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Issue 05
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Cerfiticates for
the pursuit of
my dream

Follow what you

love and you will
be alright

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Commercial How SLAMs

Law writing
Inspired me
tips

ing

ow should I start off with the newsletter? I want it to

be engaging and inspiring from the beginning till the
end, which makes me think I should remind everyone
of SLAMs Values. In the last issue, David mentioned
that SLAMs are passionate about helping others,
committed to making a positive difference, connected
and fair in helping students become independent
learners, and creative in the SLAMs newsletter. In both SLAMs mentoring
sessions and SLAMs Newsletter, we do our best to help students and keep
these values alive.

Truong My Duyen
Proffessional
Communication

SLAM Newsletter issue 5 will take one step closer to students concerns and
interests. We aim to reinvent the newsletter into something that further
inspires and connects with students in this brand new issue. Its focus is not
simply on sharing study tips but also empowering students and addressing
their concerns.

Edito rs

Letter

Specifically, this newsletter will feature a role model student who excels
at both academic studies and community engagement activities. Shes
going to share her motto for success as well as what she loves most about
RMIT University Vietnam, which I hope all readers
can learn a great deal from. Similarly, Certificate
for the Pursuit of my Dream seeks to inspire
students with a story of a mentor who eventually
finds meaning of her life by pursuing her childhood
dream as a teacher, as someone to help and guide
other people.

RMIT students.

SLAMs Newsletter Issue 5 proudly presents a new

column Meet me at SLAMs which aims to connect
mentors with students, offering opportunities
for mentors to share some insights into students
troubles and their own mentoring styles. Besides,
you can also find it useful to check out How to
make the most of SLAMs article, which guides
mentees what they should do before, during and
after a SLAM sessions to benefit the most from
SLAMs.
The new issue also features an exclusive interview
with Student Council President Pham Quy Bao
Long where he shares his vision and the actions
hes been taking to facilitate Student Rights,
Student Voice and Student Welfare on behalf of

Well I think Id better let you experience the Newsletter on your own
even though I would love to write more to describe the special things
about each article.
Above all, its worth mentioning that weve received more contributing
articles than previous issues, which clearly demonstrates that students
increasingly put their trust in the program and the Newsletter. There were
so many great writing pieces that my co-editor and I found it hard to select
the ones to be published. From the bottom of my heart, Im truly grateful
for the contributors enthusiasm and care for SLAMs.

CONTENTS
On behalf of the contributors,
I would like to give me sincere
thanks to my dedicated coeditor, contributors, designers,
photographers as well as LSU
staff, mentors and SC President,
who have put tremendous
efforts into making this issue
worthwhile to read. I thank the
LSU staff for giving me a chance
to contribute to the university,
to the SLAMs program and work
together with SLAMs in Hanoi
and SGS on this prestigious
publication.
Finally, I hope that everyone
can find inspiration on every
page of SLAMs Newsletter
Issue 5 and find it an absolute
pleasure to read. To all students,
I wish you all the best with your
studies and please remember
that SLAMs are always there to
assist you wholeheartedly and
passionately.
Regards,

Truong My Duyen

Cerfiticates for the pursuit of

my dream
How to make the most of
SLAMs
How SLAMs inspired me
Follow what you love and you
will be alright
English novel blab
SLAMs in litigation with
mentees
Commercial Law writing tips
Interview with SC President
Pham Quy Bao Long
Meet me at SLAMs!
The honour of being a SLAM

SLAMs vs ECON
List of contributors

1
3
5
7
10
15
18
19
21
23
24
27

CERFITICATES
FOR THE
PURSUIT OF MY

DREAM

I can confidently say that I need no certificate.

Being a SLAM, a mentor was how I decided to stay
true to my dream..
Written by Le Thi Kim Khanh

his is my last semester in RMIT.

I dont even have enough confidence and courage to

speak words of consolation to myself. Theres an end to
everything. People take that saying to heart and move
on. Im taking it slowly to move on. I have to continue
the pursuit of my dream.
When I was growing up, somehow, the notion of being
a teacher became the destination I wanted to arrive as
an adult.
Take it this way, when you grow a plant, you hope it
would grow tall and healthy. So you give it water and
sunshine. Nevertheless, the plant keeps staying on the
ground, stubbornly holding to its position. You must be
angry and disappointed. This plant is sick. You may
think. So you throw it outside and leave it to nature.
Then later, as you walk pass that place where you threw
the poor small plant, you realize how stupid you have
been trying to hold straight up a climbing plant.
I like to compare myself and every student in this world
with growing plants whose development and success
depend largely on the type and amount of guidance we
receive. I want to be the person who guides. And who
do I guide?
Myself and anyone who needs my help.
Of course, there would be times when we feel lost and
helpless. I was sent to Australia to study what my parents wanted, a business administration course. I was
angry inside. Why does it have to be about money all
the time?. I wanted to pursue an education degree,
to be that helper once in somebodys lives. I couldnt
defend my dream at family meetings where my career

SLAMs newsletter | issue 5

was discussed as a family issue. I was angry at

myself as well. I am a coward.
So off I went. In Australia, I was subtly suggested to
study finance and accounting courses. I attended boring lectures where my head went blank. I forced myself
to do exercises for the sake of my parents expectation.
Deep down, I hated it. I wanted to run away.
Well, with that type of attitude, I failed 3 out of 4 enrolled courses. It only made me hate myself even more.
I didnt know what to do and why I had to do it. I was
called back immediately when the news broke out.
And off I went again, to RMIT Vietnam, another Australian school, to study Accounting. Why? I hated accounting until the first Orientation Day at the new school. I
still wondered what the heck accounting was until the
first day of my accounting class.
Then I got to know LSU and SLAMs. Even as at now, I am
still amazed at how this encounter has changed many
things. I realized that Accounting wasnt the problem.
I just needed some help and respect to revive my dying
esteem.
I fell in love with the LSU like a little child falling for the
first person reaching their hands out for comfort. I felt
safe inside that place. My first friends in RMIT were the
students I met in that room. I was by myself, studying
and reading, but not lonely. I felt like I was a different
person. I told myself Nobody is going to stop you from
being happy.
I wanted to help and guide. I realized I could do so without being a teacher or a student in education program.
I wanted to be a mentor. I wanted to be a SLAM. I really
want to be a SLAM forever, despite knowing just how

impossible it is (Ive become too old for the

program).
I can confidently say that I need no certificate.
Being a SLAM, a mentor was how I decided to
stay true to my dream. I didnt lose it yet, how lucky.
David told me You can stop being a SLAM but youll
never stop being a mentor. It gave me so much hope and
reminded me of the true focus of my life to this date. I told
him I was proud of being a SLAM. I was proud that after so many
things, tears and self-punishment, I could persist and follow the
one meaningful dream I ever admitted to.
Thank you, LSU and SLAMs, I dont think I can ever get to this point
without your help.
For sure, I will never stop being a mentor.

