A poetic and heartfelt reflection on the experience of international students during an exchange program at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (Bach Khoa). It captures the transformative nature of studying abroad, blending academic discovery with cultural immersion.
• Academic and Personal Growth: Students reflect on their time at the School of Industrial Management, where classroom discussions and guidance from teachers, Vietnamese friends helped them expand their perspectives beyond traditional textbook learning.
• Cultural Immersion: students enjoy the unique charm of Ho Chi Minh City, including daily routines like drinking coffee on the street, navigating the bustling city traffic of motorbikes, and enjoying local culinary staples such as Phở and Cơm tấm.
• Hands-on Learning: Beyond the classroom, students engaged in practical experiences through factory viíits, travel and creative workshops, such as working with clay, to connect deeply with the culture and its identity.
• Lasting Bonds: the transition from being strangers to forming lifelong friendships, emphasizing that while the semester was short, the impact on their hearts and minds will endure.
• A Farewell: while the physical journey ends, the experience remains a permanent part of their identities.
“One Semester in Bach Khoa”
From faraway lands we came along,
Different dreams but one shared song,
To Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology we find our way,
Where new beginnings start each day.
In classrooms filled with voices bright,
Ideas clash and sparks ignite,
At School of Industrial Management we learn and grow,
More than books could ever show.
Guided by teachers, kind and wise,
They open up our minds and eyes,
Different views, a wider world,
In every thought, new dreams unfurled.
Oh Bach Khoa, we sing your name,
One short semester, not the same,
From strangers here to friends for life,
Through every joy, through every strife.
We found a world we’ve never known,
A place that somehow feels like home,
In every step, in all we do,
Vietnam, we carry you.
Morning coffee on the street,
Tiny chairs and city beat,
In Ho Chi Minh City the sun climbs high,
As motorbikes go rushing by.
We taste the life in every bowl Phở that warms the soul,
Cơm tấm nights and laughter shared,
Moments showing how we cared.
Factories, companies, we explore,
Learning what the future’s for,
From business plans to supply chains,
Real-world lessons, real-world gains.
Hands in clay, we shape and feel,
In mindful work, something real,
Every touch, each crafted line,
Culture flows through space and time.
Through every step, we understand,
The heart and soul of this new land,
Not just study, not just see,
But feel its deep identity.
Oh Bach Khoa, we sing your name,
One short semester, not the same,
From strangers here to friends for life,
Through every joy, through every strife.
We found a world we’ve never known,
A place that somehow feels like home,
In every step, in all we do,
Vietnam, we carry you.
From Ha Giang mountains standing tall,
To Ca Mau where rivers call,
We travel far, yet find within,
A journey where our hearts begin.
Different languages, one same smile,
We walk together mile by mile,
And though one day we say goodbye,
These memories will never die.
Oh Bach Khoa, you changed our way,
In just one precious passing stay,
We came to learn, but found much more,
A world worth living, worth fighting for.
So when we leave, we won’t be through,
A part of us stays here with you,
In every dream we now pursue,
Bach Khoa lives in all we do.
(Outro)
One semester, yet a lifetime,
One journey, one shared rhyme