What freshmen expect when starting college

The beginning of a new school year is always a special moment for new students, when they step into a completely new university environment. Many young people have to leave their hometown after 18 years of familiarity to explore a strange land, full of challenges and opportunities.

The booth of the Vietnam Student Association attracted a lot of attention from students.

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Therefore, universities often organize a welcome day for new students as an important bridge, helping students integrate into school culture, get to know friends and the lecture hall. For Gen Z, these ceremonies are truly meaningful, valuable and create a highlight for their future university journey. So what do new students really expect from such an inaugural event?

Combining entertainment with practical support

The Welcome Ceremony for New Students is an annual event at universities. This not only marks the beginning of the university journey but also serves as a bridge to help new students integrate into the new environment, connect with friends and absorb the school culture.

In recent years, many universities have tended to invite famous artists to perform to renew the program and attract new students. Recently, when Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry announced a line-up of famous guest artists such as (Strong) Trong Hieu, Thieu Bao Tram, Anh Tu, Thanh Duy... to participate in the welcoming day for new students, the school's social networking site immediately became lively with thousands of interactions and shares, demonstrating its strong appeal.

Welcome Day for New Students at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Ho Chi Minh City National University)

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Nguyen Hieu Nhan (Binh Dinh) is a student who transferred from the Computer Science major at the University of Technology (Ho Chi Minh City National University) to the English language major at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Ho Chi Minh City after two years of study. Nhan shared his experience of participating in the welcoming ceremony for new students twice: “The biggest difference between the two schools is probably the excitement of the activities outside of formality. Especially the participation of artists from the Humanities University made the ceremony more exciting and students participated in the activities more enthusiastically.”

Nhan also recounted his memories of when he first came to the city: “Being an introvert, I was initially worried about integrating because of the huge environmental difference. Thanks to the school organizing a camping trip in Bao Loc, I was able to connect with my first friends in Saigon, who are also my most precious and longest-lasting friends up to now.”

Performance by singer Phan Dinh Tung

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This shows that new students enter the university environment with anxiety about social adjustment, prolonged online learning, economic pressure, and the need for personalized connection... Traditional festivals (such as speeches by school leaders, art performances...) are still popular, but today's students desire more of a combination of entertainment with practical support such as policies on scholarships, mentors, graduate jobs, and new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) support in learning.

Tran Ngoc Xuan Hoai, a new student of the Korean Studies Department, University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Ho Chi Minh City National University), shared: “What I look forward to the most is the appearance of singers Vo Ha Tram and Phan Dinh Tung performing at school. This is the first time I have been to a big city and this is not only an opportunity for me to listen to hit songs and meet idols, but also helps me quickly get to know other friends in the department and school. In addition, I also hope that the school can share more about job opportunities after graduation because as far as I know, social sciences are always more difficult to find jobs than the general level.”

Creative and personalized welcome ceremonies for new international students

Abroad, the welcome festival for new students stands out for its professionalism, creativity and high interactivity, turning this event into a memorable journey to help new students quickly integrate into the university environment.

Unlike short formal ceremonies, programs like those in the US typically last 5-7 days, combining campus tours, a vibrant club fair with hundreds of booths recruiting members through group games and street performances. Students are paired with mentors – seniors – to receive personalized guidance on studying, dormitory and mental health, minimizing feelings of isolation after stressful exams.

In the UK, it is customary to have a quirky and fun freshman week at Oxford or Cambridge, with themed parties or a “college parent” system – second and third year students acting as godparents to new students; family meals, competitions for the friendliest family to build long-term support networks.

The common features are large budgets from schools and sponsors, focusing on personalized experiences rather than formalities, helping new students not only entertain but also develop social skills, with high participation rates. These models not only reduce stress but also foster a sense of community, bringing valuable lessons to new students when entering a new school.

No longer concerned with formalities, promoting the needs of students

To meet increasing expectations, universities in Vietnam are gradually transforming their welcome ceremonies into more substantial experiences, no longer limited to formalities.

At the welcoming ceremony for the new students of the 2025 class, Prof. Dr. Ngo Thi Phuong Lan, Principal of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City), said: “This is not only our first official meeting on a school-wide scale, but also a special mark to motivate you and thereby also demonstrate our commitment to accompany you on the upcoming journey. The school conducted a survey with more than 60% of new students to listen to their wishes. It is from those honest responses that I was inspired for today's sharing, a speech filled with a lot of emotions”.

The principal said that the issues that new students are most interested in are: finding out more information about opportunities for personal development such as career opportunities, extracurricular activities and learning methods such as how to pass general subjects and do scientific research. The principal also answered concerns about the rate of students having jobs after graduation within the framework of the ceremony.

It can be seen that the festivals welcoming new students at Vietnamese universities today hope to become an effective bridge, helping new students integrate quickly and start an exciting university journey.

Sticky rice stall with 7,000 free sticky rice portions

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Tran Thi Thanh Huyen, a fourth-year student at the University of Economics and Finance, Ho Chi Minh City, confided: “Thanks to the welcoming ceremony for new students, I was able to choose my favorite club and stick with it until now. Not only that, thanks to that ceremony, I also got to know many friends in my class and faculty and bonded with everyone. As a student about to graduate, looking back, I always cherish everything that has happened in the university environment.”

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nhung-dieu-tan-sinh-vien-mong-cho-khi-bat-dau-vao-dai-hoc-185251003143453065.htm