Alice, a 3rd-year student of the foreign regional studies, Russian State University of Humanities, is the guest of today’s column “Our abroad”. Why she changed the Russian University to American college: the pros and cons of studying abroad. Russian edition.
Hi, Alice! Tell me, where do you go? How do you get on a program to exchange students?
I am on an internship in the United States. My home University, RSUH, has a contract with Beloit college located in Beloit, Wisconsin. This is a small town located two hours away from Chicago, Illinois.
I sat on a pair, and I was unexpectedly called and offered an internship, which is paid by the University, but the cost of documents’ registration, flight and food paid out of my pocket (Alice had previously applied to internships, was good at study and was socially active-approx. ed.). Without thinking, I quickly agreed and made the right decision!
Do you like the college in general? Is it very different from Russian universities?
Speaking of Beloit College and RSUH, it is possible to detect a huge difference. I’m studying in the small college compared to my University, and students here are about 1,300 while in RSUH are more then 10,000. The education system is also very different: in America, there is no division between lectures and seminars; “para” (in Russian) in our understanding, called classes, where each class lasts a certain time. There is no such thing that they should be 90 minutes: some can be 60 minutes, some for 75 minutes. It depends on the direction.
Here is quite a large area, there is no fence, a lot of buildings. And I really like to live in the dormitory next to the University, because it saves a lot of time that I spend on the road in Moscow: the road from the student residence to the audience is 5 minutes.
Do you have many home tasks to do? Is it more complicated program than Russian one?
To learn a lot, but it’s balanced, I have enough free time. I do not sit all day in classes, thinking when it ends, as many students often think. I can learn, do homework and relax at the same time.
About the program…for example, a textbook on Economics here is much clearer and simpler, and to teach it is also easier, but the program is probably the same, but the approach is different.
Entering the University students no need to choose the direction, because it can be determined during the study. In fact, there is no fixed program, every class is recruited at will. Therefore, Americans have no permanent team: each semester a new person, choosing new classes.
What grading scale do you have? Is there some system on the similarity of the point-rating?
System evaluation points, i.e. each point corresponds to its letter A-F, where A is the highest score (5), F is the smallest (2).
Have you got “A+”, “C”, as shown in American movies? By the way, what affect these estimates? Does it make sense to learn “perfectly”?
Yes, I have. For scores and achievements discounts. Good grades improve chances of admission to the magistracy: the higher the score, the more competitive prospective student is for Universities.
How do you study? What do certifications or exams look like?
What about classes, they are held in a large classroom, where a teacher explains the material and asks questions at the same time, but students can also ask questions, and then the teacher definitely explains it. Summarizing, we can say that the classes are held in the form of a dialogue between the teacher and the student.
Often we write short quizzes. It depends on the course, but during the week, there may be 3–4 quizzes.
Exam depends on the subjects. I know that I have an exam on German at the end of the semester, that’s all I can tell.
What about tracking student’s absence?
There are some classes that you may miss no more than two times, otherwise, there will be problems with grades; and there are classes where attendance does not affect on grades.
Is it expensive to live the student in America? I heard that many students go to work because they sometimes do not have enough money for extra spendings.
Well, I’ve already said that I prefer eating in the dining room. Just put money on the card and not think about how much I spend on food (laughs). Generally, the prices are normal, adequate, even considering the current exchange rate (60 rubles), it turns out the same as in Moscow. However, I spent about 100 dollars per day on food in New York! Can you imagine?
According to the rules, exchange students are not eligible to work during the internship. It is forbidden.
Tell me, how do you spend your free time? what do you usually do, where do you prefer to go?
Can’t say that I have a lot of free time because a fairly large amount of jobs normally takes most of my time. Besides, we live in a town where a theater is a 50-minute walk from the College! With a car, everything is easier. We have already gone to Chicago and Madison, now we are planning a couple of trips again (smiles). Saturdays in College are parties, entrance to all students free of charge. In General, guys are active, they recently have performed “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare.
In Down Town there are a couple of restaurants, we get out there, eat rolls and burgers in cafes, drink bubble tea.
What features has the schedule? As far as I know, you choose your own subjects.
Yes, it is true. To simply enrolled in College, you need 3 credits. That is 1 class is 1 credit. But not all classes are worth 1 credit, there are 0.5. For example, it is dancing and “special project” of photography, where I can meet with the teacher personally once a week at the time convenient for the student and teacher. It is something like a personal lesson.
