Good evening,
I would like to give forward either my experience and understanding about popular questions crossing youngsters' mind like "How can I choose the right university/courses/career path suit me?" or "I do not have a barrister father or so then should I pick up that law college ?" or "What I will do for a rest of my life?"
Generally speaking, signing the university entrance application was kind of complex and took me much consideration from the time of preparing everything until the week before the Orientation day in Ho Chi Minh City University. In the first place, law at that time was not the only interest of mine since I had been expected to seat at the top national Business/Technology schools owing to my high academic performance and hardworking. I could not remember how many nights I hardly slept to imagine my life after leaving high school. Honestly, what it looks like? I endlessly went around doubts and easily got stuck. The only thing I was sure is I want something totally different and better. The internet did not work well in my place so I failed to take advantage on the connections, forums, alumni or so except some career multiple choice tests. Motivation did not exist in my Vietnamese dictionary, even. What I was amazed could be studying abroad at Harvard. I simply reckoned "Oh, people here are talking about the Ivies League and they admire such degrees so my future employers might do, too". However, the sad and realistic obstacles would be my very poor English written/spoken skills together with social knowledge. I got nothing but Math premise, Chemistry, Physical and Biology high scores.
Since I might not afford financial budget and English criterion plus the most important was opportunity to approaching true information about US Education, I faced the truth which I may never be with my peers on their American path. Looking back many choices right here in Vietnam, yes were the Foreign Trade University and Ho Chi Minh City Technology University or even the Ho Chi Minh City Pharmacy University , I should have been satisfied. Yet, I decide somewhere surprising or annoying my prof and Mom. I kept no explanation for my choice because I knew I were not that ready 100% about what would be next. Law school is locally safe and sound to me, I admit. My box was tight led to my tiny world.
Stepping to legal courses as Civil Law, I became a clear head. My writing performance, however, which played essential role to evaluate law students killed my scores as it was the result of inappropriate study focus from high school. Well, I did not know how can I struggled to be over 04 years at the institution. In fact, I can and it applies to all of you. Just be calm and study law in libraries/reading rooms or observing/following other guys in classes.
I do not know whether it is nice to list out one more myth. Studying law in Vietnam can be both easy/acceptable and wasting. I saw ones practicing as barrister in criminal/corporate courts without any law degrees but training in-house. I must say there are something and something wrong with the practicing law right here and I presume the local undervalue the law's role in life. Take the Intellectual Property Law as an example, I found it stunning after conferences/events named Enforcement/Implement/Infringement of I.P Law in Vietnam then I sat that course in my schedule. The provisions are well structured, clear and easy to follow but in fact foreign investors claimed a lot and suffering/breaching existed and climbing up and up. My mentor interned at one I.P law firm without paycheck with the hope to land a job then. One day in our third year, he proudly showed off his international I.P training certification. In fact, he switched to be home district court clerk later after graduating/training. I left the conclusions on your behalf as it is neutral/justified.
The last question is the hardest part that I am not able to draw the deepest detail. What I must say is simply trying out all alternatives happening to us no matter how annoying/weird they might look. My prof. did say to me she finally answered that question when she took involved the process. That is, watching the way learners pronounce and study confirmed the fact that she wanna devote all her energies/life to the role as a founder of the Easy American Pronunciation in my city. I will let you guys know more some day after I test her experience via following this way.