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Skillcetera ESC 2025
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Giới thiệu
"Break The Norm" là chủ đề xuyên suốt của chương trình và các thí sinh tham gia dự thi có quyền thoải mái sáng tạo để phát triển bài dự thi của chính mình.
Vòng 1
Công bố kết quả:
Mô tả bài nói
In high school, I made a surprising choice. Faced with an incredible opportunity to study with top professors, I chose to stay home and prepare for the Math Olympiad through self-study. The experience taught me that growth comes in many forms, and trusting my own path is key to success.
Bài nói
Intro
Me: Have you ever made a decision (scene transition) that seemed completely against everyone else, but you had your reasons?
Nội dung chính
During high school, I had the honor of being selected for my school's mathematics team to compete in the Vietnamese Mathematical Olympiad. I dedicated myself to this goal, studying diligently and taking numerous mock tests everyday. Until one day, I was presented with an incredible opportunity: (illustration) an educational trip to Hanoi University of Science, where I could learn from some of the nation's leading professors. However, I made the difficult decision to decline. I stayed with my familiar teachers at my hometown.
I believe it's not about right or wrong because each decision comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages.
While learning from professors provides pratical, up-to-date lessons, what I have discovered in myself is an incredible ability to self-study. Besides primary learning sessions, I dedicated extra time at home to further my studies. During tackling math problems, what I tried my best is only consulting the solution if I get stuck for more than 3 days. Self-studying allows us to not only fully understand the problem, evaluate our current knowledge but also absorb the way of thinking to come up with the solution. Consequently, when encountering similar challenges, we can draw on our deep experience to independently find solutions.
On the other hand, being the only student in the training class and spending extra time at home to self-study can be quite challenging. These experiences lack the motivation and encouragement as we get when we are with our teachers and friends. However, I knew that I had to keep moving forward, putting in perhaps twice as much effort as my friends in Hanoi. This might be the only way for me to catch up with them and be competitive in the competition. With that in mind, I have developed a persistent mindset to always push myself further every single day.
To be honest, I never anticipated developing such a strong self-studying ability and persistence. These skills are invaluable gifts that will guide me toward success throughout my life. What I have found is, they are useful beyond the classroom, as we don't always have someone by our side to offer support and guidance. Most university programs encourage students to self-study and independently explore solutions from foundational problems, and many job descriptions include the requirement of being able to work independently.
(back to the classroom)
At the end, I did not win any prize in the Vietnamese Mathematical Olympiad. Although declining the educational trip might have caused me to miss out on the latest, useful knowledge for the competition, I do not regret my decision. With these developed competencies, I believe I will have many more achievements in my life.
(starting from sitting at a stair, gradually going out)
Declining that great offer might seem like a strange decision to many. However, growth and improvement come in many forms. Just because a choice is popular doesn't mean it's the right fit for you at that moment or in that situation. Each decision carries its own costs, so it's important to consider every opportunity thoroughly to find the path that best suits you. Trust in your journey, and believe that the right choice for you is the one that aligns with your true self.
I’m Le Nguyen Truong Huy. Thank you for your listening and see you again very soon!
Vòng 2
Thời gian công bố kết quả: ngày 3 tháng 4 năm 2025.
Thông tin liên quan
2020 Central Vietnam floods
Last edited: Thu, Feb 20, 2025
The 2020 Central Vietnam floods were a series of floods in Central Vietnam, which also affected some areas in Cambodia and Laos in October and early November 2020. The floods focused heavily in several provinces including Thừa Thiên Huế, Hà Tĩnh, Quảng Bình, Quảng Trị, and Quảng Ngãi. The floods were mainly caused by the seasonal monsoon, though enhanced by numerous tropical cyclones.
