While just over a decade ago, E-Commerce was still very unfamiliar and new, at the present time, consumer shopping habits have changed and the E-Commerce industry has gradually become a hot industry chosen by many students.

Recognizing the potential of this field, Hoang Thi Minh Phuong (12A1, Greenfield School) has chosen her destination for 4 years of university to be the E-Business major at Southeast University (#15 best universities in China, according to Shanghai Ranking, 2023; 1 of 38 national key universities directly funded by Project 211 - Project to build 100 top universities in China and Project 985 - Project to build world-leading universities).

In March of this year, Minh Phuong received an acceptance letter from the 121-year-old school in the "billion-people country". This proud achievement is the sweet result of Minh Phuong's continuous efforts during the past time.

Dream of studying abroad in China

Since secondary school, Minh Phuong has had a love for Chinese and wanted to learn about Chinese culture and country. However, it was not until the beginning of 10th grade that Minh Phuong had the opportunity to study this language.

"To keep up with other friends, I both self-studied HSK5 and HSK6. I self-study with vocabulary cards anytime, anywhere: free time in class or at home to memorize the characters. I can wake up at 5 am just to learn Chinese" - Minh Phuong shared.

According to Minh Phuong, there is a separate comparison and association between Chinese and Vietnamese, so learning Chinese is not too difficult. "Vietnamese has the most borrowed vocabulary from Chinese, so when I study, I find it easier than other languages. The more I delve into learning Chinese, the more I realize the profound philosophy of this language."

Passion for language is one thing, but to choose China as a place to study for 4 years of university, Minh Phuong shared that the decision stemmed from many reasons. Minh Phuong believes that China is the country with the second most developed economy in the world, after the US. This country accounts for about 45% of global e-commerce transactions.

Besides that, China also gathers many universities with good quality education and training and reasonable study abroad costs with living expenses as well as tuition fees that are not too high. Going "against the current" with countries in Europe and America chosen by many young people, Minh Phuong chose China as the destination for her 4-year study journey proactively and understood the opportunities that opened up before her eyes to be able to succeed.

Choosing E-Commerce as a goal

Sharing about her major, Minh Phuong said: E-Commerce is currently a hot field of study in the current digital age. The trend of shifting from direct buying and selling to online, using online platforms as intermediaries to help circulate goods is increasing.

In particular, the fierce competition in terms of price when buying online is many times lower than traditional buying and selling, making e-commerce the business method of businesses from finance, banking, transportation, aviation, tourism, industrial production, consumer production...

Also according to Minh Phuong, the E-Commerce major equips learners with knowledge of business administration to organize, operate and manage businesses such as: Overview of e-commerce, Digital Marketing, Investment project management, Entrepreneurship and innovation, E-commerce floor management, Customer relationship management... With a passion for exploration and creativity, Minh Phuong is more determined to pursue this field.

"In China, for many years people have almost never used cash. All activities such as taking buses, trains, shopping at supermarkets... use QR codes to pay via Alipay. Meanwhile, in Vietnam, cashless payment has only begun to be used recently. I see the potential of the industry is huge, developing strongly in the period of digital transformation, so I really want to pursue this industry.

Initially, I planned to pursue Xi'an Jiaotong University, but then I changed my application. Xi'an is the capital of many dynasties of China, so tourism thrives here. Meanwhile, Jiangsu province is a hot spot for economic development and has the highest GDP per capita among the provinces in China, so I chose Jiangsu province and Southeast University to apply to" - Minh Phuong shared.

Success thanks to a clear strategy

According to Minh Phuong, to realize the dream of studying abroad, young people need to prepare psychologically and make detailed plans to facilitate the application process. Depending on the requirements of each school, the qualifications and papers to be prepared are also different.

"Southeast University requires candidates to have an impressive GPA score, personal essay, letter of recommendation and interview. In which, candidates must demonstrate their personal identity, suitability and goals. The interview round is also relatively "difficult" because candidates have to answer questions from the admissions committee, do a Chinese proficiency test and handle situations."

Minh Phuong revealed that in order to score points in the eyes of the Admissions Committee, candidates need to carefully research the university and the major they are applying for and have a clear study plan that is suitable for the major. Some questions can be prepared in advance such as: Introduce yourself? Why choose this school and not another? What is the 4-year study plan?... During the interview, try to show a confident demeanor, good communication in Chinese is also a plus with the Admissions Committee.

"To achieve this result, it is a long-term preparation, it is the cultivation of myself for many years. 9 years of studying at Greenfield School has helped me become more independent and confident. Thanks to participating in healthy playgrounds, interesting learning projects during my studies at school, I have formed the necessary skills. These skills are not only helpful for me in the process of applying to university but also necessary when I step into the university environment."

Currently, Minh Phuong still participates in studying the IFP (International Foundation Programme) - a pre-university foundation training program for international students every day to be ready for the study journey in August at Southeast University. At the same time, she also strives to achieve high scores to have the opportunity to win valuable scholarships from the school.

"For the next four years, I plan to study and experience a lot in China. In addition to studying, I will visit big cities like Shanghai, Hangzhou... and learn through internship programs at large enterprises. My dream is to be able to return to Vietnam and start my own company" - Minh Phuong shared about her plans.

Wishing Minh Phuong always has a lot of joy, happiness and achieves her wishes and plans in the future!