Vo Gia Thinh scored 98.11 points under the comprehensive admission method, 95.04 points under the competency-based admission method, 1,124 points on the university's aptitude test and 28.25 points on the national high school graduation exam.

The student has been admitted to the Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering. Prior to that, Thinh won first prize in Physics at the 2026 Dak Lak provincial competition for outstanding students.

“Honestly, I never dared to imagine that one day I would earn the title of ‘double top scorers,’” he said.

However, the journey to that achievement was not always smooth. There were days when he performed poorly on practice tests and got low scores, making him doubt himself, especially as exams approached while he still had many mistakes to fix.

Instead of letting score pressure take over, Thinh focused on what he could control, such as what he needed to study that day, where his weaknesses was and how he could improve them.

For Thinh, the key to learning is not the number of practice tests he completes or the scores he earns, but his ability to identify and correct mistakes after each test.

For every question he got wrong, Thinh looked for the reason: whether he had not mastered the knowledge, misunderstood the underlying concept, made a careless calculation or did not know how to approach that type of problem. He then reviewed the problems where he was weak, reinforced his knowledge and redid the problem without looking at the solution.

“I want not only to remember the answer, but also to understand why I got it wrong and how I should think about it next time,” Thinh said.

This approach helped him adapt to both the competency assessment exam and the high school graduation exam. Although the two exams use different assessment methods, a solid knowledge base and the ability to identify mistakes allow students to proactively adjust how they study and approach questions.

“For me, every mistake is not a failure but an opportunity to improve,” Thinh said.

Choosing computer science

Although he once considered several options, Thinh was fairly certain that he wanted to pursue a STEM field, particularly technology and engineering.

He enjoys figuring out how things work and then using that knowledge to create products that actually function. Through this process, Thinh realized that computer science is not simply about programming. It also helps him understand how technology is built and operates, from artificial intelligence, data and software to a wide range of real-world applications.

“I believe computer science suits me not only because of its career opportunities, but also because it is a path that allows me to keep learning, challenge myself and gradually understand what kind of person I want to become,” Thinh said.

After one week as a student at HCMC University of Technology, what stood out most to Thinh was how much bigger everything felt and how much more proactive he had to be. He was overwhelmed by the scale of the lecture halls, the sheer volume of knowledge and the faster pace of learning compared with high school.

More importantly, students are responsible for their own learning, from finding information and managing their time to preparing for classes and identifying what they need to learn beyond the classroom.

Studying alongside many talented people with clear goals creates pressure for Thinh, but it also motivates him to keep moving forward.

The student hopes that after four years of university, he will become someone with genuine capabilities: not only performing well academically, but also knowing how to learn independently, work with others, create products, and apply knowledge in real life.

Getting into university is not the destination

Vo Gia Thinh represented the entire 2026 freshman cohort in delivering a speech at the opening ceremony of HCMC University of Technology.

“Only after I actually walked through the university gates did I understand that getting into university is not the destination, but the starting point,” Thinh said.

Looking back on his journey, Thinh believes his “greatest achievement” is not a title, but becoming a different version of himself.

Le Huyen