Students Share How They Reduce Stress in Their First Year of University

Many first-year students feel overwhelmed and stressed by the new knowledge in subjects they are encountering for the first time at university. Photo: Tân Hiệp Phát

Diệu Anh, a freshman at Van Hien University in Ho Chi Minh City, says she often heard seniors claim that “university is easy.” But once she started, she realized that if high school is like riding on a fixed track, university is an empty map. Students have to choose their credits, research, and draw their own path. Subjects like philosophy, logic, political economy, and advanced math can overwhelm any first-year student.

“Every philosophy lecture felt like a duck hearing thunder. There were so many terms I had never seen before. I felt lost,” she said. On top of that, students cannot rely entirely on Google or online sources. They have to go to the library, search through books and documents, and dig up the right answers. It takes time and effort. Instead of giving up, she set the goal of earning a scholarship in her first semester. Whenever she felt tired, she would rest, go for a walk, relax, or drink a bottle of Zero Degree Green Tea to cool down and ease her stress.

Quỳnh Như, a freshman at Ho Chi Minh City University of Law, has her own strategy for dealing with academic pressure. Rather than letting herself burn out, she creates a balanced schedule that mixes study and rest. When her mind feels overloaded, she goes running or exercises, then enjoys a bottle of Zero Degree Green Tea to calm her thoughts before returning to her assignments. She says the drink is made from one hundred percent Thai Nguyen green tea leaves with EGCG, a natural compound found in green tea that helps reduce fatigue and supports alertness and immunity.

For many freshmen, the emotional load is not only the amount of work and new learning methods but also homesickness. Ngọc Thảo, born in 2007, from Gia Lai, came to Ho Chi Minh City to study and had never been away from home for more than three days. Now she only returns home during holidays. Sometimes the feeling overwhelms her.

Young students choose to stay in touch with their families every day to ease the feeling of homesickness. Photo: Tân Hiệp Phát

“In a crowded city, loneliness can feel scarier than a philosophy exam,” she said.

To cope, she made it a habit to video call home every evening at 8. Technology has become the invisible thread that keeps her close to her family. She also takes walks and explores the new city she is living and studying in. It helps her adjust to a new pace of life, learn the streets, and stay emotionally balanced. During those moments, she chooses Zero Degree Green Tea as her companion, a drink that helps her relax after a long day.

If studying shocks first-year students academically and homesickness drains them emotionally, finding a rental room is the long battle in between. Trần Phúc Khang, a freshman at Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics and Finance (UEF), is one example. After days of searching every corner of the city with friends, he secured a 15-square-meter room in Hiep Binh Ward for three million dong a month. But when he moved in, he discovered it was a flood zone whenever it rained or the tide rose. Many nights he had to jump out of bed to scoop water out of the room. His stress hit its peak.

Khang and his friend eventually decided to rent a room in an old mini apartment building near Pham Van Dong Street. “It costs more but it is safe and clean. No more water coming in. I sleep well now,” he said.

For Nam Phong, a student at the University of Economics in Ho Chi Minh City, moving between rooms happens often for countless reasons: safety concerns, rising rent, unstable roommates, or uncomfortable living conditions. But he sees it as a chance to build decision-making skills.

“Looking back, moving houses is not just relocating. It is a real-life training course in observation, evaluation, and problem solving. It helps young people like me adapt better later in life,” Phong said.

Khang and Phong say that whenever they face stress from moving, they try to stay calm and think positively. They also drink Zero Degree Green Tea to stay refreshed while hauling their belongings in the heat of Saigon, and to unwind after long days of searching for a room. It is a method they learned from older students.

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