[Vnbiz] Taking care of our students

[huong dang thu]

Dear my new brothers and sisters :),
First, let me thank you, so much. Scarcely in my life am I so much
warmly welcomed!  Not many one told me such encouraging things:
"Please feel at home and share your heart and mind with us", or "Don't
hesitate to raise questions, to tell us your opinion and share
whatever you find interesting with us." Now, I truly feel this is a
family where I can let my mind and heart open. I promise that as long
as my bro/sis listened to me, I would share my entire mind.
Thanks for reminding me "Everyone needs to stand up and take charge of
his/her life, and then ask for help". I will keep it in mind.
And as you said "the students move first", here I want to share with
you about the problems and the solving (in my opinion) in university
students' lives.
But let me talk about the problems first.
First of all, it's about students' studying. It's weak. And it may
attribute to many reasons. But, the serious reason in my view is that
the low awareness of students' RIGHTS. We (the students) don't really
know what we can do (can we request, contribute…?) in our school. I
think students should know their rights in university. That we have
right to study what we think we need for our future, but not only
study what the teachers give us.  That we have right to protect our
ideas, opinions, and they are appreciated. That teacher can't reject
our ideas. The problem is only if our reasons are vigorous enough to
protect what we support. So, the thing we should do is not to learn by
heart the might-appear-in-the-exam things, but the true knowledge of
our major. I think this is a basic problem of students' studying in
our current schools.
Besides that, English really matters. When I come to my school, every
10 students, there are 7 ones ask me: "where do you study English?" or
"what is your tip in studying English?" English is a very true thirst
in university. But, this also a problem for that students don't
understand that English is a tool for their studying, to read or do
research on English stuff (which provides them with many more info,
knowledge), students regard English as debt have to pay for school if
they want to take their certificates. This pressure effects on
students' way and attitude towards studying English. English becomes a
big problem to most of the students.
Another problem, in studying and working, students still do in
individual manner. We usually don't have the strong connection with
others. Students in my school are from many different parts of our
country. The difference of culture makes students stay somehow far
away from each others, especially in some Northern provinces
community. Students from Nghe An, Ha Tinh gather together, students
from Thanh Hoa gather together…  They lacks of skill in integrating to
new communities. I think many of them feel truly lonely and hard in
life. In steed, I think it will be much better if students are
provided with working in team skill, and accepting the difference
view. They will feel better; then have more time and more chance in
improving their studying. So that, integrating skill is also a big
problem.
It's about students' studying. But, I also pretty care for our
entertainment. It's also so important. It's very true that we have
free time. But we don't really know how to use it. We choose various
ways to do with our free time. Unfortunately, the current things
attract us the most are mobile phones, modern motorcycle, sex movies,
cigarettes … This forms a low culture in students' community.
Actually, there are some activities of Doan Thanh Nien or Hoi Sinh
Vien. But these activities are usually run by students who are not
provided with skills. So they usually lack of professional manners.
And with all spirit and enthusiasm, they run the activities by
themselves, which means the activities in school are good or bad
usually mainly depends on their leader only. If the leader is ok, its
activities are ok. If not, not ok. They don't have clear goals to
pursue. And they don't have plans to support the next generations.
That's why the activities in school don't truly persuade me. But we
always need things to do. So that, I think we should think about the
helpful activities for students in their free time. But, it's no one
else but students themselves choose it.
Things above are problems that I think they are problematic. To solve
such these things is not easy. And I think they are still so common
and large. But this is what I suggest: providing training skills
courses for students.
1.	Choose the certain students (e.g.: 100 students in the
International Law department in Law university)
2.	Provide them with many talks about their future and career: the
need of society for lawyers in the next 5 years, how things change
when VN joined WTO, what the professional manners of the present
students are, what skill/knowledge students should prepare for
themselves right now?....
3.	Do research on students: "what skills do you need to improve
yourselves in studying and life?" : leadership, making representation
skill, thinking creatively skill, balancing life skill, relaxing
skill…?
4.	Based on results of the research, providing training skills courses
for students. After these courses, students should find their own
projects/topics interest them.
5.	By themselves (and consultancy of the older), put their projects
into practice.
6.	Estimate the results. Find the best students, keep them on the
following programs, and train them as the helpers for guiding the next
generations.
I hope that by the way we share ideas to each others (the older
provide students talk about their experience, their need, their
success…, the students provide the older their true thinking, their
needs…), and by the way we provide students with training skills
courses, the training providers, the business and the students will
get closer, make the studying and training process more effective.
I think that through the talks, we will gradually learn about our
rights in school. and through the courses, we will start to practice
what we learn. And through working with own our projects (may be very
small, trivial), we will start to practice the skills we get from the
courses. Now, when we are prepared with skills and abilities, we
ourselves will raise our own projects to solve our own problems. E.g.:
I care for studying English problem in school, I will run the project
to provide helpful English courses for students, my friend interests
in student social activities, she will run a project on her interest….
Anyway, I think that it's completely not easy to sow the positive
thinking in students right away. Not many one treats them well. It's
so true that in their daily lives, they have to fight with many
hardships and struggles. So it will be so hard, as bro Hoanh said, "to
know how to make life choices, how to think with our heart and our
mind, how to apply different-and-often-conflicting principles in our
life--compassion, honesty, non-rejudiced, upholding our own values
while respecting our neighbor's values, how to make peace and win
friends, etc." They are truly what we have to overcome everyday now.
And, to be successful, the project has to attract the true
participation of students. They will love what they do. They should
know that they are listened, cared and served, not imposed.
They are just my innocent and simple thinking. I think they are just
theory. But that's all as much as I can think of. So plz give me your
hands.
Last, I want to say that I pretty don't know how to show my very very
very great happiness to be here. I felt like receiving a million roses
to receive the email welcome me :) . So, once again, thanks for your
very warm words in every emails.
Wish my bro and sis smile,
HeO




