Hong Giang was famous for passing the university entrance exam, but was disappointed because this was her 7th choice, "just filling it in for the sake of it" and not liking it.
A week ago, Giang, from Nam Dinh, went to Hanoi to study Educational Sciences. The school’s welcoming atmosphere was bustling, but Giang did not feel comfortable. This was not the major or school she had hoped to be accepted into.
When applying for admission, Giang had her first three choices for the majors of Communications, Sociology, and Political Science at the Academy of Journalism and Communication. The female student said she had liked the school for a long time, but with 23 points in the graduation exam for the C15 group (Literature, Mathematics, Social Sciences), she could not pass.
Giang also failed her next three choices to enter the University of Labor and Social Affairs. These majors all required a standard score of over 22.85 for the D01 group (Math, Literature, English), but Giang only scored 21.9 points.
"In the end, I passed the Education Science major without any idea of what I would be like in the next four years and what I could do after graduation," Giang said with a sigh.
Bao Nam, from Bac Giang, was also not happy when he passed the Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technology major. With nearly 25 points in the A00 graduation exam (Math, Physics, Chemistry), Nam applied to the Mathematics Pedagogy major at Thai Nguyen University of Education, but was not accepted.
"There are also some schools whose admission scores for the pedagogical major are equivalent to mine, but they are too far from home. With encouragement from my family, I finally put electricity and electronics in my second choice," Nam explained, saying he has no regrets but "still feels disappointed because being a teacher has been my dream since I was a child."
On student forums, many similar posts received thousands of interactions. Some users shared that they studied at university for 3-4 years but still found it unsuitable and had to drop out to change to another major. Some people advised candidates to just study for a bachelor’s degree and then think about it later.
There are no specific statistics on the rate of students who are admitted or study in a field that does not match their wishes, but according to a survey by the Center for Human Resource Demand Forecasting and Labor Market Information of Ho Chi Minh City in 2019, about 60% of students chose the wrong field of study, 75% lacked understanding of the chosen field of study.
Having to study a major they don't like makes many students struggle, falling into a state of "it's a pity to give up, but it's a sin to stay".
Candidates taking the 2022 graduation exam in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Quynh Tran
Ngoc Lan, 26 years old, from Hai Duong, once applied for Accounting - Auditing at the National Economics University after failing the Medicine program at Hanoi Medical University for two years. Because of discouragement, Lan neglected her studies, only achieving an average score of 2.8/4 and always ranked at the bottom of the class for the first two years.
"It wasn't to the point of being warned by the academic department, but at that time I felt very frustrated and thought about dropping out of economics and retaking the medical exam for the third time," Lan recalled.
Giang and Nam are also currently uncertain about whether they should continue pursuing the major they have been accepted into. Giang said that her estimated tuition fee for one year at the school is about 11 million VND. Her family can afford this, but she worries that "if I study for four years and then work in a different field, will it be a waste of money?"
Nam is worried about tuition fees. If he enters the teaching profession, he will be exempted from this fee and will receive an additional 3.63 million VND in living expenses. With his family having almost no support, Nam faces a tuition fee of 20 million VND per year.
"My parents still say it's okay, but I'm quite worried about having to study a major I don't like and the tuition is not cheap," Nam said.
Mr. Lam Trieu Nghi, Principal of Nguyen Thuong Hien High School, Ho Chi Minh City, said that he had heard many former students share and complain about having to study an unwanted major when entering university. However, he believes that first of all, students should clarify the concept of love, avoid "standing on this mountain, looking at that mountain", following trends or being influenced by family and society without relying on their own abilities.
In August 2020, the British Council published a study on young people in Vietnam (aged 16-30). Only 16% of the 1,200 respondents said they chose their current major because they thought it was the most suitable major to achieve their desired job. More than 64% of people chose their major based on their interests, 31% based on job opportunities, 20% found it financially suitable, and 18% chose their major because their family, friends liked it or their teachers advised them.
"There are students who choose randomly from the beginning, so they have to study a major they don't like; but there are also students who enter the major they want, but after studying it, they find it's not suitable," said Mr. Le Xuan Thanh, head of the Political and Student Affairs Department, University of Mining and Geology. According to Mr. Thanh, just because a candidate likes a major does not mean they have the ability to study that major.
Ngoc Lan admitted this. After two years of being at the bottom of the class, she asked herself, "Do you know what studying Medicine is like that you like it?" and vice versa: "Do you know what Accounting and Auditing are like that you hate it?". When her attitude changed, Lan realized that much of the knowledge she learned about Accounting and Auditing was very interesting and useful.
"Economics was not my initial choice, but it changed my life. Now if you ask me if I would study medicine again, I would refuse because after understanding it thoroughly, I see that it is not suitable for me," said the girl entering her third year of PhD study in Finance - Accounting at the University of Bristol, UK.
Therefore, Lan believes that students should spend more time on their current major to better understand and evaluate its suitability. According to her, not everything we initially imagine about the major and ourselves is correct, it takes time to understand and adjust.
Ngoc Lan (right) and two Vietnamese students at the University of Bristol, late 2019. Photo: University of Bristol
Teachers say they do not encourage new students to drop out of school or retake exams immediately because it is a waste of time and money. Instead, students can find more positive solutions such as applying to change majors, studying for a dual degree, and actively participating in clubs and professional activities in the field they want to learn about.
Associate Professor Dr. Bui Duc Trieu, Head of Training Management Department, National Economics University, said that each year, the school has about 400 students enrolling in two programs at the same time. According to Mr. Trieu, the regulations are different at each school, but basically if students have met the entry requirements of the majors, they will be given the opportunity to access their favorite subjects and majors.
If you realize that your major is not suitable for your interests and abilities, it is difficult to find a job and you cannot change your major, new students should consider dropping out of school and retaking the exam.
In addition, Mr. Trieu emphasized the effectiveness of career guidance activities from high school. He said that in order for students to have a thorough understanding of their field of study, the synchronous participation of the whole society is needed. High schools have the advantage of being close to students, convenient for answering questions, sharing and consulting. Universities provide in-depth information about the field of study and training programs.
Faced with the "fait accompli", Bao Nam said he would "open his heart" to the field of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technology. According to Nam, even if he does not become a high school teacher, he still has the opportunity to become a university lecturer.
"I heard that if students study well, they can stay at the school. This is probably my new goal to satisfy my desire to teach," Nam said, adding that after settling down, he will work as a math tutor, both to earn extra money for his studies and to satisfy his passion.
Hong Giang has already attended her first class. She said the school gives students general education in the first year, and then divides them into majors. Giang said she will research carefully, listen to advice from seniors, and then make a choice.
"I don't want to choose randomly again," Giang said.
Thanh Hang
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