When I was 18, I entered RMIT University, a place that felt like a completely different world to me at the time.
I grew up in a working‑class neighbourhood, in a modest one‑storey house. Whenever I wanted to 'go online' I had to visit an internet café that charged VND 3,000 per hour. Whenever I saw international visitors, I was excited to 'practise speaking English' with them. I went to public school for 12 years, known as a 'good student' for memorising lessons, completing assignments, behaving well and attending class diligently.
Looking back, my days at RMIT marked a turning point - a gateway to change and growth in my life. It was what made me who I am today.
The first time I peeked through the classroom window, I couldn't believe I would be learning entirely in English. Before, English meant memorising vocabulary, conjugating verbs and forming sentences based on grammar rules. But then it became my own treasure, a tool to access a brand-new world I had never known.
In the early days, I timidly watched my classmates speak up confidently in class, without raising their hands or waiting to be called on. I had never dared to do this in my 12 years of school. At RMIT, I gradually imitated their confidence, started voicing my thoughts, questioning my lecturers and receiving responses with full attention and respect. I realised that learning was not just about students listening to teachers and obeying; students are also heard and recognised. Making mistakes was not a problem because learning is a journey towards truth and accuracy. Learning doesn't mean coming to class with all the right answers already in your head.
More importantly, I found the true meaning of knowledge. My Statistics lecturer - a somewhat quirky person – showed me, for the first time, the pure beauty of numbers. My Marketing Principles lecturer helped me realise that teachers are not just conveyors of knowledge, but people who ignite the desire to learn and excel. Learning is something you do not because it's a 'must', but because it brings joy and meaning to life. Knowledge is not something to memorise by rote, and homework is not merely a student's duty. Knowledge gives me wings - 'for me and by me' - to soar higher and further to new horizons.
I still remember spending hours wandering through Beanland Library, curious and excited about the vast treasure trove of knowledge – in both breadth and depth. Sometimes, I would immerse myself in nearly half of 'A Brief History of Time' and realise how fascinating physics really is. Or I'd randomly pick up a few books and discover strange and specific topics, amazed that people had dedicated so much effort to researching and writing about all kinds of things in the world.
There, my world opened wide - free, colourful and seemingly limitless.
"My days at RMIT marked a turning point - a gateway to change and growth in my life."
True education can change a person's life in many ways. For me, RMIT was the turning point where I set sail to explore the great wonders beyond. It was a place where I was respected, free to seek my true self, and unafraid of being judged, whether right or wrong, similar or different. Learning was no longer a default responsibility but a self-driven process to build the knowledge I needed before continuing my journey after graduation. Most importantly, the vast knowledge I accessed taught me that there are countless beautiful things in the world - and that learning is a lifelong journey.
At RMIT, that journey of freedom was sparked and nurtured - and it has lasted to this day.
On this occasion, I want to thank my parents for all their efforts and sacrifices that gave me the chance to embark on this meaningful journey.
