"Humanities, a breeding ground for talent"

    My friends have all completed their university entrance exam registration forms.

I'm still struggling to find a new path in my life.

Hanoi University…

University of Foreign Languages…

Or the University of Social Sciences and Humanities?

I've always been indecisive and hesitant in everything I do. Ultimately, my heart told me to do what I wanted; I chose the Faculty of Literature at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities – Vietnam National University, Hanoi as the next step on my new journey.

I love literature, I'm passionate about it like a baby loves its mother's milk, so I definitely want to study literature at university. The leading universities for this field are the University of Education and the University of Social Sciences and Humanities. But taking the university entrance exam isn't simply about liking it; it's like going to war. You have to understand yourself, understand others, and assess your abilities to choose a department with a reasonable score, so you can get into your desired department without the quality of education being bad. Between 19 and 21, the chances of getting into the University of Social Sciences and Humanities are still higher! So I chose the Literature Department at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities – Vietnam National University, Hanoi as my next destination.

I enjoy the program "As If There Had Never Been a Separation," and I appreciate journalism, media, and television. I am passionate about becoming a good journalist and editor. To achieve this, I need a profound understanding of life. Literature excels at this than journalism. Therefore, I chose the Faculty of Literature at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities – Vietnam National University, Hanoi as my next destination.
I love admiring Hanoi at night. On hot June evenings, returning home late from going out, I often encounter homeless people sleeping haphazardly on Ly Nam De Street. I feel sorry for them, and it reminds me of a quote by M. Gorki: "Literature is the study of humanity." So, I chose the Faculty of Literature at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities – Vietnam National University, Hanoi as my next destination.

Having passed the entrance exam and become a new student, I eagerly awaited the enrollment day.

September 3rd, 2014 marked the beginning of a new chapter for me, a journey I walked alone. Bewildered and apprehensive, I felt too childish and didn't want to grow up, yet all around me, my friends were much older. The first day of school was uneventful; I submitted my application, paid the fees, and left. That day, whether by luck or not, I was interviewed by the school's CMP (Communications Management Team), Ms. Phuong, a fourth-year student in Journalism and Communication. She was my future dream, a field reporter. Meeting her, I vaguely envisioned my four years as a university student: free, vibrant, and mature. I would work part-time to earn pocket money, study English, learn to play the piano, volunteer, read and borrow books from the library, and occasionally bother my friends in the dorms for a few afternoon naps instead of going home.

The school began to appear in my mind as a place with dynamic, youthful, and enthusiastic students, just like you.

      4/9/2014

Once again I went to the school to receive advice on applying to the high-quality class – a competency assessment test, an English test, both very difficult and very rigorous.

But I'm not ready yet!

For the past year, I've only studied three subjects: math, literature, and English. Biology, history, geography, physics, and chemistry have made me terrified, and I'm fed up with math. I was overjoyed, thinking my life would finally be free from debt to them. Unfortunately, they've reappeared in my life all at once, and this time they promise to be even more terrifying. Lost in my thoughts, I grew even more annoyed when the lecturer arrived very late—two o'clock, then three o'clock, then three-thirty—before I finally saw her. She introduced herself as Ms. Hoang and said she would help us with the upcoming exams. Frankly, I didn't have a very good impression of her. But all my initial impressions vanished when, towards the end of the lecture, I caught a glimpse in her eyes and words of someone who deeply loved literature: "Teachers' salaries are low, but I've never regretted choosing this path."

The school began to appear in my mind with teachers who loved their profession and their students, young and full of enthusiasm, teachers just like her.

      6/9/2014

Today is another day at school. My first class on campus. My first political science lesson. Honestly, I'm dreading it!

I don't like politics; it's complicated and unfamiliar. I wondered to myself, what exactly are they planning to teach me?

But the lesson probably wasn't as dry, rigid, and theoretical as I had imagined.

The school began to appear in my mind, clearer and more impressive than the two previous times.

Established in 1945, the old school still sits idly on the bustling, noisy Nguyen Trai street; if it were still located at 19 Le Thanh Tong, it would surely have a more ancient and dignified appearance by now.

Unlike my old primary, secondary, and high schools, this school went through the most difficult and challenging times. French bombs, then American bombs, successively forced generations of students to evacuate. The school must have been very sad during those lonely times. But the sound of singing drowned out the sound of the bombs. Even though the students of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities lacked food and clothing, having to use rice piles as seats and their legs as tables, they remained optimistic, cheerful, and steadfast in their faith, waiting for the day they could return to the lecture halls.

Time and again, the school has witnessed the departure of young soldiers like Le Anh Xuan, Chu Cam Phong, and others, and we couldn't hold back our tears.

"Those who leave first do not look back."

Behind the sunlit steps, leaves have fallen everywhere.

The war is long over, an old generation has passed, and new generations will follow; as the old bamboo dies, new shoots grow—that is the law of nature. The University of Social Sciences and Humanities has undergone a transformation from 1995 to the present.

Replacing the nostalgic tone of the vice principal was the lively, youthful, cheerful, humorous, and energetic voice of the school's Youth Union Vice Secretary, Mai Lan. Perhaps her appearance made her seem a bit mature for me to call her "sister," but with her ageless spirit and refreshing smile, she had already become a companion to us. My dream of becoming a dynamic university student was not unfounded, and Mai Lan was the one who guided all my aspirations, which began to ignite from the very first moment I heard her speak.

We got to know the girl next to us through a fun game: pinching ears, pinching cheeks, touching faces, putting our arms around each other's shoulders, etc. Her appearance broke the quiet atmosphere from the previous class.

The school began to reappear in my mind thanks to Lan's introduction. A Youth Union with young, dynamic people. A Student Association that always worked selflessly.

Eleven talented, professional clubs.

SOL – Arts and Culture Club.

AC – English Club

Xung Kich – a community club with volunteers in their blue shirts, where everyone is like a bird wanting to spread its wings and fly everywhere, bringing joy to every home.

CMP – the Journalism and Media Professionals Club – is always present at every major and minor event at the school, writing articles, reporting news, and making films like real journalists, reporters, cameramen, broadcasters, and editors.

RUMBO – a cheerleading club…

The students of this new generation are building society, the country, and their schools in their own way, full of ambition.

September 7th, 2014 was one of the most exciting days at my new university. Today I met my homeroom teacher, whom we now call our academic advisor. He arrived earlier than I expected and we had a two-hour and thirty-minute conversation. It was anything but boring. He recounted his experiences and fond memories from when he was our age, seemingly endlessly. He talked about his first days as a student, Phạm Văn Hưng, always accompanied by his father; his first birthday spent with friends in the dorm; the nights he stayed out late, having to climb over the fence to sleep at a friend's rented room; the days he and his roommate shared chores, pooling money for a cheap three-thousand-dong meal to eat to their heart's content… These beautiful memories are only known to us students. Even as time goes by, we can still smile contentedly whenever we remember them.

I don't know what the next four years of university will bring, or what the future holds, but I believe that these four years of my life will not be wasted in this university. My 18th year is here.