Vietnamese international students share their experiences of the university environment in the US.

A year at Earlham University helped me understand that university is not just a place to learn a trade, but also a place to build a foundation of knowledge and skills, and to guide my lifelong learning.

By giving students the right to choose, defending their viewpoints, and requiring them to be honest and responsible for those choices, American universities prepare students with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to lead independent lives after graduation.

Choosing classes - building self-reliance

Unlike Vietnamese universities, American universities do not divide students into classes or prescribe specific courses for each class. Each major has both compulsory and elective courses, and students register for classes based on this (maximum 18 credits per semester, with each course ranging from 3-5 credits).

If students find it unsuitable, they can register to drop out before the midterm.

During an event in Washington DC. (Photo: Quynh Anh)

I've met many students majoring in natural sciences who took many humanities and arts courses, and vice versa. If their university didn't offer the course they wanted, they proactively read books, took summer courses, or studied online.

When asked why, they replied, "Because we find it interesting and necessary." Thus, students are completely autonomous and responsible for their own learning. The school provides tools and opportunities, but students must find their own path.

This rich educational experience is geared towards lifelong learning, freedom, and liberation. One of my professors in Oriental Studies earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in Applied Mathematics and Finance at Stanford University, but pursued her doctorate in Japanese literature at Columbia University. The logical thinking skills she acquired during her time studying mathematics proved invaluable to her in her literature studies.

Graduating in a particular field doesn't guarantee a future career or postgraduate studies related to that field, and choosing a different path is often a last resort. A degree recognizes competence in one area after four years of university study, but it doesn't limit one's abilities in other fields.

Discussion – a springboard for critical thinking.

Classes at American universities vary greatly in size – some have only 5 students, while others can have hundreds. But in any case, discussion remains an essential element.

For example, a class session in my Philosophy of History class went like this: Students were assigned a 50-page reading about the perspectives and methods of several postmodern historians (which had been uploaded to the class group a month prior). At the beginning of the session, the instructor gave students 5 minutes to review the reading, grouping these historians into a large table and comparing them to historians from other theories.

From there, the instructor poses questions about the similarities and differences in their viewpoints on issues such as the nature of cause and effect and the relationship between humans and society. The discussion often leads to conflicting viewpoints. The instructor, through guiding questions and slideshows, plays a role in moderating the discussion, preventing it from straying off-topic but without imposing their own perspective.

Thus, learning is not a one-way activity from instructor to student. Each student's educational experience, even within the same class, is unique. Instructors act as pioneers, providing students with the environment, methods, and tools for acquiring knowledge, but each student must be able to defend their own viewpoint and be open-minded and willing to seriously consider perspectives different from their own.

There are still important points that need to be agreed upon, but if students disagree, they can ask questions for the whole class to consider. Sometimes, seemingly silly questions can reveal a brilliant idea from the author that most people overlook. If students are not convinced by the discussion results or exam scores, or want to learn more about a point in the paper, they can meet with the lecturer for further discussion.

During an event in Washington DC (Photo: Quynh Anh)

Lecturers sometimes rely on student feedback to modify their teaching methods and materials.

In fact, instructors here often say, "I may be wrong," as a way to encourage critical thinking.

Research – you can't just parrot others.

While class selection gives students the right to choose and discussion gives them the right to express their opinions, research requires students to have a firmly defended viewpoint. For the final paper of the "Communicating in Music" class, I wrote a 10-page essay to prove that: "Ca trù (traditional Vietnamese singing) has unique cultural and artistic value."

Looking at my very conciliatory thesis, the professor commented: "You've done a very good job researching, but it shouldn't be considered research. To fully present the topic of ca trù (Vietnamese traditional singing), even a stack of thick books wouldn't be enough, but I want this paper to showcase your own approach."

I was startled to realize I still maintained the traditional habit of writing descriptive essays: not needing to experience the phenomenon myself, but simply collecting expert opinions and rearranging them...

From what I've learned, American students aren't taught until university; even in elementary school, they're taught that any work—whether simple or elaborate—that constitutes research must express a specific viewpoint.

That viewpoint may be consistent with or different from existing viewpoints, but it must be an opinion proven after a process of serious thought, not just a collection of expert opinions followed by parroting.

The professors always reminded us: "No matter how novel or unique your viewpoint may be, you must always proactively seek out and seriously consider opinions that contradict your own hypothesis, and be ready to change your hypothesis if there is sufficient evidence. If you only focus on finding sources that support you and hastily reject those that contradict you, then you are not objective or honest in science."

The difference

Sometimes, I also feel confused about the academic freedom of American universities: when different viewpoints on the same issue are all acknowledged, what ultimately is the right answer?

When I asked a psychology professor about this, I received the advice: "People cannot choose what is best for the world, but they can choose what is most suitable for themselves at each given moment."

"Spring Festival" is a spring festival celebrated by Asian students (Photo: Quynh Anh)

I recall that before every school-wide meeting, we were all asked to read a pledge: "I understand that my statements reflect my own personal views, and only my own. I do not presume to represent anyone in particular, or to speak on behalf of any ideology."

The debate about education in Vietnam often raises the issue of graduates working in fields unrelated to their studies. American universities taught me that a university is not just a place to learn a trade, but also a place to build a foundation of knowledge and skills, and to guide lifelong learning.

The university provides the conditions and tools for me to explore the academic world, but I am the one who chooses and takes responsibility for my own learning – a unique and personal educational experience tailored to my strengths and aspirations.

Learning is not only about developing critical thinking skills but also about nurturing an open and tolerant heart: having your own independent opinions while still acknowledging and respecting the opinions of others. Having felt this philosophy through a year of study at Earlham, I began to understand, to some extent, Malcolm Forbes' quote: "The purpose of education is to replace an empty mind with an open one."

According to Vietnamnet.vn