These days, as high school entrance exam results are announced, I see students celebrating admission to their dream schools while others are disappointed by the outcome. Some look forward to the next chapter; others worry about what lies ahead. Their emotions remind me of my own journey.

I grew up in the countryside in northern Vietnam and attended a village school from primary through high school. I never studied at a specialized school or one of the district's top institutions. English was taught in the most basic way, and I had little exposure to real communication.

After graduation, my family's financial situation led me to choose a university so I could stay close to home and reduce expenses. Looking back, it may not have seemed like the ideal starting point. Yet many of the opportunities that shaped my life came precisely because of those choices.

At my local schools, I was selected for the English gifted team and received free coaching from dedicated teachers. In my final year of high school, one teacher made a simple suggestion that changed my future.

"You excel at English. Why not major in it?"

That single sentence gave me a direction when I had none.

At university, I worked hard enough to earn scholarships that covered much of my tuition. More importantly, I met lecturers who later wrote recommendation letters that helped me win a full scholarship for a master's degree in the U.K. I also met friends who continue to support me today. One introduced me to the scholarship opportunity that became another turning point in my life.

Those experiences taught me something I did not understand as a teenager. A prestigious school can provide advantages, but it does not determine your future. What matters more is what you do with the opportunities you have.

Students sit the high school entrance exam in Ho Chi Minh City, June 1, 2026. Photo by VnExpress/Thanh Tung

Over the years, I have seen brilliant students lose their direction despite attending excellent schools. I have also met people from ordinary schools and modest backgrounds who built remarkable lives through discipline, perseverance, and integrity.

That is why I believe character matters at least as much as academic achievement.

No single exam defines your life. No school determines your destiny. The future is shaped by the habits you build every day: whether you keep learning, whether you recover from setbacks, and whether you continue moving forward when progress feels slow.

This year, at the age of 36, I achieved an IELTS score of 9.0.

Many people told me that my previous score of 8.5 was already more than enough, especially since I had been teaching successfully for years. But for me, a 9.0 represented something deeper. It was a personal dream, a tribute to my late sister, and a message to my students that perseverance can take us further than we imagine.

I went from a village school student with almost no formal training in English listening and speaking to someone who has devoted decades to mastering the language. I went from choosing a university near my home because of financial constraints to earning a full scholarship to study in the U.K.

None of that happened because I was exceptionally talented. It happened because I kept learning, kept improving, and refused to believe that where I started would determine where I finished.

To every student receiving exam results today, this is the message I hope you remember.

If your results are disappointing, don't lose hope. If you achieved your goal, don't become complacent.

An exam measures one day. Your future is built over thousands more.

Where you study matters less than how you study. Where you begin matters less than whether you keep moving forward.

One day, you may discover that the obstacles you face today were the very things that shaped the person you were meant to become.