SLAMs newsletter | issue 5

62

How to
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SLAMs newsletter | issue 5

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SLAMs

1- To come or not to come

Do you have to count flower petals to decide whether you will
see a mentor and ask for help? No worries. Its just a matter of
overcoming the shyness or hesitation within ourselves.
You are imagining Arghhhh SLAMs are fastidious students
with scary looking face threatening me to studylike this:

Reproduced from:http://friduh.blogspot.com,
im scarred for life, image, viewed 12 August
2012, <http://msp21.photobucket.com/albums/
b269/kkal_wrestler/SamsScaredFace.jpg>.

SLAMs newsletter | issue 5

84

We are not that scary. Lets hear a student talk about

us:
I appreciate that the mentors are approachable. I
felt it is easier to go to see the mentors when I had
problems rather than going to see the lecturer. Also, it
was great to be able to form relationships with them.
You are afraid that This is just a small question. They
will laugh at me if I ask. We believe none of the
questions are stupid; none of the ideas are silly. Your
questions can be the ones we once asked when we
took the courses ourselves. Therefore, we understand
how you feel and can explain them in the way that
helps you understand easily.

During the mentoring session

The mentor was really friendly and kind as well. When

I could not understand his explanation, he did not give
up, but kept trying to explain in many different ways
until I could understand clearly. From then, whenever I
had questions, I went to see the mentor.
And now will you come see us?

2- Preparing for mentoring sessions

Once youve decided to come to SLAMs, think about
how to make use of this learning opportunity.

Second, bring something to SLAMs. That something

can be your notes on how you tried to solve the
problem, the assessment tasks, textbooks, materials

SLAMs newsletter | issue 5

1- Discuss with the mentor any question

you prepared and challenge the mentor
constructively when possible
Dont take everything the mentor says for granted.
No one can be right at all times. Mentors can make
mistakes too. Think about what they tell you and
discuss with them any questionable point. This will
benefit both you and the mentor as you will gain deeper
understanding about the matter and the mentor might
be able to expand his/her ideas, recall memories and
even provide you extra tips. Not only your knowledge
but also your presentation and communication skills
and team work skills will be improved.

2- Dont expect SLAMs to do assignments

or give the solutions to you

First, you need to attempt to solve the problem. SLAMs

would ask for your thinking before helping you. By
doing so, you will learn a problem at least twice, one
is from your own solution; one is from what SLAMs
instructs you.

How
SLAMs
Inspired
Me

such as weekly outline in Commercial Law, exercise

booklet of Business Statistics, weekly slides of
Management Accounting and Business, etc. in either
hard copies or folders in your laptop. Bringing along
some practical questions and exercises will facilitate
the mentors explanation and your understanding as
well.

All SLAMs are not allowed to do so. SLAMs will help

you learn independently, not learn for you. Therefore,
we strongly recommend all students to work on their
own first, dig deep and if they need help, SLAMs are
here.

How SLAMs inspired me and made my student life

more meaningful
I still remember the time when I attended the Orientation Day in RMIT Saigon. I was a fresh student, thirsty
for information on courses, rules and all the extra activities at the university. There was a 5th semester student
who had performed very well. I asked her for some tips
for academic success and she told me that SLAMs was
the answer. The girl herself and her outstanding performance really inspired me, and naturally, being a SLAM
became my dream from the very first day of school.
From that moment, I have been studying really hard and
I was very happy to get HDs in many courses. I was eager
to come to the LSU to register as a SLAM, feeling positively that I would become a member of the team soon.
However, my application was not successful as there
were many other excellent students who also applied for
the program.

3- Be specific when asking question.

Questions like What is the main content of a chapter?
or What specific parts should I learn in this chapter
show that someone is just lazy. Obviously, the answers
for these questions are in the textbook. SLAMs are not
lecturers. Therefore, we will not be able to determine
what to learn. To these questions, the mentor is more
likely to list all the things because you suppose to
learn and connect different chapters to get the whole
picture of the course. Studying only particular sections
or topics with the hope that they will appear in the
exam (also commonly referred to as cramming) gives
you only part of the picture, and remember, its best
to come prepared, rather than waiting for luck. The
mentor can make time to review through a chapter
with a mentee given that they had done their revision
first, and they come for checking and clarifying the
content (with materials prepared).

4- Be supportive to SLAMs when a

mentoring session is too demanding
During some sessions, many students may approach
SLAMs for help at once. When they become too
crowded, you will be of great help keeping silent and
listening to what the mentor has to say. While listening,
you may discover that the mentor is explaining
the same matter that you do not understand. This
will save time because the mentor will not have to
explain the same matter twice. As a result, you will
be able to ask more questions. Also, if the matter is
not of your question, listening may provide you more
insightful of the matter. You may even join the mentor
in helping explain to other students and correct your
understanding if it is wrong. In teaching we learn and
in learning we teach.

After the mentoring session

1- Give SLAMs feedback
Be honest but constructive in your responses because
you are helping us improve the program. Please let us
know if you have any requests or suggestions on how
we can be more helpful.

2- Come back if you have any concerns

If you think SLAMs are helpful, dont just come only
once. You can come back as many times as you wish.
And dont forget, this is the opportunity for you to
learn and achieve. If you dont take it, you will lose it.

