Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), a leading institution for engineering education in Southern Vietnam, has long been associated with the rigorous academic journey of its students, often compared to the demanding fields of Medicine and Pharmacy. While graduating on time is already a commendable feat, exceeding graduation timeline with exceptional grades can seem like an even greater challenge. However, defying these odds are four exceptional K2020 Office for International Study Program students (OISP) who graduated one-semester ahead (only 3,5 years) with outstanding achievements: Thái Tài, Nguyễn Trọng Chuẩn, Nguyễn Thế Bình và Phạm Thị Phương Minh.

LEARN HARD, PLAY HARDER: IN “CHILLY”, THERE IS “CHILL”

“Early graduation wasn’t just about finishing faster,” confided Thái Tài, a K2020 student in Computer Sciences. “Looking around, I saw all these amazing seniors who graduated early and landed internships at top companies. Graduating early would push me to learn time management and become a self-directed learner in a pressuring environment.”

From his sophomore year on, he started taking extra courses, going beyond the standard program. His schedule became a well-oiled machine – three to four days a week were dedicated to focused learning sessions, while digging into specialized materials the rest of the time.

He craved understanding the root of knowledge to make it a core memory. He wouldn’t hesitate to connect with seniors, participate in group study sessions, review course materials in advance, raise questions to professors during the class, and review the concepts afterwards.

When exams loomed large, review became his mantra, systematically organising his knowledge and getting comfortable with exam formats. But life wasn’t all about textbooks for Tài, as he would be on the football court in his freetime, lend a hand to his family, or partake in extracurricular activities. And let’s not forget his summer plans – when the time budget allows for some well-deserved hobbies and exploration.

DIG DEEP INTO KNOWLEDGE THROUGH PROJECT-BASED LEARNING

Nguyen The Binh, K2020 English-taught Program in Computer Engineering, commemorates on his success: 

“My university experience has been a journey of both responsibility and exploration. It’s provided the platform to delve into my passion for programming, particularly in hardware engineering.”

Freshman year was a challenge, as entering a top engineering school in Southern required intensive adaptability to the new time management scheme. My grades reflected this – a meagre five on a core class midterm and an early exit from the OISP Presentation Contest 2020 with my community project.

But that setback became a turning point for me to revamp my strategy. Every concept I learned in class, I started applying to personal projects. A prime example: during COVID-19, I leveraged my knowledge from Programming Techniques and Data Structures & Algorithms to program an automatic body temperature and hand washing machine with IoT check-in integration for HCMUT students. Even general-based courses like Calculus and Linear Algebra proved to be valuable for the AI face mask recognition feature. Therefore, despite extracurricular commitments, I maintained a consistent study schedule, ultimately excelling in my exams.

By junior year, the opportunity arose to tackle a graduation project and intern at Marvell Technology, a global leader in the semiconductor industry. Working under the guidance of Professor Pham Quoc Cuong and the company’s passionate mentors, I discovered a genuine passion for the field. This newfound interest ignited a desire to specialise. That’s why I’ve chosen to accelerate my graduation plan and graduate early – to expedite my pursuit of further studies in this exciting field.

FROM BROADER TO DEEPER

As a Computer Science student in the English-taught Program of K2020, Nguyen Trong Chuan shared his university journey:

“In the first year, I delved into a variety of areas, eager to grasp the fundamental concepts of each. During this ‘breadth-first’ learning phase, I sought guidance from industry veterans, then my curiosity fueled my passionate exploration. In subsequent years, I transitioned to a ‘deep-dive’ approach, focusing my efforts on a select few critical areas.

The foundational knowledge I accumulated during the initial phase empowered me to make well-informed decisions that aligned with my burgeoning interests. It was also during this ‘deep-dive’ phase that perseverance became paramount, proving instrumental in my success. Looking back on my university experience, I recognize that intellectual curiosity was the spark that guided me towards my path, while perseverance allowed me to excel in that chosen field.”

THE POWER OF SELF-BELIEF AND SELF-MOTIVATION

As a Chemical Engineering student in the English-taught program of the 2020 cohort, Pham Thi Phuong Minh shared her effective study strategies:

“I prioritize two key principles to learn quickly, retain a lot, and achieve my academic goals:

1. Fuel your focus with positivity: A positive mindset is the foundation for a successful semester. It ignites a powerful motivation that propels me towards my targets. Before each term starts, I diligently list all my desired achievements in a notebook. Whenever I feel a dip in motivation, I revisit this list and it instantly reignites my focus.

2. Master your time, master your studies: Time is a precious commodity – it can empower you or leave you empty-handed. As needing to divide the budget into either studying, relaxing, entertaining, taking care of close members, etc, then to maximise its potential, I meticulously craft a daily schedule. here’s my winning formula:

. Create a clear schedule: Every morning, I take a few minutes to create a to-do list, breaking down my goals into manageable chunks. This step-by-step approach ensures I steadily progress towards my long-term plans.

. Prioritize tasks based on urgency and importance: Allocating time effectively based on priority is the key to ensuring progress and minimising procrastination.

. Identify your ‘golden hours’: For me, the morning is when my energy levels are at their peak, my mind is sharp, and my spirit is refreshed. Therefore, I dedicate this time to studying or completing critical tasks. I delegate less demanding tasks to the afternoon and evening hours.

. Minimise phone usage during work and study sessions

. Create a clean and well-organised workspace

OISP is overflowing with all-rounded individuals who make you say “wow!”  Could you be the next talent to be celebrated at the prestigious and heartwarming graduation ceremony? Dive into these four secrets, give it your 110%, and light up your unique university experience!