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Vo Duy Viet, a twelfth grader of Le Quy Don Specialized high school, won many prizes at national Chemistry contests. He just won a bronze medal at the international Chemistry Olympic Contest taking place in Turkey’s Ankara city.
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Vo Duy Viet and his mother
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How did you feel when winning the bronze medal?
I actually got a mixture of feeling at that time as I would have won a silver medal if I had tried harder. I made some minor mistakes because I was too subjective.
My teacher Pham Quang Bac and other professors helped me prepare well for an international contest during two months in Ha Noi. My achievements are thanks to my school’s teachers and the support from my friends and family.
Did you face any difficulties when joining the contest in Turkey?
Vietnamese teachers have a lot of experience of international contests; thus, the team’s members were offered the best conditions. As for me, I worried about the experiment; however, the test was quite easy and I could have done better if I had been cautious.
Perhaps, the most difficulty was food as it is not my taste. All dishes had butter. The main meal was too salty while the dessert was too sweet. Fortunately, we brought many noodles with us. The contestants had a chance to visit many beautiful landscapes in Turkey during two weeks. We hadn’t got much time to relax and review lessons.
What did you think when returning to Quy Nhon and being welcomed by provincial leader and many teachers?
I was surprised and moved. When on the plane, I thought there would be my family and some teachers seeing me at the airport. Although I finished the task and won a bronze medal but I was at fault as I disappointed many people’s expectations.
You are the second student in Binh Dinh winning a medal at an international contest. You surely had high motive and determination, didn’t you?
I knew that the contest would be very hard. Fortunately, teacher Bac always encouraged and supported me, making me feel confident to go ahead. Among over 300 outstanding students taking the placement test for the national Olympic team, I was one of 28 students selected to go to the second round in which I had to compete against other students to become one of 4 students going to Turkey to join the contest.
Could you talk more about your enthusiasm for Chemistry?
I have been interested in Chemistry since I was an eighth grader of Tuy Phuoc town’s junior high school. It is more or less related to Maths and Physics. I, thus, also read many books on these subjects to improve my knowledge of Chemistry.
Could you reveal your secret in studying Chemistry?
Studying anything requires determination. Similarly, to be good at Chemistry needs to have a good memory and logical thinking.
When becoming a 11th –grader, I downloaded many e-books on Chemistry published by Cambridge and Oxford universities from the Internet to study. In addition, I’ve also done many tests uploaded on the internet by many high schools worldwide.
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