When the list of national excellent student awards for the 2025-2026 school year was announced, Le Quang Loc and Le Anh Khoa, 12th grade students of CA2 Tran Dai Nghia High School for the Gifted (Ho Chi Minh City), both shared a feeling: Surprise.
Before the results came, I thought my essay was not really good, especially the writing and speaking part. I just hoped to win a consolation prize and I was happy," Le Quang Loc shared.
However, the final result far exceeded expectations, the first prize for the national excellent student in English, higher than the third prize achievement of the previous year.
For Le Anh Khoa, the moment of knowing the news also became an unforgettable memory. "I opened the result file, scrolled down each subject. When I saw my name with the words "First prize winner", my heart felt like it wanted to jump out of my chest. I hugged my classmates tightly, and until now I still don't believe it's true," Anh Khoa recounted.
From achievement pressure to gentle mentality
Both students have experienced pressure. In 11th grade, Le Anh Khoa won the Second Prize, but that achievement made him place heavy expectations on himself.
At that time, I always thought I had to win higher prizes than others, had to be better than friends. But the more pressure, the more unhappy I became with myself," Anh Khoa said.
Stepping into 12th grade, Anh Khoa chose to change, considering the exam as an experience, not a measure of self-worth.
This is a competition, not life. I entered the exam room with a much more comfortable mindset," the male student shared.
Similarly, Le Quang Loc no longer puts much emphasis on "having to win high prizes". After a year of getting used to the harsh pace of the team, Quang Loc learned to accept and focus on the learning process instead of the final result.
Innovative exam questions, psychology determines results
According to both students, the most stressful period was not during the exam, but in the days leading up to the exam.
English is a skill subject, you can't memorize it. In the last days of the year, I always feel like I'm not good enough, I have to try harder," Le Anh Khoa said.
Meanwhile, Le Quang Loc has to face double pressure from 12th grade students, both studying for the team and preparing for the high school graduation exam.
The most difficult thing is balancing time. Sometimes I am very tired, even thinking about giving up, but I tell myself this is my last year, I have to try a little harder," Quang Loc said.
Both assessed that this year's exam questions have many innovations, listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills are all associated with real materials, requiring candidates to control their psychology well.
Mentioning the achievements, Quang Loc and Anh Khoa both have special respect for the teachers of Tran Dai Nghia Specialized High School.
According to them, in addition to providing materials and practice questions, teachers also help students stabilize their psychology and orient how to do the test according to each person's ability.
After the exam, each student has their own choice. Le Quang Loc is applying to some universities in Singapore, considering the First Prize as an important advantage in admission consideration. Meanwhile, Le Anh Khoa plans to apply to Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, pursuing his dream of becoming an English teacher.
Although the road ahead is different, both agreed that the award is just a milestone. "The most important thing I learned is to understand myself better," Le Anh Khoa said.
