“When I heard the news, I was so surprised and burst into tears,” Chi said.

During high school, she focused on math, chemistry and biology in a plan to become a doctor. However, when it came time to choose university preferences and prepare for the high school graduation exam, Linh Chi found herself unsure of what she truly wanted to pursue. At that point, she began exploring schools in other fields, gaining a new perspective on finance and currency, and ultimately chose the Academy of Finance.

As Chi performed well in all subjects, she passed the high school finals and enrolled in the Academy of Finance, though her scores weren’t particularly high.

"When I found out I had just met the cutoff score (26.1), I was overwhelmed with emotion. Later, hearing others share their much higher scores, I felt a bit insecure because I had only just barely been admitted to the Finance and Banking major.

“Right at that moment, I told myself that even if my starting point was low, I couldn’t stay there forever. Now, four years later, I’ve successfully turned things around," Chi said.

Chi pointed out that learning doesn’t mean forcing yourself to follow others’ methods. “I used to study traditionally but found it ineffective. In primary school, I realized this and kept changing my learning approach to find what worked for me,” Chi said.

She tried to pay attention and make the most of class time to absorb lesson content and key knowledge points as the teacher explained. After class, she reviewed the material and used highlighters to mark key points and summarize keywords.

Chi said that her at-home study method is unusual, even “unbelievable to some”.

“I was afraid of getting sleepy or distracted, so I studied while watching movies, sometimes multiple movies at once. I watched the most movies during exam preparation. I felt this made studying more relaxing, helped me remember better, and kept me from dozing off,” Linh Chi explained.

However, she noted that this method may not suit everyone. “What I want to share is that young people should experiment with different learning methods to find what truly works for them. Don’t follow a fixed path or copy someone else’s approach,” Chi said.

Chi said an effective way to memorize quickly and effortlessly was using multicolored highlighters to note important points during class, reviewing them for 2-3 minutes afterward and before the next lessons. In the following days, she reviewed again to avoid cramming large amounts of material during exam preparation.

To make such an impressive turnaround, Chi is deeply grateful for her family’s support.

Since childhood, she had been accustomed to her parents working far from home, and she lived with her paternal grandparents. The constant reminders “only by studying well can you avoid hardship and won’t have to work far away”, along with the image of loved ones waiting for her after every school day, became a powerful source of motivation.

They drove her to keep striving and change her life.

Besides academics, she participated in field trips to banks and attended workshops where industry veterans shared insights.

“During that time, I not only gained knowledge but also learned from teachers and seniors about professional demeanor, communication, life skills, and how to stand out at work. After four years, I’m no longer the shy, reserved student. I’ve become articulate, dynamic, confident in expressing myself in front of crowds, and quick to adapt to new environments,” Chi said.

Chi said that balancing study and rest is crucial to avoid burnout during critical phases. She recommended creating a reasonable schedule for studying and participating in extracurricular activities or clubs, prioritizing important tasks and completing them one at a time.

She applied textbook knowledge to competitions and research projects to deepen her understanding and connect it to real-world applications, developing skills such as presentation, debate, and quick thinking.

Chi revealed that on her graduation day, she signed a labor contract and became an official employee of a big bank in Hanoi.

Thanh Hung