3- Get connected with us

We have a page on the Intranet at https://online.rmit.
edu.vn/student/resources/slams. We update SLAMs
timetable weekly.
We have a newsletter on the Intranet and in the
library. In this, we share tips and stories about learning
at RMIT.
We have mailboxes at slams.sgs@rmit.edu.vn and
slams.hn@rmit.edu.vn. With these mailboxes, we
send out information to you. You can send us email
too.
We are looking forward to your visit and your feedback!

Written by Truong Thuy Van

I was quite disappointed but I quickly consoled myself that I needed to try
harder and harder. Finally, my endeavor paid off. I got an HD in Commercial
Law and my dream finally came true.
One semester of being a SLAM has passed and I had many unforgettable
memories with friendly LSU staff as well as mentees.
Thanks to SLAMs, I was able to communicate and widen my networks with
many talented students, which has made my student life truly meaningful.
SLAMs made me realize that mentoring can be a great way to gain knowledge
and improve myself. Sharing is love and at SLAMs, I can feel many warm and
enthusiastic hearts beating for the sake of future generations.

Written by Nguyen Thi Kim Thanh

SLAMs newsletter | issue 5

106

Role model story

"Follow

what you
love and
you'll be
alright!
Written by Truong My Duyen

SLAMs newsletter | issue 5

"

Perhaps, this motto of Dang is what

makes her stand out and is the main

reason for her success. Nguyen Hong
Hai Dang is widely regarded by her
lecturers and peers as one of the
sharpest students in the Professional
Communication program and a role
model who we can learn a lot from.
I interviewed Dang during her lunch
break one day as she was doing her
internship at Ogilvy Public Relations.
However, her desired career seemed
not to be Public Relations. She started
off the conversation by introducing her
dream to be a researcher:
For now I only have eyes on a research
career. I love academia. I plan to work
as a research assistant after graduation.
In the long run, Ill have to pursue
postgraduate studies to be able to do
research on my own.
Dangs personal working experience has
been consistent with her desired future
career as an academic. Throughout her
university life so far, Dang has been
honoured to get involved in real research
projects with her lecturers, which
provides her valuable opportunities to
learn more about peoples perceptions

and lifestyles while gaining practical experiences

from the industry.
One can be truly impressed by Dangs remarkable
achievements: She won an Academic Achievement
Scholarship offered by RMIT University in 2011.
She also achieved Recognition of Excellent
Academic Performance awarded by the Golden Key
International Honor Society. Besides, Dangs strong
academic record is evidenced as she secured the
position as a SLAM for Professional Communication
for 6 consecutive semesters.

Do not accept anything but the best

with whatever you do. Be healthily
obsessed with your academic
studies. Invest all your time and
effort. You never know what you can
achieve until you really try.

When asked about her recipe for success, Dang puts

it simply:
Do not accept anything but the best with whatever
you do. Be healthily obsessed with your academic
studies. Invest all your time and effort. You never
know what you can achieve until you really try.
This philosophy of Dang is reflected through her
success as a Chairwoman of Student Representatives
in the Professional Communication Students Staff
Consultative Committee (SSCC), where she played an
instrumental role in facilitating discussions between
staff and students. She also took initiatives to launch
the BCS (Be Condom-Savvy) project with her peers as
part of the Interdisciplinary Communication Project
course in the Professional Communication program.
This project aims to help RMIT students overcome
the traditional embarrassment and discomfort that
arise when talking about condoms, which prevents
people from being better informed about vital health
issues:
It was a funny time. Before running the BCS
campaign I already did a research project on
condom distribution in HCMC for one of my
courses. Since then Im commonly referred to
as Dang Condom by my friends.
Dang believes that another place where
students can be empowered to make a
difference is the SLAMs program. Being a
Professional Communication SLAM for 6
consecutive semesters, Dang admits that the
experience of learning by teaching and guiding
others to succeed always has always had
special effects on her:
Thanks to SLAMs, Ive learned an important
lesson that one of the best ways to learn about
something is by teaching. It is the process of
sharing knowledge which helps us become

responsible and dedicated individuals. I can improve

myself a great deal when I help my fellow students
tackle their studying problems.
Dang claims that critical thinking is the key to success in
Prof Comm and in all subjects:
Given a great amount of information we absorb when
doing research for our assignments, critical thinking
helps us select relevant information and arrange it
systematically.
She says that another important benefit is that
critical thinking prevents you from shallow learning,
which involves memorizing information and passively

SLAMs newsletter | issue 5

128

accepting facts as well as not being able to connect

information to fully understand the whole picture:

believes that self-discipline, hard work and doing

what you love pay off:

It is not enough to just memorize and accept

information. At RMIT, we are encouraged to question
everything we learn to learn even more.

Doing research is not as glamorous as doing PR or

Advertising. Youre on your own most of the time.
Indeed, it is a tough journey which requires substantial
amount of hard work and self-discipline. However, Ive
found that researching is an important part of my
life. It helps me expand the circle of knowledge and
contribute something worthwhile to the society.

Besides, Dang encourages students to love what they

learn and read more:
Read widely and extensively about any subject. I
know this may sound boring but theres no better
way to do well in your studies. Reading enhances your
writing and broadens your knowledge a great deal.
However, Dang also advises students to be selective
when reading:
Dont believe everything you read. Rather, set your
mind to analyze, evaluate and even challenge what
you are reading. This is also a good way to practice
critical thinking.
As her future career is her passion, she devotes to
studying as a good way to satisfy her curiosity and
expand her horizons. In times of hardships, Dang

SLAMs newsletter | issue 5

This is where I find my decision to study at RMIT a very

wise and important one. RMIT has empowered me
to do whatever I want in my life. It didnt train me to
do just this or that. It educated me to make my own
decisions. I believe it is important that RMIT students
fully understand the universitys legacy to empower
individuals to follow what they love rather than to
produce graduates that are exactly the same.

English
novel
Blab

Being international students, RMITers really need to read a lot, but

mostly academic materials. There are many other documents in English
that we can, and in fact should, pay more attention to, namely novels.
Since no one has written any piece on this topic, Im more than willing
to take the responsibility. However, please try to understand this will not
emphasize the empowerment of novels on your reading, writing or any
other comprehensive skills, even communication, in English, okay? Sure it
happens to me. But I feel like Im doing this in the most leisured way as all
the benefits are pouring in for my interest only.
Before we begin, this is not that much of a literature review, only my blab on
some of the most mesmerizing novels Ive ever read.

