Education and Times Newspaper - Thousands of new students 'start their careers' on the very first day of school.

In mid-August, the campus of Dai Nam University was bustling as new students of the K20 cohort and their families arrived to complete the enrollment procedures.

For many young people, this is their first time stepping through the school gates as students. After the registration process, they meet their lecturers, learn about the training program, tour lecture halls, practice rooms, and laboratories, and discuss the requirements of their chosen field.

Information previously known through admissions counseling is now more concrete. The field of study is no longer just a name on the acceptance letter, but is linked to specific subjects, professional skills, practical training, and job requirements after graduation.

At age 18, not every student has a complete career plan. Some choose Information Technology because they love technology and want to learn about AI; some choose Medicine with the desire to become doctors; others pursue business, communications, languages, design, and so on.

Each option requires a different learning and training process.

Therefore, conversations between freshmen and faculty on enrollment day not only revolve around "what subjects to study," but also open up questions about skills, practical applications, and job requirements after graduation.

Asking these questions from the very beginning helps students better understand their choices and identify the skills they need to develop during their university years.

Notably, on enrollment day, new students are introduced to their chosen field of study through hands-on experience rather than just hearing presentations.

In specialized spaces, new students become familiar with lecture halls, practice rooms, labs, lecturers, and the professional activities that will accompany them throughout their studies.

Information technology students begin to envision a learning environment closely linked to technology; health science students gain access to practical spaces and the specific requirements of their profession. For economics, languages, communication, design, and other fields, students are also introduced to skills relevant to their future careers.

"Entering the workforce" doesn't mean students have to immediately determine their future career path. More importantly, they begin to understand that classroom knowledge is only one part of the equation. Practical skills, technology, real-world experience, and the ability to work and adapt all need to be accumulated.

This is also the approach of the applied training model that the school pursues, in which students are exposed to professional practice earlier in their studies.

Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh, the parent of a new medical student, said that his work experience has helped him understand that training doctors must be linked to specialized knowledge, practical skills, and professional responsibility.

"As someone who used to work in the medical field, I understand that doctor training must closely integrate knowledge, practice, and professional responsibility. My family chose Dai Nam because we hoped our grandson would study in a rigorous environment, receive early training, and have a solid foundation to pursue a long-term career in medicine," he said.

Hai Minh, a freshman in Computer Science, said she chose the major because she loves technology and wants to work in this field.

“With the guidance from the teachers, the opportunity to directly learn about the curriculum, and the hands-on experience on the first day of enrollment, I have a clearer picture of the field I have chosen. I am very excited to begin and explore what I can do in the coming years,” Linh shared.

For Minh and many other freshmen of the K20 cohort, the first day of university doesn't answer all their questions about the future. But they've already started asking: What should I study to excel in my field? What skills do I need to develop? When will I get to practice? How can I gain experience before graduation?

Those questions will continue to be answered through each course, practical session, experiential activity, internship, and exposure to the professional environment.

The K20 orientation day at Dai Nam University will continue until August 17, 2026.