The journey to the 'European dream' of a female foreign language student

Journey from passion for foreign languages

Since middle school, Hoang Anh has studied in an English specialized class at Hanoi Star Secondary School. His passion for languages was revealed early, helping him pass the entrance exam to 4 specialized schools in Hanoi, including the Foreign Language Specialized High School, the school of Hoang Anh's dreams. With the desire to study abroad in Germany, Hoang Anh decided to choose a German specialized class and started learning this language from scratch.

“Three years in class G54 specializing in German was a memorable journey. That was where I first came into contact with German, studied in an inspiring environment, received dedicated guidance from teachers and valuable companionship from friends,” Hoang Anh shared.

Hoang Anh (second from left) with friends during military training.

Not only achieving impressive academic results with a GPA of over 9.5, Hoang Anh also completed the DSD II German language certificate - a prerequisite for applying for a DAAD scholarship, along with other prestigious certificates such as TestAS, IELTS 7.5, Trinity College London Grade 8 Piano. Hoang Anh also actively participates in many extracurricular activities and social projects to build a comprehensive and in-depth profile.

DAAD is a scholarship funded by the German government , which has long been known for its high competitiveness and strict selection process, especially for undergraduate degrees - which only account for a very small percentage. In addition to excellent academic achievements, candidates also need a DSD II German language certificate, outstanding TestAS scores, a quality extracurricular activity record and a convincing motivation letter.

“I think the key to making an impression is honesty and understanding yourself. In your application, especially the motivation letter, you must show your true passion, the reason you chose Germany, your major and your future goals,” Hoang Anh confided.

According to the process, the application will be sent to the representative of the German Higher Education Agency Abroad (ZfA) for the first round of selection, then nominated to DAAD for an independent council to evaluate and decide on the scholarship. Being in the top 2 Vietnamese students to win the scholarship this year is a testament to Hoang Anh's ability and relentless perseverance.

Scholarship is the starting point

Sharing his experience with young Vietnamese people who want to study in Germany, Hoang Anh said: “The DAAD scholarship is a golden opportunity, but it is not easy. The important thing is that you must prepare early, learn German systematically from schools that have cooperation programs with ZfA, maintain good academic performance and actively participate in activities outside the classroom.”

In addition, Hoang Anh also emphasized the importance of early orientation: “I know a friend who started learning German from junior high school, which means he planned to study abroad in Germany 3 years in advance. Planning early helps you feel confident and have time to invest in the right places. Don’t wait until grade 12 to start preparing because everything is too urgent by then.”

Hoang Anh and friends interact with Bremen football team in Germany

Before leaving for Germany, Hoang Anh did not forget to express his gratitude to those who have accompanied him on his journey: “I am grateful to my parents, teachers at the Foreign Language Specialized School, Hanoi Star School, German experts, ZfA and DAAD for giving me trust and valuable learning opportunities. I will try my best to study well to be worthy of those expectations.”

With the DAAD scholarship, Hoang Anh will have the best conditions to study in Germany - a country not only famous for its high-quality education, but also one of the few countries that exempts university tuition fees for international students in many states.

With a scholarship worth nearly 1,000 Euro/month (equivalent to more than 360 million VND/year) lasting for 4 years of university, including living expenses, rent, insurance, visa, airfare and academic support to create the best conditions for international students in Germany. Hoang Anh said that at the end of August, Hoang Anh will officially depart to study abroad.

Hoang Anh (right) is always active in participating in extracurricular activities.

Despite achieving his dream scholarship, Hoang Anh still considers this a new beginning, rather than the final destination. He shares his long-term goal of studying in depth about economics and sustainable finance and later contributing back to Vietnam through ecological business models.

“I want to develop innovative financial solutions to help Vietnamese businesses raise capital in a sustainable way. Through studying in Germany, I want to learn how to apply sustainable business models in developing countries. After graduating in Germany, I plan to continue my master's program or pursue a career at international organizations to effectively apply the knowledge I have learned into practice,” Hoang Anh shared.

With a clear mindset and thorough preparation, Pham Hoang Anh is proving that any dream can come true, if nurtured with knowledge, effort and never-ending faith.