Written by Ha Ta

SLAMs newsletter | issue 5

14
10

Chinese Cinderella: The True Story of an

unwanted Daughter

by Adeline Yen Mah

Wow! The title is so long! Lets just refer to this as Chinese Cinderella shall we?
Cause thats what Ive been calling it since I first heard of the book.
This was the very first English novel that I got to read. It had this WOW
factor that pushed me till the very end. For me, I felt culturally and (some bits)
personally linked to it. Because it was somewhat of a biography, I finally saw
whats been written in fairy tales coming into real life: the relationship between
stepmothers and stepchildren. For someone who constantly gave her best and
beyond to be deemed as bad luck, as unwanted, and to be abused through out
her childhood, I was struck with sympathy.
I read Yen Mahs extended version of the-more-like-autobiography Falling Leaves
some time later. It was longer and more complicated as the author also exploited the
challenges she had in her adult life. I was rather satisfied as the main character arrived
at her destination at the end. Unlike in Chinese Cinderella, where she was able to
enter a less suffocating route, her faith was yet to be certain.

A Bridge to Wisemans Cove

by James Moloney

To me, compared to others, the novel was not as complicated but I have to
include it because the way Moloney wrote it was so connected and so thriving
that even when I had to go to school at 7 in the morning I still spent 4 or 5
hours to complete it. (Since then I have this ability of sleeping sometimes only
3 hours before waking up and being normal the next morning. This surely helps
with university Im telling you :D).
The main character was an average Joe, even obese according to developed
countrys measurement. At the start of the novel, he stood nowhere in
his life with his problematic situation involving a runaway mother and a
troublesome brother that he seemed apathetic over. Then he started to
open up and care more for people. He even fought although not as strongly or
wildly as many fictions depicted a man to be or should be. But I still saw him as a
man the silent type that watches you and has your back. He told me that you dont
have to be picture perfect or outrageously talented or smart to be the main character
of your life. You just have to be comfortable in your own skin and push yourself when
the opportunity is up and achieve what might seem little to others but so important
to you. And treasure your family. Really really treasure them, because yours are, most
probably, a lot less dysfunctional than his!

11

SLAMs newsletter | issue 5

Dont Call Me Ishmael

by Michael Gerard Bauer

Another be-yourself-and-achieve-greatness-in-that-matter type of novel. Why am

I mentioning this? Because the best memory of mine on teasing people (in the
novel it was actually bullying) about their names started here. From Leseur
you could get all sort of silly interpretations from sewer to sewage to Sorry,
thats all I have in mind at the moment. But its still crystal clear that on a bright
weekend afternoon, I was laying in my bed. Suddenly, there were just outbursts
of ridiculous laughter shrilling out of my room. I read the name bullying part
over and over again and was over-amused by it. What do you know? Now I
practice that skill quite often whenever I hang out with my buddies, and they
do the same to me. I guess when you do it with friends its OK, even awesome, as it
usually results in having a good time. But dont do it in a menacing manner to others,
especially strangers. Dont become the bully that everybody despises.
To my repeated amusement, I was asked as soon as I stepped out of my room by the
girl next door (my family was renting this place at the time): You OK? I was like,
Sure. But then I did it again after a few seconds, when I got a hold of the book.
The novel truly does have meanings. Just ignore my amusing part because if it was
empty I wouldnt go on and read its sequence where Ishmael Lesuer got his fathers
band back together. Really awesome, isnt it?
Important note: If you do read it in the near future and find nothing funny on Bauers
humor, dont blame me! Back then, I wholeheartedly rolled on my bed laughing out
loud.

The Kite Runner

by Khaled Hosseini

Probably the first or the second adult fiction Ive ever read. A gripping story
of friendship, betrayal and redemption gapped in between the conflict in
Afghanistan and the immigration in the United States. I personally dont
have any interest on best-sellers or international best-sellers. However, it
got me with beautiful descriptions in a very refined writing style. The parts I
loved most were with the two friends flying kites or reading together in the
open, whitely bright sky of a peaceful part in Afghanistan, and that fragile
China-doll face of Hassans.
It was the first time I got a glimpse of sex, particularly sexual harassment (or
child molestation to be exact) in any kind of novels Ive ever read. That scene was so
intense that I almost burst into tears. Then I know how powerful Hosseinis words
were as the image continued to haunted me even when Ive completed high school
(as I read this in my final year of my secondary education).

SLAMs newsletter | issue 5

16
12

Holes
by Louis Sachar

This novel is all about creativity, connection and AMAZING imagination the three
key points that affirm a life-long remembrance and awe in my head.
Among the hooks, I think these would probably get you (they did get me by the
way) fancied:
1.
A modern day curse that is related to thumb-shaped mountain, where
there is a lot of huge onions (or some similar green species).
2. The awesomest grandfather description and depiction of all time:
It was all because of his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing great-greatgrandfather!
(Louis Sachar, Holes)
Im just saying this in its humour, not in a disrespectful manner to all our grampas.
3. Stanley Yelnats
See it there? The name of the main character. Look closely Closer Closer Okay,
Yelnats is Stanley spelling backward! Ha ha, I love Stanleys ancestors.
4. Disney made a movie that is 85% faithful to the novel, which is incredible. So if
youre still lazy to get the reading on, try the movie first. Its full of threads that a good
movie should have. Moreover, you have Shia Labeouf in his young day (now thats the
reason why I knew him way before the Transformers *cough*trash*cough* were out
in the cinemas), horror genre most distinguished hero Mrs. Sigourney Weaver, and
Angelina Jolies dad, Mr. Voight (in case you have no idea who he is). I watched it 5
years before I actually got a hold of the novel in 2011 :D
5. Its just really really connected and creative and imaginative! REALLY REALLY!
Get you going? Dig in! Its a young adult novel that adults love to read as well!

