Tips for Students
An HSE author shares10 tips that help students to manage time and leisure.
Let yourself adapt
It's especially important to the ones who have just begun their journey in HSE. I would like to recommend you to be okay with the fact that the first year won't be perfect (and the other ones, too). When you have just come to the university, take time to adapt to the HSE evaluation system, session system, discounts for students, course work rules etc. Take time to explore the HSE student clubs, because there are many of them! Dancing bachata, dancehall, hip-hop; doing cheerleading, swimming; exploring cultural clubs such as the Chinese, Japanese, Kazakhstan clubs etc. There are also many events held in the uni such as the HSE Unity fest, Extra Fest, HSE Student Night and others. Besides, there are credits required to get during the whole period of studying and you can bring a project from the Project Fair. To sum up, let yourself adapt to everything during your first year and don't let yourself be sad because of some failures.
Be disciplined
In my opinion, HSE university really pushes you to make your studying journey structured: developing formulas of evaluation for every subject, doing course works, projects and having deadlines. If you are a 1-year student, this is something that also needs to be adapted to and realized. In my experience, if you don't want to always be in a rush or stressed because of the number of deadlines and things to consider, it's better to take notes every week or month and write all the subjects that you have during the module, its formulas of evaluation and the deadlines with the dates. I will show you the example below:
This has helped me and my group (as I am the leader) to success! It really gives you clear vision of the work that needs to be done and you can plan further on when you will do each work.
Do it in advance
Yes, I am about course work! Course work usually starts in the first or second year of studying. It's the subject that is not listed in your main schedule, but requires big efforts during the year. As I have tried both an individual course work and a group course work in the last 2 years, I can say that keeping to the deadlines makes it a lot easier to write a quality work, because you will have time for consultations with your teacher and mistakes correction. The amount of work will also be distributed during the whole year, not a month and nights of working!
Discuss with your colleagues
At first, you will have your curators in your group. Their help is priceless since they are your first friends and teachers who can tell you more about the university and processes. I would recommend you to listen to your curators and to older students on your program since they are the people who have already experienced the journey that you are going through and they can suggest you what to take into consideration, what kind of work will you have, what kind of teachers (yes, that, too) etc. It helps you to realize what work you will have and also make friends and connections better between each other.
Be initiative
It was my first year at the uni when I decided to try everything that the university offers us: new projects, events, celebrations, meetings. I was deep into the non-studying life in HSE. What did it give to me? I had got the clear vision of opportunities in HSE, first achievements of mine for my CV and friends from different programs and countries. My adaptation to HSE and Moscow also went softer since I found people who went through the same process. In addition, I had realised that HSE is a lot more than just studying life, the university gives everyone an opportunity to try themselves in different conferences, events, celebrations, projects etc.
Moving to Moscow
If you are a student who has moved to Moscow from another place of living, this is for you. As a person who has come from a 600.000 population city (Yaroslavl!), I can say that besides adapting to the university, you will probably need time to get comfortable with the capital city! Take your time to see the beauty of Moscow, to put the road timing to your schedule and to visit many of the sights.
You might also have to get used to the dormitory as a new way of living. There will be new neighbours, things to learn to do by yourself: to wash the dishes, to clean the rooms and discuss the rules with your neighbours. It can sometimes be not as easy, but always remember there are many other students who understand you and have gone through the same.
Don't compare too much
When you study in the university, you might see different people who succeed in studying or in career while you haven't got that at this time. In my opinion, it's important to see where you can grow and pay more attention to something, but not to scold yourself. Seeing others achieve will open many doors for you to make the same or even more.
Prioritize
During your studying path you might see and get inspired by learning languages, studying, doing sports, eating healthy food, making your career etc. In my opinion, it's good to pursue, but it's vital to prioritize. For instance, to always give yourself food in time and get 7-8 hours of sleep, to let yourself relax a bit and see your friends and relatives. Remember that you have been accepted to one of the best Russian universities and studying should be one of your highest priorities.
I would also like to add about making a career and studying at the same time: there are many HSE students who do that or who try to do that. In fact, it's your responsibility to be attentive and still continue to study. Some students get excluded from the university because of unsuccessful studying by time, that is why please think twice about it and remember that it's risky. In my case, I have tried a full-time job during my 4th year and have just got transferred to the part-time job (4 hours per day) since it was hard for me to do both studying and working and at the same time my supervisor was not fully satisfied with my work because of my inability to work full time. I am now calm that I will have time for both getting a little bit of money by myself and studying.
Be strategic
I would recommend to be disciplined during the year and plan your deadlines (that's what I am talking about in points 2 and 3), but I feel like it's also vital to think about your studying strategy in advance. For example, to plan when you are going to get the credits on the Project Fair and how much time it will take to get it. Also think about your plan for the future: are you going to do your master's degree? If yes, what university and program will you take? What achievements in CV and grades (GPA) are required? If you are planning to take a master's degree, you should also think about it and get prepared in advance in order not to be disappointed at the time you need to apply. Do you want to get the "red" diploma? Do you want to take any additional HSE courses?
If to talk about your career path, there is the HSE Career center where you can take free consultations with HSE specialists. They help with creating your CV, looking for your own career path and getting prepared for the interviews. You can also attend HSE Career Marathons which are held several times during the studying year. There are different companies which take part in it to tell the students about their career opportunities, internships and the requirements. I like marathons because you can talk to company representatives and get the current information.
To sum up, be calm and talk to other people, try more and more, and you will succeed in the process of your adaptation. I would also like to recommend some HSE Telegram channels which you can find useful:
Экстра.ВШЭ — the channel about non-studying life in the university https://t.me/extrahse
ISN HSE Moscow — international student organization + meetings in English https://t.me/isnhsemsk
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