When all Year 12 students were preparing for the National high-school graduation exam, Ngo Minh Kien – a student of SACE Intake 2 at SACE College Vietnam was directly considered for admission to the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, majoring in International Relations.
Notably, along with the parallel study of two high school programs, the Vietnamese high school program at the Foreign Language Specialized School and the SACE International (SACEi) at SACE College Vietnam, Kien also “sweeped” the debate arena with remarkable achievements.
Studying both Vietnamese and Australian high school programs is considered stressful for students of specialized schools like Foreign Language Specialized School, as the tests, weekend and evening schedule are intensive. However, Kien can plan and schedule his time very well to participate in other extracurricular activities. In particular, he is active in the debate community with such outstanding achievements as:
- Member of Vietnam National Debating Team 2020
- Winner & Best Speaker at Hanoi Debate Tournament 2020
- Winner & Top 4 Best Speakers at DAV Debate Open 2019
- Member of Technical & Tab team at Macau WSDC Online 2021
- Head of Vietnamese Table Specialist at Pre-VBC 2021; Hoa Vang Debate Online 2020.
Although he has received the SACEi certificate since December 2020 with a score in the top 13% of students worldwide (ATAR 87) and can apply to both national and international universities, Kien decided to continue completing his Vietnamese high school program, study at a university in the country and plan to earn money to study abroad for a master’s degree later. Regarding this decision, Kien also has his own thoughts, that is: Studying at a university in the country is not a step backwards compared to studying abroad; it is a way to take a firmer step and prepare forward future plans.
Kien is also one of the 5 official representatives of Vietnam proposed by SACE College Vietnam – where Kien studied the SACEi program, to participate in the Norwood Morialta Summit in South Australia in March 2019. This trip also helped Kien learn and access the training programs of Australian universities and learn about life in different cities in Australia.
When being asked about his success in studying two high school programs, the secret of this student is: Adaptable, flexible and know how to seek support when needed.
“SACEi’s learning model has a number of differences compared to Vietnamese one, different from the assessment system to the way and form of learning. To be able to study well in both programs, adaptability is important. The most notable thing is how to focus on achieving high results in class and arrange time for essays, reports, and exams. Personally, during my two years of studying at SACE, I used to spend a lot of time going to SACE College Vietnam campus, sometimes spending the whole afternoon there before attending evening classes. When a few more friends come along, we take the time to review previous lessons, have some fun discussions, watch movies and play some games.”
Another very important thing is the ability to seek help when needed. The first significant help comes from my mother. From the beginning to the end, she always urges, supports and encourages me to complete my homework and revise for the assignments well. Teachers and staff at SACE are always supportive, in order to help us understand the knowledge in class, solve problems with assignments or overcome difficulties in the university application process.
Personally, I received a lot of help from the teachers at SACE, especially Mr. Gary, who teaches Economics and Business Innovation. He made several adjustments to the learning program, in terms of the lesson’s content, to suit our Vietnamese high school schedule. I think that without that help, I wouldn’t have finished my 2 years studying SACEi with such grades.”
By studying SACE, Kien is confident with study skills and soft skills to survive in an international environment, gets used to English and specialized subjects delivered in English such as: Economics, Research, Business, that Vietnamese high school programs do not equip students with. With the Covid-19 situation, many students also decide to study in the country before studying abroad. With a SACE certificate, the opportunity opens up not only domestic or international universities but also future skills for studying and working, along with the opportunity to pass the dream university earlier, saving costs and time.