subject: VCREME
i actually never graduate from VCREME :D teachers say i'm good, bright.. but i always suck at exams. (also, their curriculum sets really high standard at mathematics, not just the ability to replicate but the ability to think in mathematics which takes long time to develop).
but here is my personal anedoctal story at VCREME, about professor Cuong Le Van.
class
those were the days i worked full time in the day and ran as fast as possible to night class of VCREME. but i was always late, 30 minutes to 1 hour late.
the first night i got in class, i looked at the black board that was already fully covered with greek letters, being terrified for a good 2 minutes. other students (they are young lecturers) looked at my horrified face and couldnt help laughing.
i remained puzzled for another hour, and finally, finally, i recognised prof Cuong wrote a first DERIVATIVE on the board. omg i was ectacsic. it was a first derivative and i could understand that. omg =))
when prof Cuong asked students about the course level, i said my maths class in university didnt have this many letters. he smiled. (idiot Chi =))
there was a class on sunday, too (VCREME was a short intensive class). i saw prof Cuong sitting with other students (they are from another far town and stay in the dorm of the near university) in the yard. when they saw me, they started to stand up and getting in class, which meaned they were waiting for me.
so i ran into class and prof Cuong said:
- Linh Chi dont have to run today
(it is a joke that make you cry when it's retold).
retake
fast forward to the end, i tried the best i could but i didnt learn any maths in bachelor (it's finance - banking, everyone), so at best teachers say i'm a bright kid. but i didnt pass their requirement and they said the policy was to retake the course at more money.
so i parted them =))) and found other ways to get recommendation letters.
til the course opened again, an old classmate X called me and said i should ask about the course and money or something (he had to retake the course just like me, and he concerned about money too). i dont know i should be glad or not, since when people view me as a bargainor. but at that time i was seriously broke, so i just told him "i'm done, i dont have any money". off we go.
academic network in Hanoi were small, especially if you are students and want to study abroad or similar, you will get in the same extra activities, do some same stuff... and somebody always knows somebody.
so i know this Y (hehe, if you read this, dont punch me). Y registered for the course of VCREME at that time (the course that i was supposed to retake but i didnt).
Hue
i told Y to send my greetings to prof Cuong. and one day, Y told me this story, very spontaneously:
i heard prof Cuong and another guy talking about some Linh Chi in class. i guess it's you.
maybe, what did they say?
prof Cuong asked the guy:
- where is Chi? tell her to come to class, i'd write her recommendation letter.
and the guy said:
- well, she told me she didnt have money, professor.
OMG, this guy was the X guy. oh my brother. if you know me, you'd know that if i were there i'd say that myself. so this X guy was kinda an honest guy =)) i appreciate honest guys.
then prof Cuong said:
- tell her to come to class, i dont take her money for retaking the course
after i heard that story, i was kinda happy =)) i was writing an email to prof Cuong and others to express my gratefulness. when i was writing the letter, the guy that was in charge of my class (the Z guy) called me. he said:
- prof Cuong will visit Hue (the far town i mentioned above) next week and reteach the maths course in 1 week. he told you to come. if you come here, a girl will host you in her house for the whole time. we'll take you out for sightseeing. you just need to hop on the train.
i told him i was very happy, i'm writing an email to everyone and 'll think about it.
i had to think a lot. it'd be fantastic hopping on the train to another land and sit in class of prof Cuong again, among all those great smart people. Alas, these people are born nice and they mean it. (their land was once the location of old dynasty. i'd never say this about northen people - like me). but i wrote an email saying that i was waiting for trento application, and other fancy grateful thank-you.
i lied. i didnt have money to get the train. also, a week not working was a week money not earned. and i was so broke.
well, time flies. things will never come back to that point again. when that decision occasionally flashbacks to me, i always told myself that i was too broke, i had no other choice blah blah...
but yeah, i regret.