Students face university shock, a world of difference from high school

(Dan Tri) - Entering university, many new students face academic shock. From being closely supervised by teachers, they now have to proactively find their own methods to adapt.

Difference between high school and university education

Many students admit that the first weeks of university are like entering a completely new world .

For Nguyen Thi Kim Anh, a student majoring in International Business following the advanced Japanese model at the Foreign Trade University, the shock came not only from knowledge, but also from language.

“In high school, I was quite good at English, but mainly focused on grammar and reading comprehension, and rarely practiced speaking. At university, listening to lectures and communicating entirely in English made it difficult for me at first,” Kim Anh recalls.

According to Kim Anh, in high school, students are constantly reminded, have oral tests, hand in assignments, and take full notes. But in university, student initiative is the most important. Knowledge is also broader and deeper, many subjects require research, analysis, and connection between many fields.

Nguyen Dinh Khai, a Journalism graduate from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, also faced a similar shock but in a different aspect. Right in the first semester, Khai was confused because he could not find a suitable learning method.

“In college, no one asked me to take notes word for word. The important thing is to understand the essence to apply it. There was a subject that I did not focus on correctly, so I only got 5 points at the end of the semester. This was the lowest score I have ever gotten since primary school, which really shocked me,” Khai recounted.

Not only listening to lectures, university students must proactively prepare presentations for class (Photo: BCTT).

Sharing the same opinion, Nguyen Yen Nhi, who just graduated with honors in Marketing from the National Economics University, recalls her first shock: "Teachers almost didn't care who I was, unlike in high school, so I had to study on my own."

In addition, the way of taking exams also caused Nhi many difficulties: writing essays, group presentations. She had almost never given presentations in high school, and with her Nghe An accent, she lacked confidence, afraid that her friends would not understand or judge her speaking style.

The common point from the stories of all three students is the change in the level of self-awareness. Without constant supervision and testing, students are forced to form a new learning awareness. According to them, that difference is the "push" that forces students to change.

“Lecturers only provide direction and suggest problems, but the acquisition and deepening of knowledge depends on individual efforts. If students do not know how to manage their time and proactively seek information, they can easily become disappointed,” Khai emphasized.

From shock to adaptation

To overcome the initial shock, each student finds their own path. For Kim Anh, an effective solution is group study.

“Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses. When studying together, I feel more motivated, and reviewing becomes easier. Especially, when I teach my friends, I also consolidate my own knowledge,” Kim Anh said.

Besides, Kim Anh also practices the habit of "not waiting until the last minute". She said that during her studies, she always tries to grasp the knowledge in class. When it comes to exams, reviewing is just a way to consolidate. This method helps Kim Anh avoid cramming, excessive stress and achieve high learning efficiency.

Similarly, after four years of university, Yen Nhi has come up with two big tips: study from the beginning of the semester and find a good group of friends.

“We not only do the exercises together, but also share documents and explain to each other the difficult parts. That is the “secret weapon” that helps me do my best,” Nhi shared.

Teamwork spirit is an important factor for Yen Nhi to overcome learning challenges (Photo: NVCC).

Despite her high results, Nhi admits that time management has never been easy. In her first year, the National Economics University student studied, participated in clubs, projects, learned English and often volunteered to be a team leader.

“The only way to overcome is to just do it, and then you will naturally manage. But if I had any advice for new students, I would say don’t take on too many things, learn to prioritize,” she said with a smile.

As for Dinh Khai, he also chose to systematize everything. Right from the beginning of each course, Khai spent time studying the outline and determining the focus. In class, he listened carefully to the lecturer's emphasis and prepared documents so that he could look them up quickly when needed.

“The documents, lectures, and references are all neatly arranged. Before exams, I listen carefully to the teachers' suggestions to know the specific requirements. I also always have the mindset to "conquer" each subject; the more difficult the subject, the more I want to challenge myself,” Khai said.

Dinh Khai maintains an enthusiastic spirit in every subject, turning challenges into learning opportunities (Photo: NVCC).

With this approach, Dinh Khai achieved many positive results such as receiving scholarships for academic encouragement in 4/7 semesters, of which he was excellent 3 times and graduated with the highest score in the first batch of the 2021-2025 course. That achievement is proof of successful adaptation after the initial confusion.

Looking back, all three characters affirm: there is no one-size-fits-all formula, but there are three factors that any student needs: autonomy, time management ability, and engagement in learning.

Khanh Ly

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/sinh-vien-doi-mat-voi-cu-soc-dai-hoc-khac-mot-troi-mot-vuc-pho-thong-20250914001536553.htm