How do Dai Nam IT students learn and "conquer" programming from their first year?

One of the biggest challenges for Information Technology (IT) students not only in Vietnam but also around the world is learning programming. Many final year IT students about to graduate are still “blind” to programming and afraid to talk about programming. With the new training program of the IT faculty of Dai Nam University, students are basically “blind” to programming right from the first semester of their first year, having a solid foundation to learn advanced programming “tricks”.

What is programming?

Programming is the act of writing software applications to control computers to perform tasks according to human wishes. Thanks to programming, we have computer games, search engines, accounting software, smart applications, etc. It can be said that around us today, in devices such as refrigerators, air conditioners, televisions, cars, rice cookers, etc., all have software that is the result of programming.

Programming is not just for smart people, anyone can learn and be good at programming.

The programming job market is endless.

The programming market is endless. Knowing how to program will ensure IT students a stable job, high salary, and respect. And if they have the desire, programming will take them to new horizons, all over the world, such as: America, Japan, Europe.

According to statistics, in 2021, there will be a SHORTAGE of 40 million jobs in computer programming worldwide, and by 2030, this number will reach 85 million. That is the reason why salaries in this industry increase very quickly. In this industry, any level of ability, average, good or excellent, has a place to be used.

IT students at Dai Nam University are "illiterate" in programming from their first year.

How do Dai Nam IT students learn and "conquer" programming from their first year?

The new training program at the Faculty of Information Technology, Dai Nam University (FIT-DNU) aims to “eliminate programming illiteracy” for students graduating from average level and above. Programming is not difficult, anyone can learn programming. The difficulty lies in the fact that students are not familiar with how to learn programming, in the first years they are overwhelmed, have gaps in knowledge. In the following years, these students cannot use programming to acquire technological knowledge, are bored with studying and are afraid of programming.

The Dean, who has been a Chief Software Engineer in the US for many years, has experience training many generations of students at many universities and software engineers at Vietnamese enterprises. The teachers who teach programming at FIT-DNU have many years of programming experience and have led programming projects at enterprises.

The new program will not cram theoretical knowledge, but will let students gradually get acquainted with programming skills, so that students get used to learning programming, not be afraid of programming and progress to love programming.

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Ai Viet (in vest, middle) - Head of the IT Department has many years as a Chief Software Engineer in the US, with experience in training many generations of students at many universities and software engineers at Vietnamese enterprises.

Learning programming must be combined with practice based on mastering how to solve real-life problems. From the first semester, students at FIT-DNU will learn basic programming. If after a semester, any student still feels that they are not really proficient or still find it difficult, it is okay, consider that student as having just had a tour to get acquainted with the programming world. In the following semesters, that student will have the opportunity to relearn that knowledge in other subjects, practicing over and over again until they are no longer blind.

In addition, in the first semester of the 2021-2022 school year, FIT-DNU also had a campaign to "Eliminate PROGRAMMING illiteracy" for IT students of all years, with teachers volunteering to teach them. According to assessment by test, up to 70-80% of students participating in the campaign can be considered as having overcome illiteracy. That could be the biggest reward for teachers.

In the second semester of the 2021-2022 school year, the second campaign will continue. This time, a programming shock group will participate. The shock group will learn advanced programming, with "tricks" not found in books, passed down by teachers for many years. This is a special opportunity that only FIT-DNU students have. The shock group will help teachers teach weak students until they know how to program. That way, FIT-DNU students are not afraid of not being able to learn programming, but only afraid of being lazy and lacking the will to study.

The Shock Group will also have the opportunity to be recruited into the Faculty's technology development programming projects, and software development cooperation projects with businesses. These are real, "real-life" projects. If they participate early, FIT-DNU students will not be afraid of any programming work, will quickly be welcomed by businesses with a red carpet, and will not be inferior to any students from any school, not to mention in Vietnam, but even in the world, in programming. What the teachers at FIT-DNU hope for is that the weak students will quickly be able to join the Shock Group to have the same opportunities as you and help those who come after.

With programming skills, technological knowledge and creative ideas, FIT-DNU students confidently integrate into the competitive labor market.

Not only that, high-level programming also requires advanced technological knowledge and practical knowledge. FIT-DNU advocates for students to get acquainted with the latest technological ecosystems of the most famous companies from the first year, to master these technologies, meeting the requirements of today's businesses. Programming with new technology will bring smarter and higher quality software applications. Practical knowledge acquired during internship hours will help students have creative ideas to develop applications. With programming skills, technological knowledge and creative ideas, FIT-DNU students will not need to be afraid of any job, ready to compete with anyone to enter the world's IT market.

Assoc.Prof.Dr. Nguyen Ai Viet – Head of IT Department