I met and conversed with Trang Nguyen to discover many fascinating aspects of her character. She is from Vietnam, where she went to school for k-12. Based on her intellectual past, she describes her academic self with the words motivation, schedule, and mathematics, using the word mathematics because while it is her favorite subject, it is also one of her skills. After graduating from high school, she decided to choose the US to study abroad, choosing the US for its diversity and the opportunity to experience things outside of her home country, such as people of various cultural backgrounds. 

Photo of Trang Nguyen taken by her boyfriend

This is Trang’s second year at Georgia State, and after graduating, she plans to do an internship in the US for two years and then return to Vietnam to help her country. Her major is Health Science Professions, and after graduating from the 2-year program, she plans to major in Public Health. She says she chose to study at GSU because she has a cousin who used to study at the school leading to her doing more research. She then found out that GSU was suitable because it aligns with her appeal to diversity. The most influential person and her academic mentor is her cousin, who went to GSU and is currently a student in medical school. 

Like all students, Trang is not just a scholar; she is someone caring and sociable. Her major reflects her love for helping people and attraction to work in the health field. Her hobbies include going out with friends and watching one of her favorite TV shows, The Suite Life on Deck; she says, “I often watch it to improve my English.” Overall, I noticed that Trang inside school is in harmony with her personal self , which she plans to develop after Stephen Chew’s lesson on how to study. 

While not captivated by the reading as much, Trang found herself enjoying the lesson on how to study because of the principles she has grasped, such as “successful learning requires planning ahead” and figuring out the reasons for ineffective studying. She has enjoyed her time so at GSU and learning new things but mentions that one frustrating thing about college is difficult professors. However, she is not letting that get in the way of her goals. When you have plans or a vision for yourself like Trang that keeps you determined and likely to accomplish these goals. 

Work Cited 

Nguyen, Trang, Personal Interview, January 2022 

Steven C, Ph.D.; Developing a mindset for successful learning, Samford University, AL