Study Abroad in Vietnam: Summer Service in Rural Vietnam – City & Daily Life

From Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam to the Vietnamese Countryside

If a visitor to Ho Chi Minh City were to share travel stories with a visitor to Vietnam’s rural countryside, the two might feel as if they had journeyed to two entirely different countries. Indeed, development has spread to different areas of Vietnam at vastly different paces, resulting in distinct customs, resources and even cultures.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s vibrant capital, is striding towards modernity. Traditional noodle shops sit next door to US fast food chains. Women wearing high heels ride motorbikes past women biking in traditional dress. Young people chatting on cell phones pass elderly people donning coolie hats.

Life in the countryside moves at a slower pace. People rely on friendships, patience and good humor more than on modern conveniences. It may be hard to check e-mail, but nothing beats sipping a post-lunch iced coffee while swinging in a hammock.

As some of the only US study abroad students to spend extended time in the Vietnamese countryside, CET Vietnam Summer Service students revel in the juxtaposition between city and rural life. And they find that regardless of the location, the people are friendly and welcoming, the service work is gratifying and the experience life-altering.

Hong Bang University International & Vietnamese Language Studies Saigon

CET partners with Hong Bang University International in Ho Chi Minh City. Hong Bang is a large university of 25,000 students. It is accredited by the Vietnamese Ministry of Education.

While in Ho Chi Minh City, CET Vietnam Summer Service students take Vietnamese language classes at Hong Bang’s affiliate, the Vietnamese Language Studies Saigon (VLS). This school offers a thorough Vietnamese language curriculum for all language levels. The VLS faculty is one of the best in Vietnam. VLS operates language instructor training courses and culls its own faculty from the top tier of students.

CET Center in Ho Chi Minh City

The CET Vietnam center is located in the heart of the city: famed District One. The CET office and classrooms are in the same building as the program’s language partner, VLS. This building is a short walk from student housing. The center also houses a small library and a study area for student use.

Vietnam Housing & Meals

Ho Chi Minh City segment
CET Vietnam Summer Service students share rooms with local roommates at a guesthouse in the center of the city. Guesthouse rooms typically include basic furnishings, air-conditioning, telephones, wi-fi and small refrigerators.

Summer students are provided with small meal stipends for their brief time in Ho Chi Minh City. Students make use of the area’s many inexpensive cafés and food vendors, all within walking distance of the guesthouse.

Rural Countryside segment
Life in the rural areas is different from that of modernized Ho Chi Minh City. Students can expect accommodations to be more rustic. Depending on their exact service project location, they might experience frequent power outages, count on little to no internet, and have limited access to goods.

Meals in the countryside are included in the program fee. The program typically arranges for students to eat group meals cooked by a local villager, or at a local restaurant.

Summer students should be prepared for early mornings, bike access to the work site and taxing, physical labor. Flexibility and good humor are musts for navigating rural Vietnamese life.

Vietnamese Roommates

Sharing a room with a Vietnamese roommate is frequently cited by CET students as “one of the best parts of the program.” Many students become good friends with their roommates, sharing meals, conversation and ideas.

CET Vietnam Summer Service roommates are local. This means that they typically reside in or near the service project area, and can provide students with helpful local information and insights.