Duc won third prize in the National Excellent Student Competition in Literature in the 12th grade while holding an 8.0 IELTS certificate. On the 2026 High School Graduation Examination, he scored 9 in Mathematics, 9 in Literature, 9.25 in History, and 8.25 in English.

Under the D14 exam subject group (Literature, History, English), with his English score converted from an 8.0 IELTS to a perfect 10, Minh Duc scored 30.25 points, comprising 28.25 exam points and 2 bonus points. He also achieved 30.25 points under the D09 group (Mathematics, History, English).

In 10th grade, Minh Duc won a Gold Medal in the Northern Delta and Coastal Region Excellent Student Competition. In 11th grade, he represented Thai Nguyen High School for the Gifted in the 25th season of Road to Olympia, a famous TV show for excellent high-school students. He also won First Prize in the 2024 Young Poetry Online Competition organized by the Thai Nguyen Literature and Arts Association.

Choosing literature 

With outstanding academic achievements, Minh Duc had numerous choices for tertiary education. However, he chose to study literature to pursue in-depth study and research in the field.

Duc told VietNamNet that literature is his greatest passion, the realm where he feels he can truly be himself. He did not hesitate to pursue the major, though he spent considerable time weighing which major and university to choose.

"At first, I hesitated between the Literature Education major at Hanoi National University of Education and the Literature major at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities - VNU Hanoi. After carefully reviewing the curriculum and consulting upperclassmen, I chose literature because it aligned with my personal growth orientation," Duc said.

Duc said that he has enjoyed reading books from a young age. When entering a specialized high school, he intended to study literature seriously and carefully, without anticipating that it would become his passion.

"Only after participating in major competitions, reading and analyzing numerous works, and deepening my knowledge did I realize I was passionate about it and wanted to dedicate myself to it. Over time, I recognized that literature was the path I had to follow, as it is the field where I find inspiration, competence, and a desire to contribute," Duc shared.

The student noted that throughout his pursuit, he was fortunate to receive encouragement from his family and teachers.

Study methods

Describing his approach to studying, Duc said it is a continuous, mutually reinforcing process: expanding his knowledge by reading literary works, books and academic papers; organizing that knowledge and applying it to his writing; and then continuing to explore new areas of knowledge.

“Whenever I read a book, whether it is a literary work or an academic study, I never stop at the book itself. I often ask questions and try to find the answers: What was the context in which this work was created? What does it reveal about the author's thinking, style and social reality? What limitations of its time does the work challenge, and what does it open up for later generations to continue engaging with? What are its own limitations, and how have later generations of writers identified, overcome and expanded on them?” he said.

Asking questions when approaching a work and placing it in its historical context helps him develop a more comprehensive understanding of literature and scholarship while avoiding superficial or inaccurate interpretations. 

These works have also helped him improve his writing by teaching him how authors develop ideas, and use language and structure their arguments, which he then applies to his own writing.

“I often write down striking and original sentences in a notebook so I can draw on them in my own writing. At the same time, I identify weaknesses in my writing so I can address them and improve myself,” Duc said.

He also learned to listen to teachers' feedback to identify both his strengths and weaknesses, allowing him to determine what he should improve, develop further, or let go of. Studying math has helped him develop logical thinking in the way he expresses ideas and writes. Foreign languages have also been valuable in his study of literature.

Thanh Hung