Dropping out of college due to poverty: Why give up so soon?

The story of wanting to drop out of university due to poverty caused a debate online after twin brothers Tuan and Tung (Nghe An) were admitted to a major university in Hanoi but could not afford to enroll.

The father of the two boys passed away when Tuan and Tung were only 2 years old, leaving their mother to work hard to raise them all. When they found out they had been accepted, the two brothers hid the news from their mother and planned not to enroll in school and instead find part-time jobs. However, their long-time dream of going to university arose, and they confided in their mother that they wanted to go to school.

One of the brothers said that if they could go to school, they would both try their best for the future. "But our family is so poor, we will probably have to drop out of school," Tung said.

The story received sympathy, shared and brought tears to many people. But from another perspective, many people wondered why it was so easy to give up after passing the university entrance exam. They were 18 years old, healthy and knowledgeable, why give up so soon?

Share on social media, membersNBLAt the age of 13, he had to work hard, asking to be hired out to harvest for 3 days in the summer to earn money to buy clothes and books. At the age of 17, he “broke the buffalo horn”, he went to cut and carry soil.

If a 17-year-old, physically fit student had to drop out of school because of poverty, it would be a shame. Especially now in the digital age, students have many opportunities to work part-time. Many students earn their own money to pay for 4 years of college without needing a penny from their parents. So why do strong students drop out of school because they don’t have money?

In the opinion ofNBLThe poorer the parents, the more responsible and hardworking the children have to be. There are many jobs such as waiters, Grab drivers, security guards, tutoring… The important thing is the determination to be independent to escape poverty.

Le Vu Anh Thu - a girl born in 2000, a former student of Viet Duc High School, Hanoi - expressed her opinion that the two students above are too dependent on conditions and circumstances.

The girl who just passed the university entrance exam and qualified to study abroad in Germany but decided to stop studying for a year to work part-time said that her friends' circumstances were very difficult, but both of them were 18 years old and fully responsible for themselves. If necessary, they could borrow money to study and work, to manage their lives.

If you can't manage in the first year, you should postpone your dream for a year and not give up easily.

Anh Thu shared that entering university a few years late is not a bad or harmful thing, sometimes it helps students to be more solid in social knowledge and life experience. The important thing is that each person needs to have the will and spirit to progress, to rise up in life, to have self-respect and self-control.

Therefore, before going abroad to study, Anh Thu took a year off to do "sales marketing" for a children's company and participate in organizing events outside of office hours. In addition, she also tutored.

10X said studying abroad means being independent in a strange place, without the help of relatives. Therefore, Anh Thu wants to prepare well for this. Working part-time is not as hard as people think. This job helps her understand and love her parents more.

"Working part-time forces me to wake up early and stay up late because of my responsibility to the office. I have to put aside my ego to integrate and collaborate, as well as find joy from the hardships," Anh Thu said.

From another perspective, talking about the cases of students facing difficulties, Mr. Vu Khac Ngoc - a teacher in Hanoi - said that with the current tuition fees of "financially autonomous" universities and the expensive spending levels in big cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, going to university has become a luxury for many students in poor rural areas.

Regarding the case of the male student in Nghe An who intended to drop out of school because of poverty, Mr. Ngoc said that in reality, many people in the countryside have never been to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, so they cannot imagine any opportunities to work part-time to improve their income. They feel more afraid of the risks there.

Now, if you ask the question: "What part-time job will you do? Where? How long will it take to find a suitable part-time job?", 80% of first-year students who have just entered school cannot answer.

According to Mr. Ngoc's survey, the cost of a student's first admission is about 5 to 20 million VND, not including food, accommodation, and travel expenses.

Before they can think about working and finding a part-time job, they still have to worry about that money. This is too much for many families in the countryside.

Mr. Ngoc gave advice: "Where there is a will, there is a way." He himself came from a very poor and difficult background. As long as you are diligent, make an effort and have the will, you will somehow find a way to continue your dream of going to university.