Tran Quoc Trong Cuong – Daring to accept failure and standing firm again.

Nelson Mandela said, "Education is the most powerful weapon one can wield to change the world." After nearly a year of studying and working at Viet My College, I have learned many lessons and gained practical experience that have made me realize Nelson Mandela's statement is absolutely true. In this article, I will tell you about the lessons, experiences, teachers, and the joys and sorrows I have experienced during my nearly one year at Viet My College.

First, let me introduce myself. My name is Tran Trong Quoc Cuong, a first-year student majoring in Hospitality Management at Viet My College (BTEC-UK program). I came to Viet My quite by chance. One evening, while walking across Him Lam Bridge, I saw the illuminated sign for "Viet My College." Afterward, I went home and searched for information about the school on Google. While searching, I noted down the phone number on the school's fan page, and shortly after, a counselor called to advise me. My first impression of the school was that the counselors were quite quick and professional. Alongside researching Viet My College, I also looked into several other schools. Ultimately, I decided to choose Viet My College for my future academic studies.

The subject that left the first impression on me about that school was Study Skills. At first, hearing the name "Study Skills," I wondered, "What the heck is this subject about?" But then it was different. A whole host of new things came from everyday life, from queuing, opening doors, using the toilet, using condoms, to using mind maps and how to cite sources when writing essays. It was a fascinating subject taught by equally fascinating teachers like Mr. Doan, Mr. Khang, and Ms. Nga. With all these interesting and novel aspects, this subject helped students understand the value of building a personal image, the value of citation, and provided them with the necessary skills to write essays in their courses.

With the subsequent courses, I gained additional skills and knowledge. In the Business Communication course, I developed my public speaking skills, something I had never experienced before. Through the 1-minute, 2-minute, and 3-minute challenges, I became more confident in speaking in front of a crowd. In the Customer Service course, I had days of hard work and assignments, and what I gained from this course were teamwork skills, time management skills, essay writing skills, and practical experience from the Kichi-Kichi brand and the Golden Gate Group.

A dynamic learning environment cannot exist without dynamic teachers. The teachers at the school are like older siblings, imparting knowledge and life experiences to students. There is no imposition; all opinions are listened to, and there is no distance between teachers and students. As someone once said, the success of education lies in the school and teachers creating motivation and inspiring students to learn. My friend and I had a conversation with Ms. Nga, a discussion about our coursework, with only three of us, lasting over two hours. This is something rarely seen at some universities and colleges in Vietnam. I have a friend studying at Cao Thang College; when he realized his major wasn't right for him, he didn't know who to ask at his school, no one to guide or direct him on what to do. With dynamic and relaxed teachers, the teaching style will naturally be different. There are no blackboards and chalk; lectures are delivered via slides, which are then sent to students via email for review whenever needed. You'll encounter exercises relevant to your field of study in Business Statistics, and you can even sit or lie on the floor to draw and learn in Developing Managers… There are also many other interesting things to discover during your studies.

From being quite shy and not thinking much about the future, after a year of studying and working, I've changed quite a bit. I proactively greet and strike up conversations with foreigners at work, manage my time effectively, become more responsible for my studies and future, and develop my service skills. I think studying is also an opportunity to improve myself. Facing pressure, accepting challenges, and adhering to regulations are all essential for future employment. Before, when working in teams, I only took on easy, undifficult tasks. But later, I became willing to take on tasks I'd never done before, such as creating PowerPoint presentations for the team, conducting Google surveys, and assigning tasks to team members. Through these experiences, I gained the knowledge and skills necessary for my future career.

And finally, a message to the 98th-grade students who are starting to look for schools after receiving their exam results, and to the older students who have decided to start over in a new environment and a new field of study. We are all young; we have the right to do, the right to fail, and the right to experience everything we want. There's a saying that "Society keeps moving, and people keep striving to survive, to be happy, and to achieve what they desire." If you want to do great things – start by doing your best in what you're doing, become the best student you can be.

It's too early to say much about success and making the right choice. I'm not sure if I'll go all the way with Viet My, I'm not sure if Viet My is the right choice for my education, but for now, I can be sure that Viet My has given me more than I expected, and I will try to develop myself and Viet My in general. Daring to go, daring to challenge, daring to try, daring to accept failure and getting back up is more important than anything else. I once read somewhere: "Even when you try your hardest, there will always be others who try even harder. Effort is never enough, never too much, so never stop trying until you achieve your goal. Effort doesn't necessarily bring people the success they desire. However – without effort, we will certainly fail." I wish you all the best in making the right choices for your academic path. And if possible, please join us, experience and build a stronger and more prosperous Vietnam-America relationship.

Author: Viet My College - Date written: July 27, 2016

Category: Training, Student life, News - Events