From the fields to the city, overcoming the ups and downs of student life

Từ ruộng đồng lên thành phố, vượt qua chênh vênh thời sinh viên - Ảnh 1. — New students on the first day of check-in at Co May dormitory

Co May Dormitory (Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City) in early September 2023 was more bustling than usual. New students from the countryside and their relatives were carrying their luggage to enroll in school. Excitement mixed with nervousness and confusion. After being instructed by volunteers about the rules and discipline at the dormitory, groups of students divided into rooms, cleaned their rooms, and started their first day in their "new home".

Support each other

Students who are allowed to stay at Co May dormitory are all students with excellent academic achievements, with difficult circumstances, who need to submit their application and go through many steps from the board of examiners. Not only are they completely free of charge for accommodation, and do not have to worry about monthly electricity and water costs, each student is also provided with blankets, mats, pillows, insurance support, tuition subsidies, food support... Therefore, when arriving at the dormitory, every student is determined to maintain good academic results, ensure discipline in the collective place to continue receiving scholarships from this dormitory.

Phan Nhu Quynh, 18 years old, a first-year student majoring in agronomy at Ho Chi Minh City University of Agriculture and Forestry, said she comes from the countryside in Dak Lak province. Since childhood, she has been familiar with farm work such as cutting grass for cows, tending mango gardens, etc. Every day, as soon as school is over, Quynh rolls up her sleeves to take care of all the farm work, and only at night, when the whole family is fast asleep, does she turn on the lights to study. Having passed the university entrance exam, majoring in agronomy, Quynh hopes to return to her hometown to help make life less difficult for farmers like her parents.

"When I stepped in here, I was surprised to see that the dormitory was beautiful, clean, and tidy like a hotel. Everyone here was enthusiastic in supporting the new students. My father took me to the city and told me to always take care of my health and focus on my studies so that I could get a scholarship to Co May dormitory every year," Quynh shared.

Từ ruộng đồng lên thành phố, vượt qua chênh vênh thời sinh viên - Ảnh 2. — Phan Nhu Quynh and her friends clean their room at Co May dormitory.

Từ ruộng đồng lên thành phố, vượt qua chênh vênh thời sinh viên - Ảnh 3.

Từ ruộng đồng lên thành phố, vượt qua chênh vênh thời sinh viên - Ảnh 4.

Từ ruộng đồng lên thành phố, vượt qua chênh vênh thời sinh viên - Ảnh 5. — New students were surprised because the dormitory was as beautiful as a hotel, and the students were all enthusiastic in supporting them.

Quynh said that every month her parents send her about 2 million VND along with instructions to pay attention to her diet, especially not to skip breakfast. Quynh often chooses to eat instant noodles or pho for breakfast, priced from 10,000 to 25,000 VND. For lunch and dinner, the restaurants around the dormitory cost from 20,000 VND to 25,000 VND. Quynh also likes vegetarian food, so she looks for vegetarian restaurants around here, priced at only 20,000 VND/meal, enough to fill her stomach.

"Here, everyone is very supportive of each other. The senior students also share with students delicious, clean, cheap places to eat, ensuring food hygiene. Thanks to everyone's support and solidarity, my first days in the dormitory were less shaky...", Quynh confided.

Từ ruộng đồng lên thành phố, vượt qua chênh vênh thời sinh viên - Ảnh 6. — Student noodle shop, price 25,000 VND/bowl

Từ ruộng đồng lên thành phố, vượt qua chênh vênh thời sinh viên - Ảnh 7. — New students are confused when coming to the city

Từ ruộng đồng lên thành phố, vượt qua chênh vênh thời sinh viên - Ảnh 8. — Student meals cost from 20,000 VND to 25,000 VND/meal.

For a long journey

Tran Minh Quang, 18 years old, from Sa Dec City, Dong Thap, is a freshman majoring in international business at Saigon University. Receiving a scholarship to stay for free at Co May dormitory, Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City is a great fortune for Minh Quang, as his family's circumstances are quite difficult. His father works as a fruit grower, his mother works as a babysitter for a family in the city. Every day, Quang takes care of his studies and helps his father clean the house and cook. The young man, an English major student in Sa Dec, often goes to Huynh Thuy Le's old house in his hometown to meet many foreigners and practice his English speaking skills.

Being independent since childhood, Quang was not worried when he came to Ho Chi Minh City to study. He set a goal to maintain good academic results to continue receiving the scholarship. The new student also said that he understood the role of a balanced diet and healthy living habits to have good health for a long journey of studying and working in the city.

Từ ruộng đồng lên thành phố, vượt qua chênh vênh thời sinh viên - Ảnh 9. — Tran Minh Quang (left) and his father on the first day at the dormitory

Từ ruộng đồng lên thành phố, vượt qua chênh vênh thời sinh viên - Ảnh 10.

Từ ruộng đồng lên thành phố, vượt qua chênh vênh thời sinh viên - Ảnh 11. — The male students' living area at Co May dormitory, everyone takes turns cleaning the house, sharing with each other the joys and sorrows in life.

How do famous students balance their lives?

How did these famous students - who also went through difficult times - overcome obstacles in life?

Miss Tuyet Nhi, a student at the University of Finance and Marketing, said about her diet, she drinks a lot of water, eats less fat, goes to bed early, and doesn't eat dinner after 9pm. There will be times before exams when students are forced to stay up late to study, but these days should not be repeated for a long time, or they will become bad habits. Regarding mental health care, she thinks optimistically, and when stressed, she chooses to meditate or practice yoga to regain balance.

Meanwhile, translator Huynh Huu Phuoc - "the French-speaking shipper", a French language student at Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, honestly said that he still cannot balance everything but is still trying hard. "Life still goes on day by day, everyone has the pressures of making a living, today I am more peaceful than before but I am still being treated for anxiety disorder, still trying to control my worries. But everything has gradually gotten better, because life is stressful or easy depending on your perspective", he said.

Từ ruộng đồng lên thành phố, vượt qua chênh vênh thời sinh viên - Ảnh 12.

Từ ruộng đồng lên thành phố, vượt qua chênh vênh thời sinh viên - Ảnh 13. — Everyone has very shaky first days in their student life, then all difficulties will pass...

As for comedian Minh Du - a former student and assistant lecturer at Van Hien University, who is in the process of completing his master's thesis, he shared that during the most difficult times, the most stressful and tiring times, he thinks about his original dream, thinks about the person who loves him. There are still negative comments on the internet, but he chooses to read what is optimistic and life-loving.

"For me, living a quality life means living a valuable life, living a valuable life means knowing how to give. I used to have a lot of difficulties so I understand that a meal, a book, a notebook is also very important. Volunteering is a way to help me balance my life. But if I don't work, don't strive, what will I have to give? Thinking about that gives me the motivation to overcome difficulties, to be able to give more...", the comedian who is loved by many people expressed.