Last year I had the experience of studying abroad through a student exchange program and my destination was Netherlands . Vietnam – a Southeast Asian country with a long history under strong Chinese influence – can be described as a collectivist society, while the Netherlands, a Western European country, is more individualistic. So, after a few days at the start of the semester in the Netherlands, I quickly noticed that my Dutch classmates and I were behaving differently, especially in class. When students at my host university confidently raised their hands to ask questions, I didn’t. While my peers were more than comfortable sharing their ideas and opinions in front of the class, I was not. There were many situations where they even argued with our professor over subject-related issues – an action I rarely saw at my home university. It was only after returning to Vietnam and learning about individualism and collectivism through the intercultural communication course that I had the opportunity to reflect my experience. I understood my behavior and that of my Dutch classmates much better and now all the “weird” things that happened in the Netherlands are starting to become clear to me. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Individualistic societies tend to focus more on themselves and this is clearly reflected in the personal rights and responsibilities of students in shaping the curriculum. At my host university, it is up to the students to decide which courses they will take and I, as an exchange student, had to do all the work myself, in my own interest, from finding the course content through to reviewing assessment types. on university websites to consult the study advisor and register. According to my Dutch study advisor, only students understand each other best; therefore, by letting the student decide the courses, the university can encourage individuality and make students more responsible and committed to their programs. At first, the idea of ​​encouraging individuality seemed exotic to me, because ever since I was a college student, my home faculty has always been the one that dictates my schedule. The faculty decides all courses for its students and unless it greatly conflicts with other activities, we students should avoid making changes in order to fit into the class, even if it there are courses that do not interest us or do not help us. After studying individualism and collectivism, I realized that the act of my original faculty represents a characteristic of collectivism that the goal of a group is greater than that of its members and individuals are expected to follow group settings and rules. Each individual in collectivist society has a certain responsibility to fulfill for the good of their group and this applies well to a very small area like university classrooms. At my home university, I am placed in a class with fixed members who will accompany me for four years. Among more than thirty people, certain personalities are entrusted with managerial responsibilities. There is generally a class monitor, a vice-monitor, a secretary, who act as a channel of communication between teachers and students as well as organize the class. Everyone in my class must accept the.