Debate: Good students at school are often not as good as bad students at top schools

"Studying well at school is often not as good as studying poorly at a top school. In Vietnam, degrees are highly valued, so 12th graders who still don't know what to study should just choose a top school. Even if they study international joint faculties with low entrance requirements but are labeled as a top school, they will have an easier time finding a good job than lower schools.

When HR of big corporations look at CVs, they just glance at them to see which school you attended. If you didn't attend a good school, you're eliminated. It's that simple."

That is the opinion of a user posted on the social network Threads. After sharing, this article quickly attracted a lot of opposing opinions. Some people agreed, saying that top schools are the passport to help find a good job. Meanwhile, some others affirmed that the reputation of the school is not the deciding factor.

Feeling sad because of being criticized for "studying at a low-ranking school"

Also participating in the online debate, Ho An, a student at a university in Hanoi , said that she feels sad every time she reads articles debating "top" and "bottom" schools.

The female student self-assessed her current school as a "lower" school, not as famous as other schools, so she felt shy whenever someone talked about her school.

Sharing with Tri Thuc - Znews, Ho An said that every time she returned to her hometown, when answering the question "which school did she study at", she received other questions such as: "Is there a school there?", "Can you find a job after graduating from that school?" . She was even mocked by distant relatives, who said that after graduating, she could only work as a factory worker or go back to her hometown to work in a different field.

“Many times, I have encouraged myself that the reputation of the school is not important, what is important is my own ability. However, I am still very sad when the school I study at is not rated as highly as other prestigious schools,” An said.

Ho An felt sad because he was criticized for studying at a school with a low reputation. (Illustration: Phuong Lam)

Also hearing about the top and bottom schools, Ha My, a 12th grade student in Ha Tinh , said she really wanted to pursue a prestigious university in Hanoi even though she knew the tuition fees there were very expensive. The female student honestly admitted that the reputation of the school was the reason she chose it and wanted to pursue it to the end.

In the place where Ha My studied, there were still many prejudices about the “rank” of universities. From students, parents, to teachers, everyone respected prestigious schools and believed that they were the best stepping stone to reach the door of a career. Ha My’s classmates even said that “if you don’t get into a top school, it’s a failure.”

“I used to consider studying at smaller, less prestigious schools. My sister also advised me to choose a major instead of just chasing the reputation of the school. But standing at the crossroads, I was still very hesitant because I was afraid of being criticized, and also afraid that later on, employers would not pay attention to me,” Ha My said.

Top schools do not define ability

Meanwhile, sharing with Tri Thuc - Znews, Truong Vi (final year student, Saigon University) said that the view that "studying well at a normal school is not as good as studying poorly at a top school" is one-sided.

According to Vi, the reputation of a school does not define the ability of its students. It is not certain that the ability of its students is often worse than that of top schools and vice versa. The male student believes that when studying at university, if you are lazy, study carelessly, and have poor results, then even if you graduate from a top school, you will still have trouble finding a job after graduation.

Not to mention, if students enter a top school with a major they don't like or aren't passionate about, they will easily encounter many difficulties during their studies, even leading to many consequences such as boredom, dropping out of school or losing direction for the future.

Many people believe that a school's ranking and reputation affect young people's job opportunities. (Photo: Phuong Lam)

Truong Vi also believes that the view that "HR of large corporations look at CVs and reject candidates if they do not go to prestigious schools" is subjective. The male student told his story recently, when he applied for a legal intern position at a company.

Vi’s competition was a student from Ho Chi Minh City University of Law – the leading university in Law. As a result, Vi passed the first round of interviews, while the other student failed. The reason was that the male student had 6 months of experience in court internship and better basic knowledge of the field.

“Thus, not all HRs look at the top school label to recruit. What they need are skills, experience, and candidates who can do the job,” Vi said.

Sharing the same opinion with Vi, although in the process of researching schools to register for her wishes, Nguyen Thuong (a 12th grade student in Thai Nguyen ) has determined that studying at a top school is not the only path to a good job.

According to Thuong, top schools will of course attract more attention from businesses, but if you study at a top school but have poor skills and abilities, no one will choose you. In addition, the female student also believes that a top school does not necessarily mean good training quality in all fields, but is often only outstanding in a few key fields of that school.

Therefore, Thuong prioritizes learning carefully about the training quality of the field of study she desires. If a mid-level school has a better training program, is suitable and helps her develop in her career, she will not hesitate to choose that school.

“For me, the most important factor is the place that helps me progress and develop the best, not just choosing a top school by default,” Thuong said.

(Source: Zing News)

Link: https://lifestyle.znews.vn/tranh-cai-hoc-gioi-truong-thuong-khong-bang-hoc-kem-truong-top-post1561675.html

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/tranh-cai-hoc-sinh-gioi-o-truong-thuong-khong-bang-hoc-kem-truong-top-ar949519.html