Yesterday I met up for lunch with a cousin who is studying in her second year at DTU and witnessed an impressive act of courtesy.
Queuing for the DTU elevators is a common act of courtesy
I discovered two lines of students neatly arranged in front of the elevators and joined the queue behind them. Suddenly, a lecturer in traditional ao dai dress with several books in her arms unpretentiously joined behind me. She was slightly older than I, so I asked her to go first, but she thanked me and declined.
“Here at DTU here, we queue for other things too,” my cousin explained, when she noticed how impressed I was. “When we pay tuition fees, when we sign up to donate blood, we always queue and wait our turn.”
I suddenly realized that queuing at DTU is not something you see everywhere. In my apartment building, residents always attempt to enter the elevators first, even if they actually arrived later than others, and then stand as close to the door as they can, without caring for the elderly or children who are also waiting.
The DTU queuing culture can be seen everywhere, even when students donate blood
To be honest, there have been moments when I personally forgot my queuing manners and seeing DTU students doing it made me a little ashamed. I told myself that I should learn from their example, and, if only my neighbors and others behaved like the DTU students, it could resolve the jostling and disorder that aggravates our daily lives!
Going up to the sixth floor, at half-past twelve, I had another surprise when I noticed that the university library has its lights on all day, during the opening hours from 7 am to 9 pm, including weekends. At my other universities, where I used to study and study now, the libraries are only open during administrative working hours.
During exam time, we often spend too long revising, and when the library is about to close they are usually reluctant to let you borrow anything. And you can only keep books for one day, so, if you want to keep them longer you must ask for an extension and incur a fine.
A university is not only a place of learning, it is also a place where we are taught common sense and reason. I am sure that my cousin will learn even more at DTU. Minor customs, usually considered unimportant, such as good manners, are taught well and courteously, which ultimately shapes every student’s personality and makes them better people.
(Media Center)