On 7 October, during a seasonal monsoon and tropical depressions over the Khánh Hòa province, several multitude of tropical cyclones during the 2020 Pacific typhoon season, such as Linfa, Nangka, Ofel, Saudel, and Molave, struck the northern and central regions of Vietnam, especially in areas of Laos and Cambodia, bringing high winds and excessive rainfall in these affected provinces, with accumulations peaked at 3,245 mm (127.8 in) in Hướng Linh, Hướng Hóa District, Quảng Trị around 20 October. This subsequent flooding was the first time Vietnam issued IV category disaster alert for heavy rainfall, as III category is the highest alert level.
On 5 November, the weakening Typhoon Goni entered the South China Sea and made landfall in Central Vietnam two days later as a tropical depression. Etau made landfall in Central Vietnam as a tropical storm three days later. On 12 November, Typhoon Vamco approached Vietnam as it gradually strengthened into Category 4-equivalent status after exiting the Philippine Area of Responsibility.
As of 1 December, over 243 people were reported by Vietnam Disaster Management Authority (VNDMA) as dead or missing due to the floods. The floods resulted in almost đ35.2 trillion (US$1.52 billion) of damages.
en.wikipedia.org
Bài nói
The 2020 Central Vietnam floods were so severe that they have a separate Wikipedia page. They devastated infrastructure, including houses and buildings, caused thousands of people to lose their homes, their jobs or even their lives.
This event touched other people's hearts. Everyone started to donate food, clothes, or money to the charity. Many even went to the flooded area to volunteer themselves. Those moments show huge love between people. We can say that humanity is the key factor to strengthen those affected to recover.
However, according to the Nhân Dân newspaper, a critical issue arose: donations, though well-meant, often arrived with items that were not needed by flood victims, at least at some specific moments. To be more specific, during peak flooding, food was essential, but as conditions improved, needs shifted to items like seeds, books, and medicine. The overabundance of food donations, however, demonstrated a lack of responsiveness to these changing requirements.
I completely agreed with this point of view. When I was in high school, I had a remarkable opportunity to participate in a series of charity activities at a nursing home. We gave the elderly food and clothes. But the thing that was most vivid to me was the conversation I had with some of the elderly at the end of that trip. I asked, "Is there something else you need besides the food and clothes?" "No, we just need you, young boy. We really need someone to talk with, a friend, a grandchild, a listener.", an old man spoke out emotionally. I was speechless, and my tears began to fall.
I've told you two stories, but there's only one lesson we should learn to make our charity more meaningful: giving people the support they actually need, using what we have in abundance.
Charity, as defined in the Cambridge Dictionary, is providing resources like money, food, or assistance to those in need. In my case, I have ample time and good health. Therefore, I am willing to donate these directly or indirectly by participating in an organization. Also, let's challenge the common perception of charity, which often focuses solely on monetary donations. While financial contributions are valuable, many people compete to demonstrate their generosity, which contradicts the true definition of ‘charity’.
The second concern is determining the precise needs that correspond to our intended form of donation. Well, this issue can be addressed to a certain extent by targeting a suitable environment. In that environment, you will identify individuals who are experiencing difficulties.
However, to build a system where everyone facing similar challenges receives consistent and fair assistance, we must coordinate with the local government who understands the situation better. Furthermore, I recommend minimizing spontaneous charitable donations, as they contributed to the issues highlighted in the Nhân Dân newspaper report previously mentioned. By consulting the local government, we will know who has not been visited and what they really need. Additionally, it’s entirely possible to join forces with the local government to make our charitable efforts even more impactful.
To summarize, instead of providing support based on our assumptions of who needs it, we should dedicate more time to researching the community to find those who really need a hand. Also, instead of giving money, food, or clothes just because you see them all over social media or you are told to do so, let's reflect on our own strengths and resources that others might not possess. Remember value is subjective; what we find valuable may not be the same for others, and vice versa. Trust me, if your intentions are good, your contributions will make a difference to both societal benefit and personal fulfillment.
I'm Lê Nguyễn Trường Huy. Thank you for listening to what has come from the bottom of my heart!
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