As for the students from well-to-do families, the economic crisis is the chance when they can purchase more fashionable commodities when fashion shops offer sales. Meanwhile, as for poor students, the sales also mean that they lose jobs.

Fashion shops there days all show the board “sale” hanging over the entrance

Nga, a 2^nd year student of the Foreign Trade University, related that her parents give her VND 5 million a month as allowance. “Previously, as products of well known brands were too expensive, I just could purchase one or two items a month. But now, as everything is getting cheaper, I could purchase more,” Nga said.

Fashion shops on Chua Boc and Cau Giay streets there days all show the board “sale” hanging over the entrance. Thuy, a saleswoman at Fashion Shop at No 147 Chua Boc Street in Hanoi, said that as the sale has been going slowly, she has to lower the sale prices to attract more buyers. The main clients of the shop, she said, are students from rich families. It is now the right time for them to get luxury items.

Poor students miserable because of no job

Thuy, the 2^nd student of the History Faculty of the Hanoi University of Social Sciences and Humanities, from Ha Tinh province, related that she was born into a poor family with parents both being farmers. In order to earn money for studying, Thuy has to work after the university time. Previously, the job could bring VND 1.2 million a month, with which Thuy could pay for meal and accommodation.

However, Thuy has lost the job because the fashion shop where Thuy worked for has to shut down because of the slow sale.

Hue city, a third year student from the Community Health University from Yen Bai, also complained that she has lost the job as the waitress for a restaurant on Lang Road. He said she now has to borrow money from her friends to pay for accommodations and meals, while she is running heaven and earth to look for a new job.

“It is very difficult to find a job nowadays. A restaurant has accepted me, but asked me to work there full time so I had to quit the job,” Hue said.

If she cannot find any job in the next few days, she will have to return to her home village, and she is not sure about when she will come back to the university.

Practicing thrift is a must

When entering the boarding house at No. 84 Phao Dai Lang Road in Dong Da district in Hanoi, one would see the board with the words “practicing thrift is a must.”

Mai, one of the students staying at the boarding house related that previously, she and her friends always had parties but now they have to cut parties in order to practice thrift.

Showing the boxes of instant noodles at the corner of the room, Tuan, a student from Quang Binh province, said that instant noodle is the choice of poor students in the economic difficulties.

Meanwhile, students think of the cheap and safe cookingstuff sources in their home villages.

As the food in Hanoi is too expensive, Thai Hoa has decided to return to her home village, 20 km away from Hanoi, and every week has to bring food and foodstuff to Hanoi. Hoa does not have refrigerator, but she still can have fresh vegetables. She eats vegetables at the beginning of weeks, eats potatoes, and kohlrabi. She always has eggs and dried fish for meals, which can help save much money.

Nguyen Yen