’ll need to keep learning because there are many people far more talented than me in the job market,” he said.

Thanh Hung