For me, it’s very convenient and fun when students can get their courses that they would like to visit. I chose Economics, German language, US culture, dance, and photography.
How does your weekly schedule look?
Learning always starts and ends at different times. I said that depends on the selected classes.
On Mondays I study from 9 am to 12 pm, then 1-hour break, and from 2 to 3 pm I have a dance class.
On Tuesdays from 2 to 4 pm, I have only English class as a second language and culture of the United States, after that, I go to photography class. The other day the teacher was telling how to use Lightroom, to print your photos, it was very exciting! Ends study on Tuesdays usually at 6 pm. Summarizing, I can say that there are classes that start early in the morning, and there are late ones like I have (smiles).
As far as I know, American universities are famous for its libraries. Have you been in the collage’s library?
Yes, there is a great library, which I really like. I love it to do homework because of the atmosphere there.
What about the food? Is it tasty? What do you say about American cuisine, do you like it?
About food… I can’t say that I like it because there is such a system as a meal plan. What is it? I have a card with 14 swipes, it means that I can eat here twice per day. By the way, dining room works on a schedule which doesn’t fit me. In the beginning, it seemed like there was a huge selection of food, and I could not understand why all the students complain about the food. After a while I also got used to it, all of the food I think is absolutely the same, and I can’t say that it is delicious.
We have a few places to eat. The dining room for the cards and a dining room for flex money, i.e. you put money on the card, and it is possible to buy any particular food or snacks.
All the food is quite greasy, oily or spicy. Sometimes even it turns out that many dishes, but I can hardly choose something healthy and delicious there, then I eat sweets. I would change the menu because they give a light breakfast as yogurt, cheese, and sandwich in the morning, and at night they give incredibly delicious cakes and famous American cookies. So, it is very difficult to resist and not to eat desserts because most of them are only in the evening, but I still need to keep fit (laughs).
As long as I remember, we on the study abroad often prepared something “own” to introduce friends traditional Russian cuisine.
Yes, we also had this event called “Tastes of the world”. Representatives of different countries cooked their national meals and everyone could come and try it in the dining room.
We cooked Russian cheesecakes (she talks about “syrniki”), but not quite at the standard recipe (smiles). Due to the fact in America, there is no curd in our familiar concept. There is a creamy cheese resembling Almette, and there is a curd resembling cottage cheese, but there is no normal curd. So, we decided to cook syrniki with ricotta. It was strange, moreover, I’ve never cooked so much (laughs). I thought it was a shame, but people really liked it.
Moreover, there is an American boy who teaches the Russian language, he had studied the same program in RSUH, and this guy approached several times over the syrniki. I think it is a success because he lived in Russia and known well about our cuisine.
Do you miss Russia?
I miss my family and friends… Russia — I think no, only if the food (laughs). Here is a great atmosphere, I feel comfortable. I generally like the American culture. You can not be afraid of dirty looks: and if someone wants to put his feet on a padded in the library, no one blames on you. Many students do during the classes put feet on the table, and it is normal. Many students eat during the classes, and this is considered normal. The amazing thing is that here people do not bother how they look and dress as they conveniently come in slippers, pajamas in the dining room or in a class.
The people are free, they can express their opinion and not be afraid that they will condemn. If people tell the truth or their opinion on something, someone just listens, someone agrees, someone just disagrees, but do not hang the label that he or she is a freak, how we can do it in Russia.
Who do you sympathize with more: Russian or American? With whom easier to get along with?
The mentality, the mindset and the concepts, values, and culture to me are still closer to Russian guys. With the Americans, oddly enough, not easy to find a common language, because they are rather closed. Yes, they are friendly and happy to help in some way, will tell, but so closely is direct contact… need a lot of time.
What inspires you?
It is a complicated but good question. Probably the most important thing that I want to be a developed and thoughtful woman, one who understands what is happening around, I aspire to self-development, I want to think, analyze… that’s what keeps me going.
Also inspiring me the ability to do what I like. I love the photo and can take photos for several hours the same tree from different angles, and then I can spend as much time to photoshop this photo. And it gives me insane pleasure.
Inspiration comes when you see the result
The best motivator is the fact that you tried, and it finally happened. It gives me strength to move on.
Thank you, Alice, for your cooperation.
You are welcome.
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