Freshmen and Their First Shocks: When Stress Becomes the Push to Grow Up

Freshmen “Debut”: Turning the Page to a Personal Coming-of-Age Story Stepping into university marks the official “debut” of every freshman. Although the first steps are filled with confusion and stress from unfamiliar challenges, many young ...

Turning Stress into Strength: 3 Steps to a Pressure-Free University “Onboarding” Crossing the university gates marks the official “onboarding” into a whole new world—one filled not just with classes and deadlines, but also first-time experiences: living ...

Many students choose Zero Degree Green Tea with EGCG as their daily drink to ease stress, fight fatigue, and cool down life a little each day.

Yet the moment the door opens, freshmen are greeted with a thousand shocks, from trying to stay afloat in an ocean of new knowledge to the sharp ache of homesickness or the exhausting search for a place to live.

But hold on. There is no need to panic. These shocks are some of the strongest growth boosters, helping students jump from carefree teenagers to capable young adults in just a short time wearing their first student ID.

“College is easy”: A sweet but slightly misleading rumor

“College is easy” is a familiar saying. And in some ways it is, but only if you count independence and personal responsibility as “easy.”

If high school feels like following a set track, college is an empty map. You choose your credits, you research on your own, and you draw out your path. The first year’s appetizer of philosophy, logic, political economy, and advanced math is more than enough to stun any freshman.

“To be honest, in my first philosophy class I felt completely lost. So many terms I had never heard before,” said Dieu Anh, a freshman at Van Hien University, smiling.

Zero Degree Green Tea is a “must have” drink for many students to beat stress as they face the challenges of a new living environment.

Instead of giving up, she chose a mindset of conquering challenges with the goal of earning a scholarship in her very first semester. She spent long hours rooted in the library, always keeping a bottle of Zero Degree Green Tea beside her to cool down and ease stress after hours of intense studying.

“It turns out not everything is on Google. Many materials are only in the library, so I study here often. When I get tired, I drink a bottle of Zero Degree Green Tea made from Thai Nguyen tea leaves with EGCG to help relieve stress,” she said.

College can feel “easy” or “tough” depending on how each person chooses to handle it. You can push through sleepless nights and tight deadlines to complete your credits and reach your goals, or you can take it slow and accept lower grades. In the end, college is a puzzle only you can solve.

Homesickness: Turning tears into motivation

Beyond academic challenges, homesickness is one of the signature experiences of freshmen. In a crowded city, loneliness can feel more frightening than a philosophy quiz.

“I had never been away from home for more than three days. Now I only get to go back on holidays. Some nights I cried because I missed home so much,” shared Ngoc Thao, a freshman from Gia Lai. The silence of a small rented room, the confusion amidst traffic jams, and sleepless nights became real tests.

Enjoying an ice cold bottle of Zero Degree Green Tea to ease stress while chatting with family is a daily joy for many students far from home.

Instead of letting sadness take over, Thao created her own routine: at 8 pm every night she video calls home. Technology suddenly becomes an invisible thread holding her family close. “Whenever I feel overwhelmed, I comfort myself, drink a bottle of Zero Degree Green Tea to relax my mind, then call my mom. And just like that, the sadness fades,” she said.

Quynh Nhu, a freshman at Ho Chi Minh City University of Law, has her own way of handling homesickness. When she feels empty, she resets her mood by walking around her neighborhood for fresh air or sipping a bottle of Zero Degree Green Tea to cool off.

“Homesickness is natural. Everyone goes through it. But instead of letting it drown me, I turn it into motivation to study so my family can be proud,” Nhu said.

The housing hunt: A crash course in independence

If homesickness is an emotional shock, then searching for housing is a long battle. Freshmen dragging piles of belongings, sweating under the sun with a bottle of Zero Degree Green Tea in hand for stress relief is a familiar scene in this rite of passage.

Tran Phuc Khang, a freshman at UEF, knows this well. After exploring countless corners of Saigon with friends, he finally found a 15-square-meter room in Hiep Binh Ward for three million dong a month.

He thought everything was settled, but once he moved in, he learned it was a flood-prone area whenever it rained or the tide rose. “There were nights I had to jump out of bed to scoop water out of the room. The stress was unreal,” Khang shared. He took swigs of Zero Degree Green Tea to cool off and calm down as he and his friends searched for a new place.

Moving repeatedly happens for a hundred reasons: security issues, rising rent, bad roommates, or simply an uncomfortable living environment. But for Nam Phong from the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City, every move is a chance to practice decision making. “Every time I move, I learn how to evaluate my options. It helps me adapt better in the future,” he said.

In the end, Khang and his friend decided to “go big” and rent a room in an old mini-apartment near Pham Van Dong Street. “It costs more, but it’s safe, clean, and no more water flooding into the room. I sleep much better now,” Khang said happily.

Looking back, moving from place to place is more than changing addresses. It is hands-on training in observation, evaluation, and problem solving. Each move teaches students something new, along with their bottles of Zero Degree Green Tea to ease stress, and adds valuable life experience to their journey toward their dreams.

Write For Me said:Many freshmen feel overwhelmed and stressed by the new subjects and unfamiliar knowledge they encounter for the first time in college.

Leveling up to grow every day

The first shocks of college, from unfamiliar subjects and homesickness to the “water battles” of rental life, may cause worry and exhaustion. But they are essential tests of maturity.

College does not only teach formulas or economic definitions. It teaches independence, responsibility, and the confidence to face challenges. It teaches students to find calm amid deadlines, to smile through pressure, and to be patient with tough choices.

So when stress and uncertainty hit, do not fear them. They are part of your “level up” journey. A hug from a friend, a video call home, or a bottle of Zero Degree Green Tea made from 100% Thai Nguyen tea leaves with EGCG to ease stress can be all you need to cool down and keep moving.

Freshmen “Level-Up” Journey: Turning Stress into Fuel for Growth Have you ever wondered what it really feels like to leave home and step onto a university campus in the big city? It’s not just ...

Incredible chance to win 1.8 billion VND in cash prizes and 200,000 "hot" rewards when cooling off life with Zero Degree Green Tea During 2 summer months, consumers have the opportunity to cool down their lives to dispel stress and fatigue, and easily win a series of "hot" ...