Beyond Your Wildest Dreams
I have heard these crazy lines so many times like “I have never-ever dreamed of studying here”, “It’s unbelievable”, “It’s beyond my wildest dreams”. Moscow, a sleepless city of lights and opportunities, sparkles brighter than other landmark on your lifetime path. It hypnotizes, it mesmerizes and makes you want to join the Moscow crowd, to attend the most prestigious university, to become a true Moscow-dweller.
However, the time passes by and changes you. A month spent in Moscow is a long period of time, especially when it comes to your first years of study. Let us listen to the freshers from various HSE educational programs talking over their troubles, dreams and first experiences in a new place of living.
Maria Markina, Physics major, born in Maloyaroslavets (Kaluga region)
The crowds and the noisy subway station. I was scared of them from the very beginning. It sounds funny, but I have never thought Moscow can be so big. It is impossible to believe in! The amount of time that I spend right now to walk down the street would be enough to cross my hometown. I know that it sounds very banal, but it is surprising still!
Completely… my room back home is much more comfortable, and also my parents… I miss them much.
Absolutely no! Here, in Moscow, you are not treated like a child – only like a person who knows what to do with his or her career and life as well. I also adore my groupmates! Almost every student from my educational program is creative, has a good sense of humor. It is a stereotype that physicists are focused only on their studies – we are so broadminded!
Well, only a teddy bear that I sleep with. It helps me to worry less and fall asleep faster!
Oh dear) I guess it is washing your face up with cold water. I also paint my nails during the lectures – this pungent smell literally wakes me up! However, speakers are not very happy about me having a beauty salon on their lectures!
I will try. After my graduation, I will become an astronaut and will fly to an International Space Station. Then I will live in Moscow and, of course, I will meet my future husband, we will buy a beautifully decorated apartment, get a dog, but someday we will fly away from all of it – to another planet. Please, do not laugh at me – I am extremely serious. I believe that my strangest dreams can come true here, in the city that never sleeps.
Sofia Ryzhkova, Journalism major, born in Protvino (Moscow region)
The road to the university. It took me about 15 minutes to get back home after school in Protvino. Here, it is so noisy, so overcrowded; it is very hard to stay the same in Moscow mess. It is very unusual for me not to see Math or Physics in our schedule. I had 5-6 hours of physics and mathematics per week at school. Losing them is like losing part of me.
No, absolutely no! It was great, but I have outgrown it. I wanted to change my life completely, to turn over this page – and now I am here! You know, I have had so many doubts and questions about universities, which one to attend, but right now I understand I’m on the right way.
I have a little white toy hare. It belonged to my mom when she was a student. Of course, it is already old, but still so cute! I have also brought some souvenirs to the dormitory – tiny figures from different countries. They used to stand in my room back in Protvino.
The most effective way to fight the problem is to give in to it and so to fall asleep! I remember myself doing Russian all night long surrounded with empty cans of energy drinks. Do not dare repeat that! It is also effective to change for physical exercises, but not at night and not in the dorm room.
Okay. I am 28 and at least I have a boyfriend or even a child. I live in Moscow in a spacious light apartment full of flowers and plants, especially cactus. I travel quite often for my job and I hope I will have visited about half of Russia by the age of 28. I play the piano, read and write a lot. I also adore meeting with my friends, and most of my friends are from HSE. Once a week we meet up at the local café and discuss everything about our jobs and personal lives. I see myself a fulfilled person, a person who has found her way and her place under the sun. Is not it lovely?
I think I would write: “Try everything while you’re young. Literally everything. Jump with a parachute, swim with sharks, ride a dolphin, visit the courtroom as an accused person, write a provocative, but reliable article, go to a rally, yell at night "halyava, come” and still fail the exam. That is life as it goes: it is constantly changing. There will be overwhelming, stressful moments too. Just be sure that all these people, who have been through thick and thin with you, will always support you. Always wear bright eyeshadows and glitter because you are a part of the Journalists Squad. Get through the difficult moments, remember the happy ones, and be sure that no matter what decision you make, it will always lead you to the dream”.
Timofey Gardin, International Relations major, born in Nizhny Novgorod
The amount of homework. My group was the first to attend all the seminars so we were given more homework to do. We literally forgot how to sleep. Another point was that most of this work was to be made on your own, and it is not what you usually do at school. You need some time to rewrite your daily routine.
I do. I have studied in the Regional Center for Gifted Children for the last two years. It was also very difficult to study there, but it was not that tough and noisy. All my classmates were very friendly, so the atmosphere was special.
To be honest, I have brought nothing with me, except for good memories. All of my mascots are my memories – and they cannot be replaced. I also have many friends studying here, in Moscow – meetings with them make me relax after a long working week.
To my mind, the best thing you can do is sleeping during lectures and working at night! Sounds sad, but that is how it goes. I am always sitting with my home tasks at night and I am always sleepy all day! Maybe that is because I am a night creature myself and I just love working at night, the atmosphere and so on.
It might be hard for me. You see, I do not have any strict direction. I joined HSE course just because I wanted to understand what is going on in the world, between so many countries and nations. I wanted to gain knowledge – not the exact profession. I might look sad or intricate, but that is the way I live. It is still a very important question for me which way to follow. I guess I will just enjoy the studying process itself. Time will show me what to do next.
I would write: “Dude, stop spending so much time on your classes! Your social life is worth it too. Keep it balanced, boy, and you will get more than just knowledge. And don’t worry too much; you will still have this chance. Everybody has it”.
Text by
Anastasia Ivanova