I will stop my list of blabs here because I think Ive probably ran out of pages (even
though Van said I can write as much as I can). Im doing this in pure leisure and interest
as I read not because I want to improve my SAT or my IELTS or anything (and even if I
do, I dont). Once you do it WITHOUT THE DICTIONARY BY ANY MEANS, your effort will
pay off. Who needs to understand every single word in the novel? As long as you get the
idea and are hooked, you will be coming back. In case you do, try The Catastrophist (the
Ronan Bennett one), The Catcher in the Rye (just thrillingly and rebelliously good and
sexy ha ha), Animal Farm and Of Mice and Men (classics!).

13

SLAMs newsletter | issue 5

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the NightTime

by Mark Haddon

Lets me break it down. This work has won numerous prestigious awards out there
since its first publication, including Whitbread Book of the Year, Commonwealth
Writers Prize for Best First Book and the Boeke Prize. So NO! Its NOT difficult to
read like Pulitzer! Rather it was put in such a simple language that I myself was
surprised too (and you probably will be too).
Once you complete reading this novel, your view on autism will change forever
(look it up if you dont know what autism is). No, they are NOT retarded.
No, they are NOT dumb. Yes, they UNDERSTAND what you say. And yes, they ARE
extraordinary people in this world who are only a little less advantaged than the
normal people living in this world.
They achieve their feats, some of which would amaze you because they are very well
focused and determined while we normal people are tangled up with multi-tasking
our lives. Go search for Temple Grandin (or just watch the HBO movie like I did) for
instance. Wait, let me think of the more commercial examples
I choose you, [say your Pokmon name here]!
Yes, Mr. Satoshi Tajiri, the creator of Pokmon, has autism. So does Adam Young a.k.a.
Owl City. Didnt know that, did you? And dont criticize me right away! There are
different symptoms and levels of Autism that might differ slightly or significantly from
each other. Here is just generally speaking.
The thing is that I can relate this work of fiction to a work of myself in real life when I
came into contact with the Autistic, Agent Orange kids at the Peace Village for almost
two weeks on a daily basis back in 2010. Then I realized how positively and greatly this
novel has influenced me, really, besides The Town of Evening Calm, The Country of
Cherry Blossoms which is a manga by the way.

This is not a novel but I found it great to aid you with your communication and
vocabulary: Konjinki no Gash! Ha ha, I know its a manga. But reading it, I have no
complaints on the translation of Null (the online, benefit-free translator). Its just
perfect in terms of slangs, curses and grammar (both formal and informal) that fitted
for all situations.
Just do it! Novels are absolutely and terrifically fun (except when you read one by
Carroll, Twain or Lawrence. Ergh! They gave me goose bumps). JUST DO IT!

SLAMs newsletter | issue 5

18
14

am is a SLAM for Commercial Law. Van is an RMIT student

who took the course last semester. Despite having failed
the mid-term test, she did not start preparing for the final exam until week 10. Coming to Sams last session, she
panicked:

I think its unlikely that they

will focus on Negligence,
since there was a question
on that in the mid-term.
Also, last semester, in my final, they already asked for
a full Negligence analysis.
Therefore, I highly recommend spending more time
on Contracts and Consumer Protection

Im running out of
time and theres just
too much to learn.
I dont want to fail
Law. My parents will
make me pay the tuition fees whenever
I retake a course. Is
there any way I can
narrow down the
topics for the final?

Believing in Sam, Van spent almost all of her time revising the second
half of the course. Unfortunately, a quarter of the final test was on
Negligence, and Vans overall result was only 48%. Van is now very
upset as she has to somehow make more than 20 million dong to
study Commercial Law again. She is seeking legal advice from you.

!
?
n
o
i
t
s
e
u
Q
ty of
u
d
a
n
a
V
e
Did Sam ow
care?!

15

SLAMs newsletter | issue 5

SLAMs
in
litigation
with
Mentees
All events described below are fictitious. Any resemblance to real situations is purely
coincidental. The same statement regarding the names of the characters, nonetheless,
cannot be made.

Written by Dang Vu Ha & Tran Huyen Hai

SLAMs newsletter | issue 5

20
16

Answer:

Rule of law
The legal issue here is
whether Sam owed Van
a Duty of Care (DOC)
regarding Negligent Misstatement.
Normally, in determining
whether a DOC for
economic loss exists, the
Perre v. Apand factors are
to be applied. However,
as the loss resulted from
a negligent mis-statement
(bad advice) from the
plaintiff, the four MLC
v. Evatt elements are
analyzed instead:

Did the speaker realize that

they are being trusted to give
the correct information?
Yes. Sam, as a SLAM in Commercial
Law, must have realized Van
was putting all her trust in him
for giving tips on the final exam.
With his experience in the course
before, Sam was supposed to
give sound advice to students
regarding the course.

Should the speaker have

realized that the recipient
intended to act on the advice?

Conclusion
As only 3 out of 4 elements
can be proved, Sam is
deemed innocent and not
owing any DOC to Van. I
rest my case!
Besides any possible
legal implications, you
may want to draw some
moral lessons from this
case as well: Dont give
advice about things you
dont know, as you may
place unnecessary stress
on other peoples lives.
And more importantly,
dont trust anyone 100%
but your own self and
capabilities!

17

In this situation, Van made

it pretty clear that she was
desperate with studying Law
and in need of Sams help. Sam
should have realized that Van, in
her distressing circumstance with
finals rapidly approaching, would
act on whatever his advice was,
as she had complete trust in him.

n
u
f
e
v
Ha
d
o
o
g
d
an
h
t
i
w
k
luc
l
a
i
c
r
e
Comm
Law!

SLAMs newsletter | issue 5

Was the subject of the advice a

business or serious matter?
Yes. Failing a course at RMIT requires
students to retake the course, not
just the exam itself. Thus, it would
cost a lot of money (approximately
20 million VND) and also bring
down Vans GPA significantly, which
would affect her future career
opportunities.

