In the cool autumn weather, the new K56 students of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities enrolled this morning, September 4th. As of 5 PM on September 4th, 2011, 1359 out of 1450 summoned candidates had enrolled, achieving a rate of 93.7%.
Excitement on the first day of school
As in previous years, many new students and their parents, along with essential items to prepare for their new lives, brought their belongings to the school to complete the enrollment procedures. From 7 am onwards, a large number of parents and students gathered at the school. Nguyen Thi Ha, a new student in the Faculty of Vietnamese Studies (from Nam Dinh province), said: "I came to Hanoi a week ago to find accommodation and prepare for enrollment. Today, with the dedicated guidance of the teachers and volunteer students, I no longer feel bewildered or anxious. I feel very happy and excited to truly become a new student. On my first day, I also met and made many new friends."
Most new students come from various provinces and cities. Due to their distance, the majority arrived in Hanoi several days prior to finding accommodation and settling in. Hoang Tuan Ngoc (Faculty of Political Science), from Son La province, shared: "My father brought me to Hanoi yesterday. We're currently staying with an acquaintance. After enrollment, I'll go with him to find a place to rent." Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan, who brought her daughter to enroll and is waiting for her to find a permanent place, confided: "I'm very excited to bring my daughter to enroll. Seeing the learning environment firsthand has reassured me. Now I just need to worry about finding accommodation. My daughter and I are still staying in temporary accommodation outside until she finishes enrollment and we find a stable place to live before I can go home."
Somewhere, there are still worries...
Alongside the joy and excitement of becoming a new university student, there are still some worries ahead. Accommodation is always a major concern, both immediate and long-term, for new students and their parents. The number of dormitory rooms available for new students is 250, with priority given to students who are children of war invalids and martyrs, victims of Agent Orange, and those from remote and island areas. Therefore, many students from disadvantaged backgrounds still lack stable housing. Ms. Nguyen Thi Cuc (from Thanh Hoa province) shared: "My child getting into university is both a joy and a worry. My family is struggling financially, and I'm worried about how difficult my child's future studies will be. Therefore, I really hope my child can get into the dormitory; I hope it will ease some of the difficulties."
Not too far, not too close, but Nguyen Thanh Hung, a freshman in the Faculty of Management Science (from Bac Ninh province), has chosen to commute back and forth temporarily because finding accommodation at the beginning of the year will be difficult. Hung said: "This morning I took the bus to register for classes, and after registering, I will take the bus back home. It takes about 2 hours to get to school. Initially, I will try to wake up early. After that, I will think about finding accommodation." Besides worrying about food and accommodation, freshmen are also anxious and unfamiliar with the new learning environment. Nguyen Thi Ngan, a freshman in the Faculty of Literature (from Vinh Phuc province), confided: "I passed the entrance exam to the Faculty of Literature, and I will also be taking the entrance exam for the high-quality class. I will have to try even harder to study well in this new environment." There will still be worries ahead in the university journey of freshmen... But the joy and pride of becoming a freshman will give them confidence to continue their journey. Starting tomorrow, September 5th, students of cohort 56 will participate in the student civic education week.