On 1/5/07, Tran Dinh Hoanh <tdhoanh at gmail.com> wrote:
> [ Vietnam Business Forum ]
>
> Dear CACC,
>
> Our new sister Thu Huong wrote in her introductory message: "And, now,
> I'm here, to ask for joining to Vnbiz, and also ask for a care, a care
> for us-the Vietnamese students, the Vietnamese next generation."  This
> is really heart breaking.  I remember I asked for that myself when I
> was in college.  I was always struggling with difficult issues and was
> always lonely in my quest.
>
> In college, we need more than just a bunch of dry mathematical
> problems or social theories.  We need someone to help us know how to
> make life choices, how to think with our heart and our mind, how to
> apply different-and-often-conflicting principles in our
> life--compassion, honesty, non-prejudiced, upholding our own values
> while respecting our neighbor's values, how to make peace and win
> friends, etc.  Many of these issues only can be learned only through
> living and shared only through brother/sisterhood and friendship.  I
> really think that the older generation has to try to "hang out" often
> with our younger brothers and sisters so that we can be of some
> support for the new generation.
>
> But here is another side of the coin, Thu Huong (Singapore and Saigon
> :-), Romi & other students.  Everyone needs to stand up and take
> charge of his/her life, and then ask for help.  In the US there is a
> saying, "God can help only the people who help themselves."
>
> And how do we help ourselves?  We help ourselves by simply saying to
> ourselves: "I can take charge of my life and I can move forward. How?
> I don't know how yet.  But I am sure that I can do that."
>
> That is the key.  All the roads start with a determination to go.
> Once we have decided "I will get to that point" then the roads will
> gradually appear in front of our eyes, like magic.  That is called
> miracle--the miracle of the mind.
>
> So I suggest that the students move first.  Tell everyone what should
> be done.  Then everyone will jump in to brainstorm and to help.
> During the entire process, the students have to take the lead,
> probably with some more-experienced advisers.
>
> A couple of weeks ago we talked about doing a job-search training for
> students. And now, through chi Dieu Anh and Thu Huong I realize that
> many students don't even know what major to choose in school.  So
> maybe a career fair for the students would be good.  These two things
> can be done together in one project too.
>
> But each project has to have a leader.  I suggest that some students
> or new graduates band together with some more experienced
> brothers/sisters to lead a project.
>
> In this forum, we try not to operate from the top down.  We want
> bottom-up style of working.  So if we want to lead a project, just
> lead.  We we will support you.  And don't worry about all the
> technical details.  We have enough knowledge and experienced and
> national contacts in this forum.
>
> Start to get the ball going, guys and gals.  BTW, Brothers Nhon and
> Shane are doing a terrific job getting the Internet users research
> going.  Bravo!
>
> Have a great day!
>
> Hoanh
>
> --
> Tran Dinh Hoanh, LLB, JD
> Attorney of Law
> Washington DC
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