Was it reasonable in the

circumstances for the recipient to
rely on the speakers advice?
Nooooo!
First, it is stated black-and-white in
the LSU guidelines that SLAMs are
not lecturers, and not responsible
for telling students about teaching
materials or exams. SLAMs are there
only to assist students with their
difficulties in understanding lessons.
Giving such lousy advice, Sam may not
have been trained well in this matter,
but regarding the seriousness of her
situation, Van should have been more
informed about LSU services and
understood better!
Secondly, as exams are often written
at SGS or Melbourne, and kept
confidential with limited access; it is
unreasonable to expect a student like
Sam to know about the contents. It
would have been more reasonable of
Van to rely on herself, be more hardworking and revise the whole course
in order to pass the exam!

Commercial
Law

Writing
Written by Nguyen Thanh Ha &
Tips
Vu Thuy An

1
3
5
7

Get the most out of the reading time by

reading to the question, noticing
important facts relevant to thequestion.
At the same time, think about which
question you are the most comfortable
to start with and how you are going to
present your answers.

Do not spend too much time on

one question. If your allocated time
for the question is up, move to another
question. It is always easier to squeeze
marks out of a new question than out
of one that you have already spent 40
minutes on.

Never jump to the conclusion

straight away based on your subjective
thinking. Always think aboutwhat steps/
tests you should apply. This may come as
a surprise for students who are new to
Commercial Law, but the conclusion is
not as important as your application
and analysis.

Strictly Follow IRAC.

Be concise
with your identification of the issue . Go
straight to the point.This part should only
be 1 or 2 sentences longbut you need to
get it right the first time.

2
4
6
8

Manage your time efficiently

by distributing the time according to
the marks. Sometimes the casesare
of the same length but with different
marks.

answer
what
the
questions ask you to do. For
Only

example, if the question asks about

Duty of Care, DO NOT analyse the
whole negligence case. Vice versa, if
the question asksabout common law
claims, it means you have to think
about both negligent and contractual
claims.
If you feel like you are running out of
time, bullet points for the rest of
the answers are usually better than
leaving one question unanswered.
Make your own A4 paper: only you
know what you need when you write in
the exam.

Make sure that you practice writing at

least 2 or 3 times for each section:
Negligence, Contract Formation and
Contract Content, before attending the
exam. By doing so, you will be familiar
with how to write when you come to
the exam and can devote more time to
analysing the case.

SLAMs newsletter | issue 5

22
18

As the first president of RMIT

Vietnam Student Council, what
are your experiences so far?
Can you share your vision and
plans at Student Council?
Being the first Student Council
President is a tremendous honor, at
the same time, a very challenging
job for me to take. When youre in
such a high-responsibility position
like this, you always feel the heat
under your seat. In my case, its
the heat of expectations from the
people who put their trust in the
Election, and also from myself. Now,
my job is not only bound within a
group, a class, or a club anymore.
Now that I have to take care of more
than 6,000 fellow students in RMIT
Vietnam and I expect myself to do
a good job. One of the principles
that I try to live by every day since
then is that You have to expect
from yourself more than others do.
Its tough. However, what keeps me
motivated is the thought of being
able to benefit others.
Recently, I am aware that the

19

Student Council has been a little

silent
since
establishment.
However, it doesnt mean that
we are not working. Weve been
working very hard, like a child
trying hard for a firm walk. Most
of our behind-the-scene work so
far has been administration and
planning, which
are essential
for such a young Body. Writing
governance documents, setting up
financial and evaluation systems,
cutting deals with University
departments, training, and gaining
internal and external support are
just part of what we do. Every step
we take in our first semester helps
prepare for a strong and effective
Student Council because I believe
that Victory loves Preparation.
And very soon, we will see Student
Council present in every facet of
RMIT University life.
On a more specific ground, I set
out my term to achieve three
fundamental milestones: Student
Voice, Student Rights, and Student
Welfare.
Student
Voice
encompasses (1) effective student

SLAMs newsletter | issue 5

representation in any committee or

decision-making body that concerns
their interests, and (2) effective
communication among students
via basic media channels such as
Student Forum, Student Magazine,
and
Student-run
Website.
Student Rights concern with
recognizing and safeguarding the
rights of our students defined in the
Student Charter and RMIT policies
including the rights for quality
education, equal opportunity, and
fair treatment. Student Welfare
relates to improving and enhancing
student experience in all nonacademic ways inclusive of student
health, student recreation, personal
growth and career development.
Student Council is getting close to
deliver its master plan for these
milestones, but its the thing that
actually happens that we count.
Therefore, I ask our fellow students
to stand by their Student Council,
Live the same Spirit, and Speak the
same Voice so as to make those
things happen.

Interview with Student Council President

Pham Quy Bao Long

Written by Ly My Nguyen

You used to participate in many

activities in SSCC, SLAMs, clubs
as well as your study. Many
students complain they have to
suffer from a lot of stress from
study. How can you handle all
those things at the same time?

right.

As far as I know, you have just

been back from the visit to
RMIT University Student Union
(RUSU) in Melbourne. What
has the trip benefited you and
how does it help you in your
My tips to deal with stress are: make plans for our students here?
a lot of friends, go to the gym or do
some sports if you can, eat bananas,
and stop burning the midnight oil.

But more importantly, you

must have a strategy. The right
combination of study workload and
extra-curricular activities is crucial.
Along with your study, you can join
one or more activities on campus.
It could be SLAMs, SSCC, Clubs
& Societies, University voluntary
work, or very soon Student Council
Volunteer Program. Everyone has
their own unique combination. But
in case you are about to choose
one, remember that study-activity
is like the scale that only works
when balanced. If you think that
you can work hard and play hard
at the same time, youre probably

My trip to RUSU and RMIT

University in Melbourne, I reckon,
was a very important event and
a significant milestone of RMIT
students and the University as a
whole. It clearly demonstrates that
RMIT students around the world are
close and well-connected. I believe
that RMIT has made itself a world
leader with regards to investing in
offshore campuses and in breaking
its students nationality and
geographic boundaries. And I hope
that this trip was only the beginning
of that initiative.

Council management, student

activities, student advocacy and a
series of other training workshops.
I have also talked to RMIT Dean of
Students Mr. Owen Hughes. And
we exchanged a very interesting talk
about student life in RMIT Vietnam
and how willing he was to listen
and support our Student Council in
achieving its aims and objectives.
I realize that my trip results in not
only the valuable knowledge we
learn from our fellow students in
Australia but also the important and
strategic relationships that we have
established along the way.
Well to tie up on this question, trips
like this between Student Council
and RUSU are more to come and we
are keen to work together so that
the principles we stand for and the
values the University stands for are
upheld and practiced.

