This is the second consecutive year Duc has won first prize in Informatics. In 11th grade, he competed in the 12th-grade category and finished as the city's second-highest scorer. Speaking to VietNamNet, Duc said he was surprised and overwhelmed with joy to achieve the highest score in Hanoi this time.

Born and raised in the former Ha Giang Province, now part of Tuyen Quang Province, Duc developed a passion for Informatics in seventh grade. However, growing up in a disadvantaged area, he had few opportunities to receive proper guidance in the subject.

After graduating from secondary school, Duc decided to move to Hanoi to study, following his parents' advice and encouragement, in the hope of developing his Informatics skills further.

From then on, he learned to live independently away from home, staying in the boarding facilities at Huu Nghi T78 School. During his early days, Duc felt overwhelmed and fearful, never imagining he could qualify for city-level academic competitions.

When he first arrived at the school, Duc did not expect to make much progress in Informatics competitions. He studied and practiced using the school's computers. Before he had his own computer, he borrowed his friends' machines each evening to study and also visited the library to read more books on Informatics.

In 10th grade, Duc entered a cluster-level excellent student competition but won only an honorable mention. He was disappointed for a long time. However, rather than giving up, he decided to stop using social media so he could focus on his studies. He even devoted his entire summer vacation that year to intensive preparation.

Duc also explored books on changing his mindset and tried different learning methods to find what worked best for him.

“I gradually realized that I had previously focused too much on studying from textbooks without using an effective approach, so my efforts did not produce good results and I absorbed relatively little knowledge. 

"Instead of trying to learn too much at once, I needed to focus on the key concepts and regularly practice different types of problems. Now, after studying the material in a textbook, I try to think of several ways to solve a given problem. This helps me not only solve that particular problem but also discover new approaches that I can apply to other problems,” he said.

In the summer after 10th grade, Duc asked his mother for an old laptop, despite its striped display and several broken keys, so he could study more independently. He actively searched online groups for learning materials and taught himself. He also contacted friends studying Informatics at a specialized high school in his hometown to ask for resources.

His tireless efforts paid off. In 11th grade, the Tay student surprised many people by winning first prize in Hanoi's city-level Informatics competition. In 12th grade, Duc proved that his previous success was no fluke, winning first prize again and finishing as the top scorer.

Asked about his study methods, Duc said he usually divides his day between studying theory, solving exercises and reviewing his own solutions to identify and correct mistakes.

Duc said he spends a great deal of time at the computer, sometimes studying Informatics for 12-13 hours a day. On his old computer desk and at his current study area, he has placed a note bearing the words “Never fail.”

However, he wants to tell other young people not to be too upset by failure. What matters, he said, is not losing confidence or backing down, but continuing to make an effort, because success can eventually come.

Throughout his journey in Informatics, Duc has encountered many challenging problems. Some took him two or three days of experimentation before he could find a solution.

To relieve stress and pressure, Duc often plays football and chess in his free time. He is happy about his skills and enjoys helping teachers and friends whenever they need assistance with computers or related technical issues.

Passionate about technology, Duc said he would focus on completing high school, gaining admission to his dream university and, ultimately, pursuing a career as a cybersecurity specialist.

Thanh Hung