IS LIVING IN AMERICA happy or miserable? – LOOKING BACK AFTER 22 YEARS

I came to America when I was 14 years old, with my mother and younger sister, no money, no relationships, no one to back me up. At that time, my family was very difficult. My mother was a worker alone and raised my two sisters to study, so going to college at that time seemed like a distant, vague dream to me, not knowing if it would come true or not.

But then, America opened up opportunities for me that I never dared to think of.

When I attended high school at a public school, I studied completely for free thanks to America’s education policy. Not only that, I also get free lunch at school and don’t have to pay any fees. It was really a huge support for my family at that time.

Furthermore, during those high school years, I had access to many introductory programs about schools, as well as instructions on how to apply to college, how to hunt for scholarships, and how to prepare for the upcoming academic journey.

One of the big turning points that changed my life was when I joined the Upward Bound program organized by the school. Thanks to this program, right from 10th and 11th grade, I had the opportunity to experience the life of a university student.

I got to visit the school campuses, stay in the dormitories, and live like a real student. These experiences have helped me expand my mind and visualize my college dream more clearly.

More importantly, thanks to participating in the program, I have met great mentors. They are always ready to support, share information about scholarships and guide you on how to apply effectively. Thanks to that help, I was lucky enough to receive a full scholarship from Bill Gates’ prestigious scholarship fund.

This scholarship not only helps me cover tuition fees but also supports living expenses, books, computers and school supplies, helping me enter university without having to worry about financial burdens.

When I entered college, I was fortunate to study at a prestigious private university in the US. This school is not only strong in academics but also strong in specialized programs such as pre-med, pre-dental, and pre-pharmacy, for those who want to pursue medicine.

Thanks to the solid foundation and support from the school, I had a fairly smooth preparation process to apply to medical school and was fortunate to succeed in the first year.

In addition to professional knowledge, this school also gives me the opportunity to connect with friends from the middle and upper classes in America. Most students here have very good economic, educational and thinking conditions.

Only a few like me, come from lower income families and are here on scholarship. Getting to know and learn from these friends has helped me expand my horizons, as well as my circle of relationships and become much more mature.

After four years of college, I was also fortunate to have the opportunity to study medicine and received a scholarship to study medicine. Although unlike the Bill Gates scholarship, this scholarship is not enough to cover all expenses for 4 years, but it has helped me significantly reduce my financial burden, especially when medical school tuition in the US is extremely expensive.

(More than ten years ago, when I graduated, it was very normal for everyone to owe ~$200K-300K).

This is also another thing that I am extremely grateful for when the US State and Government take care of and create conditions for students (including me) to borrow money and access better educational programs.

After completing the medical program, I entered a 3-year residency. During those 3 years, I did not have to pay tuition or any training fees at all, but on the contrary, I was paid a salary, provided with health insurance, and received many other benefits like a normal working person.

Although the salary during my residency years did not help me have much money, it was enough for me to make ends meet without having to take out more debt or bother my family.

After becoming an official doctor, I have a stable income much more stable and better than before, besides a solid career, and most importantly, the freedom to live life the way you want.