More than one million candidates will sit for the university entrance examinations on July 4.

And as they do every year, in the first days of July, volunteers are busy helping students from other provinces who come to big cities to sit for the exam.


Nguyen Thanh Lam, a student of the Hanoi University of Architecture, who has volunteered to receive candidates at the My Dinh Bus Station, said he and his friends were eager to help.

"We give them maps, bus routes, and sometimes even take these students to hostels which are convenient to them," he said.

Nguyen Manh Duc, a volunteer at the Giap Bat Bus Station, said he has met candidates who'd never been out of their villages, or those who had never been to Hanoi earlier.

"For poor candidates, we will personally take them to hostels and even arrange free accommodations and meals," Duc said.

According to the Hanoi City Youth Union, more than 1,200 volunteers are working at the bus and train stations to receive and help candidates and their relatives. Around 50 kiosks have been set up in these places to provide free bread, drink and maps.

The Youth Union has received 200,000 maps, 30,000 breads and many free meals as contributions from enterprises in the city.

Besides, the union has arranged 30,000 low-price rooms and 3,000 free rooms for candidates sitting for the exam in Hanoi.
Hoang Thi Van, the mother of a candidate from Thanh Hoa province, said she was pleasantly surprised by the offer of assistance.

"I had prepared carefully for our stay in Hanoi for the exam. I even brought rice and meat to cook to save money. But knowing from volunteers at the station that we can actually get free accommodations and transport, I'm no longer feeling worried," she said.

The Bang A Pagoda in the capital city's Hoang Mai district has continued its annual tradition of supporting students by offering its 3-storey building as free accommodation and free meals.

In central Thua Thien – Hue province, some 1,000 volunteers have joined the effort to support candidates. Some 25,000 low-priced rooms and 3,000 free rooms have been prepared for candidates and their relatives. More than 300 families have registered to host candidates in their houses during the exam.

Nguyen Duy Minh of the Da Nang city’s Youth Union said the union has mobilised 5,000 low-priced and free rooms, 2,500 free meals and 30,000 maps.

Some 10,000 free meals will be given to candidates from the southern province of Tra Vinh, he said.

Over 10,000 free accommodations and 420,840 free vegetarian meals will be given to candidates and their relatives at more than 120 pagodas and homes in Can Tho, Da Lat and Ho Chi Minh City during this examination season.

Nguyen Thi Hue, a resident of District 9 in HCM City said she was willing to let candidates stay in her house during the exam.

"I have enough space for 100 people," she said.

Meanwhile, students in the city are also willing to share their rooms with candidates. Nguyen Van Quan, a student of the HCM City University of Transport 2, and his friends have been providing support to candidates for four years.

"When the exam season comes, my friends and I will stay together to save the rest of the space for candidates and their relatives," Quan said.

The first phase of university entrance exams this year will take place on July 4 and 5, and the second one on July 9 and 10.-VNA