During my time in Melbourne,

my two Vice Presidents and I
received some training from RUSU
representatives in areas of Student

SLAMs newsletter | issue 5

24
20

iples

of

Pr

Intro Accounting

rinc
p
g
n
i
t
e
ark

m
co

Company L

s
c
i
t
s

aw

Log

omic

con
Macro E

Micro Economic

ess
n
i
s
u

ing

ut
omp

ics

Statist

ial Law

Commerc

Written by Ly My Nguyen
Meet me at SLAMs! is a new column of SLAMs Newsletter which is created in order to let students know more about mentors - they are not simply students who get HD or DI! Lets find out
these SLAMs mentoring styles and personalities.

Tran Thi My Ngoc

SGS - MacroEconomics
Hi everyone, I am a 4th-semester student and this is my third time
being a SLAM. I have mentored Introductory to Accounting and
Introduction to Logistics and Supply Chain Management. This
semester, I will work as a Macroeconomics mentor. Firstly, being
a mentor, I want to help other students to overcome difficulties in
studying because it would be easier for students to share and get help
from students than lecturers. Second, its the opportunity to enjoy
my favorite subject, review my knowledge, improve communication
skills and especially make friends with other mentors and mentees. I
know what obstacles that students often encounter so I will provide
mentees tips for dealing with exercises, tasks, or theoretical questions.
I enjoy reading books, playing football and tennis in my free time.

Nguyen Duc Huy

HN campus - Price and Market
My major is Business Accountancy because my biggest dream is to
become an audit partner. This semester Ill guide students through
Prices and Markets. I have many friends who study Prices and
Markets this semester. Because of my score last semester, they
always ask me to help them get high mark in this subject. Therefore,
I join SLAMs in order to help my friends and students who face
difficulty in this subject. My mentoring style is influenced by my
lecturer, Dr Huy Vu. He not only guided us how to do the exercises
but also taught us how to study in a smart way. Therefore, I would
like to pass my experiences and study tips learned from Dr Huy Vu
to mentees. I will help them understand the concepts deeply, let
them brainstorm and think logically to solve the exercises. Outside classrooms, I spend most of my time with my
friends since hanging out with friends is the best way to relax myself.

21

SLAMs newsletter | issue 5

Meet me at SLAMs !
Nguyen Ngoc Bao
SGS - Macroeconomics 2
I am a student of Economics and Finance. This is the second semester
Ive become a SLAM as I was Macroeconomics 1 mentor last semester.
My goal of joining SLAMs program is to sharpen my presenting and
problem-solving skills, review my academic knowledge, make new
friends and most importantly, gain the satisfaction of helping out
RMIT fellow students and spread out passion of economics and
finance studies among RMIT student body. My mentoring style is to
quickly target the specific needs of the students and aggressively go
over the materials that the students have problems with. I will instruct
and guide the students on how to think as an economist or a financial
analyst, so that they can absorb the core principles and work out their
up-coming troubles on their own. I enjoy going out with my friends, tasting marvelous cuisine, having some drinks
and especially, exotic clubbing and shark diving. The last two are quite obscure I guess ha-ha.

Nguyen Thi Hong Thuy

SGS Macroeconomics 2
Hi guys, I am enrolling in Bachelor of Business (Economics and
Finance). Being a mentor in SLAMs has been my dream since I first
entered RMIT. However, I have failed over and over again in all
applications sent to SLAMs previously. Finally, I was chosen to be the
mentor for Macroeconomics 2 this semester. The upcoming weeks will
be my very first time to work as a student mentor. I highly recommend
the self-studying method, hence I encourage students to read all the
necessary materials and understand them in their own way, then take
all the remaining unsolved issues to discuss with me. I believe that
being a SLAMs mentor is not about teaching other students, but its
the process of studying together with mentees to understand more
about the courses. My hobbies are listening to music and keeping up to date with economics information to
analyze and convert it into profitable ideas for investment.

Truong My Duyen
SGS - Professional Communication
As a Professional Communication SLAM, I have been mentoring various
courses including Introduction to Public Relations, Introduction
to Advertising, Reading Media Texts, which most first and second
semester students find challenging or unfamiliar with. The most
prominent problem of Prof Com students is that they do not link
different subjects theyve learned together very well. To do well in
Prof Com, I highly encourage you to read a lot, reflect on everything
you learn in class and try to apply knowledge into real life. Id guide
you to brainstorm to answer the questions from your assignments
and help you apply the knowledge that you have learned from your
courses to critically analyze the real life case. My goal as a SLAM is to
inspire mentees with some interesting aspects of Professional Communication program. Besides studying, I have
interests in community activities: I used to join SIFE and organized Social Awareness Party- a charity party to
raise funds for a microfinance project to benefit the poor.

SLAMs newsletter | issue 5

26
22

Meet me at SLAMs !
Ho Thi Thu Thao
SGS - Business Computing
Im Thao, majoring in Economics and Finance. Its my pleasure to be
a SLAMs mentor for Business Computing this semester. As a Business
Computing mentor, I would like to help new students to understand the
key theories in the materials. In addition, I am willing to check students
assignments and give feedback based on my previous experiences
and understanding of the assessment tasks. I believe the mentoring
experiences gives me a chance to review all lessons that Ive learned and
to meet new friends which may help me to build my social network for
my future career development.
Im interested in singing, participating in outdoor activities and cooking.
I also volunteered to be a teachers aide at the ILA English Language Center. In addition, I often spend most of my
free time on discovering new recipes and preparing some special dishes, such as Quang noodles (mi Quang), and Hue
noodles (bun Hue). Please dont hesitate to contact me for some strange recipes ^^!

eing a SLAM is one of the greatest experiences ever

in my student life. I found out about the program upon
tackling my Introductory Accounting assignment, which I
found pretty difficult. I came and asked my mentor and she
helped me a lot. After seeing her, I couldnt help dreaming of
becoming a SLAM myself one day. Finally, in semester 2012A,
I have been chosen as a SLAM for Business Statistics thanks to
the recommendations from my awesome teacher, Ali Arican.
As a SLAM, I have the opportunity to
work in a professional environment.
I have to be on time, counsel each
student for 15 minutes tops if too
many of them come at the same
time and submit the Google form
at the end of the session. By being
an effective SLAM, I mean when
students come and ask you for help
with their issues, dont do their
homework or assignment for them.

