University is just one of many paths...

Although a university education remains the most fundamental path, offering the most opportunities for students, that doesn't mean the end of the road if you don't go to university.

Translator Nguyen Quoc Vuong believes that attending university to seek success and change one's life is just one of many paths. (Photo: Provided by the interviewee)

Nowadays, more and more universities are using only the results of the high school graduation exam as a reference or initial step in the admissions process. It can be said that pursuing a university education to achieve success and change one's life is one of many paths.

A diverse and rapidly developing economy creates many different paths for students to choose from. While a university education remains the most fundamental and offers the most opportunities, that doesn't mean the end of the road for those who don't go to university.

There are many other paths such as vocational training, college education, entering production or business, but it's important to realize that school isn't limited to four walls. It's all opportunities, all spaces, transcending all boundaries. You can learn from friends, colleagues, people around you, from your current job, from the internet, from online courses, distance learning, etc.

The key lies in genuinely defining your purpose, goals, and learning philosophy, and having the perseverance to pursue them. Choosing what to study that suits you and your family circumstances is also crucial. There are no noble or humble professions, only honest and suitable professions, and vice versa. When you choose a suitable profession and dedicate yourself to it, the chances of making a good living from it will be high.

In developed countries, vocational education systems, encompassing both secondary and professional schools, are established early, are well-structured, and operate effectively. University is just one option among many. In Japan, students receive highly professional vocational training from high school onwards. Vocational colleges (kosen) and vocational schools (semon) also provide excellent training. They offer many choices to students with diverse needs. Significantly, a strong economy and diverse range of professions create abundant and promising job opportunities for graduates. Higher education is an option, but not the only one. The perception that it is the only path is declining.

Modern jobs demand essential skills such as problem-solving and critical thinking. Professions are changing in both name and meaning, with increasingly high and diverse demands. Learning a particular profession and immediately becoming proficient upon graduation is becoming increasingly impossible. The important thing is to learn the fundamentals applicable to all professions: the ability to focus, the ability to learn independently, the ability to identify problems, and the ability to collaborate.

For example, regardless of the school or profession a student attends, they will need good health, foundational knowledge, and critical thinking skills. These factors don't come purely from studying for textbook exams, but from everyday life, through rich experiences, from reading books, interacting with people around them, and from role models. Therefore, learning should be diverse, taking place in many spaces, with various learning materials and methods, instead of relying solely on spoken language as is currently the case.

In the age of artificial intelligence (AI), learning shouldn't blindly focus on cramming knowledge and information into students, forcing them to memorize, understand, and repeat pre-existing problem-solving exercises. In my opinion, the focus should be on fundamental knowledge, critical thinking skills, and the ability to concentrate and solve problems. With the right and effective methodology, students can independently learn any knowledge they need to identify and solve problems in their studies and lives. Flexibility and sharpness in thinking are far more important than the ability to find the absolute correct answer like in exam preparation.

It's also worth mentioning that parents need to have a normal attitude towards their children's education from a young age, regardless of whether they succeed or fail. Success and failure in independent life are very normal, let alone success and failure in academics, whether in tests, grades, or exams. In fact, failure in school is the least costly failure in every respect. That failure can teach us many things and help us realize where our true strengths lie, what we should pursue as our forte, or at least what we can do best.

Parents should view their children's successes and failures as normal and guide them towards consistent, persistent, and continuous learning, consciously improving their mistakes every day. If they don't get into one school, they can go to another; if they can't learn through one method, they can learn through another. Children should be guided towards a learning mindset, a will to overcome difficulties, and the ability to calmly assess and solve problems, rather than viewing one school or another as the entirety of their academic career. The parents' attitude towards their child's failure will greatly determine how the child accepts that failure...

In the face of the ever-changing world , to cope with change, we need to remain calm and composed. This means being tranquil in the face of distracting signals, using entertainment to focus on learning the fundamentals, basic thinking methods, and cultivating basic cultural knowledge… In other words, returning to the essence of learning is discovering the new, improving oneself, and yearning to understand the unknown. The more students chase after achievements and follow trends, the more exhausted and overwhelmed they will become.

Learning encompasses a very broad scope; it's not just about learning math or writing essays at school, nor is it simply about completing assignments for grades. Learning is a continuous process of holistic self-improvement. Furthermore, school is only the most basic path, offering the most opportunities; many other paths exist. If you've tried the most basic path and failed or haven't achieved the desired results, there might be a more suitable alternative path waiting for you. Young people should seek it out, explore it, and bravely walk that path.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/dai-hoc-chi-la-mot-trong-nhieu-con-duong-278705.html