The
honour
of being a

SLAMs

Rather, your duty is to help students

figure out the solutions to their
Written by Tran Thi Hong Trang
problems on their own, such as
suggesting where to research, who
to ask, what they should do, asking them questions and guiding them to apply what they have learnt to tackle
their assignment. Indeed, SLAMs are all passionate and responsible individuals who are committed to making
a difference and helping others.
Being a SLAM, I have many chances to make new friends with both mentees and other mentors. I have
some really nice and helpful friends who help me with my courses, such as Macroeconomics 1 and Business
Finance. Also, the LSU staff is really friendly, passionate and always willing to help me with my study.
It was my great honor to be a SLAM, to be able to contribute to the program and make positive impacts on
the mentees as well as the university. I would like to say Thank you to all of my teachers, my mentors,
mentees and LSU personnel, from the bottom of my heart.

23

SLAMs newsletter | issue 5

Economics courses are generally considered not

too challenging to RMITers. Nonetheless, they can
pose problems for students who are new to tertiary
education, or to the ones who have difficulties in
processing diagrams, graphs, curves and the like. In
this issue, we proudly present you with a collection
of tips for handling courses whose codes start with
ECON from members of SLAMs who passed them with
flying colors, which hopefully you will find useful for
your studies.

Written by Doan Tuan Vu

SLAMs newsletter | issue 5

28
24

Nguyen Thu An

Academic Overachiever
In general, I feel myself
doing very well with the
lectures but less well when
using textbooks. Instead
of simply focusing on
theory, I often challenge
my knowledge by watching
the news. This is a good
approach to putting your understanding into practice and
staying on top of the most recent economic situations.
Another thing is to get enough practice for your exam.
Normally, I would go through all the materials on
Blackboard and those given out by lecturers as well. It is
important that the mistakes from the first try should be
carefully noted down.

Textbooks are always a good complement

to what you have learnt in lectures. What
makes the new textbook super cool is
the interactive graphs, which show you
effects of a change in variable factors
(Price, Output) step by step. Besides,
there is a lot of interesting information
and economic stories for students who
want to gain a deeper understanding.
For instance, we all know that PPF has
an outward shape but have you ever

Tran Huyen Hai

Macroeconomics SLAM

Doan Tuan Vu

Dang Vu Ha

Prices & Markets SLAM

Graphs are a major part of Prices & Markets,
and learning to remember them is essential if
you want to get good results for this course. A
very effective method that I came up with is to
try to reproduce each graph on a blank piece
of paper and at the same time (this is crucial)
narrate the adjustments that you are making
step by step. You can say it out loud, or say it
in your head, it doesnt really matter. At first,
you might feel the need to take a look at the
textbook or slides, and thats OK, but ultimately
you should be able to draw the graphs and
explain what they represent without such
materials. It is this exact process that it tested
during the exams.

25

SLAMs newsletter | issue 5

Macroeconomics SLAM
Having finished Macroeconomics, I
find the part that students struggle
the most with is module 2, which
introduces different markets such
as those for product, money and
exchange rate. Therefore, I would
advise you to put your extra effort
into this module. I believe the key
thing here is that you are able
to understand and explain the
interaction among those markets.
Writing down the explanations
is also recommended, as it can
help you with the short-answer
questions in the exams.

wondered whether it is possible for PPF

to have an inward shape? Well, read the
book and find out for yourself.

Nguyen Thi Bao Khanh

Macroeconomics SLAM

Find an inspiring companion for your study. Im truly

fortunate to have a father and a bestie who have
broad knowledge of economics. Quite often, we
talk about the world and the Vietnamese economy,
banking, government policies and other affairs. They
inspire and remind me of how compelling economics
can be. They show and explain the more complex
economics models and recommend books that are
very useful for my study. They really inspire me with
their passion for economics.

Picture the diagrams again and again. Economists

frequently use diagrams to illustrate economic models.
Personally, I memorize the graphs and curves not only
by drawing them again and again, but also by picturing
them in my head every day. This reduced enormously
the amount of time I needed to recall the models upon
reading the exam questions, because I had already
gone through the diagrams dozens of times before.

Economic Stuff
Do you love infographic? Check
this following link to see some
strange indications of economic
growth: http://visual.ly/strange-signseconomy-improving.
Feeling confused between Classic
al and Keynesian Economics? Check
this rap song out. Both interactive
transcript and captions are available:
www.goo.gl/kFPSL (thanks An Nguyen
for sharing this.)

Reproduced from: Econstories.tv 2010, Fear the

Boom and Bust, image, viewed 16 June 2012,
<http://econstories.tv/2010/06/22/fear-theboom-and-bust/>.

SLAMs newsletter | issue 5

30
26

List of contributors

Truong My Duyen
Editor and Writer

Dang Vu Ha
Editor and Writer

Cao Tuan Hiep

Designer

Doan Tuan Vu
Writer

Nguyen Thanh Ha
Writer

Truong Thuy Van

Writer

Tran Thi Hong Trang

Writer

Le Thi Kim Khanh

Writer

Nguyen Thi Kim Thanh

Writer

27

SLAMs newsletter | issue 5

Cao Hoang Yen

Designer

Pham Thuy Linh Giang

Photographer

Vu Thuy An
Writer

Ha Ta
Writer

Tran Huyen Hai

Writer

Ly My Nguyen
Writer

SLAMs newsletter | issue 5

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Have

deas for the Newsletter ?

What do you want to read in the next

edition of the SLAMs newsletter?
Lets us know what should be featured or if you have any articles,
tips, stories or puzzles to contribute !!!

Email us

Hanoi campus
slams.hn@rmit.edu.vn
Saigon South campus
slams.sgs@rmit.edu.vn

Intr