HSE Makes Me a Better Me
Duan Hexu, studied Russian at China University of Petroleum (East China) for her undergraduate degree. Currently, she is a first-year master student at HSE, majoring in International Relations: European and Asian Studies. Let's dive into her story and see how HSE makes her a better her.
The educational system at HSE leans more towards the European and American model. A significant difference from my experience in China is that a course is divided into Seminars and Lectures. This allows us to absorb knowledge on one hand, and on the other hand, it gives us an opportunity to express our own opinions. In Lectures, we mainly listen to the professors' explanations, and then in Seminars, we either discuss in groups or summarize and respond individually. Everyone expresses their own views, so we can hear different perspectives on a single issue.
There have been many impressive moments. For example, to prepare for a presentation, I would independently consult a lot of materials, then summarize and organize them according to my own insights. After the presentation, my classmates and teachers would ask questions and communicate based on my presentation. This practical approach not only involves self-learning but also learning from others and raising doubts. Additionally, some professors assign us papers related to the course, and we need to complete the writing based on the knowledge learned in class and our own accumulation.
I believe that HSE's academic network helps me to have a clearer understanding of my future direction and career planning. In our major, we regularly hold lectures where many academic leaders and professionals from companies are invited to share their experiences. Listening to their stories and understanding their life choices and paths can inspire my future plans. I unconsciously want to learn from them and become a better and more excellent version of myself. Although I know that life paths cannot be copied, understanding the paths others have taken can enlighten my own future journey.
For example, many of our teachers are members of the Russian think tank, the Valdai Discussion Club, and some even hold positions there. The Valdai Club in collaboration with HSE regularly holds academic conferences and lectures. HSE has opened up such a platform for us students to learn from industry leaders. In these conferences and lectures, there are many professional professors presenting their latest research findings. If I encounter a lecture that interests me, I will make time to attend. By participating in such activities, I can even have direct dialogues with industry leaders, and be the first to learn about the latest research results and related reports from academic masters, allowing me to directly experience a strong academic atmosphere. What impresses me the most is that, as an international student, I think such a platform is very meaningful. It is a platform that I would find hard to access after leaving HSE.
At the very beginning, I did feel anxious. Since my undergraduate major was not International Relations, I was worried that I would not be able to keep up with the learning pace of my peers at the start of the semester. So while I was still in China, I found many online courses and textbooks related to International Relations to study. But after coming here, I found that the amount of learning was far from enough. It is almost impossible to make up for four years of undergraduate major in a short time. Moreover, for the major of International Relations, a large amount of knowledge needs to be accumulated. So after coming to HSE, the first feeling was that it was very tiring. Because I need to read a lot of supplementary materials. And this continuous input has not yet reached the effect of quantitative change leading to qualitative change, so this sense of anxiety has been accompanying me to this day.
Another challenge is the Seminar. As I mentioned earlier, the Seminar is a good teaching method for us. But for me, it was a big challenge at first. Because the Seminar class is very random. When I first came, I hadn't fully adapted to the language, so I couldn't speak up in class discussions. Everyone was actively discussing and expressing their own ideas. And by the time I organized my language, everyone else had already seized the opportunity. People like me who are slow at organizing language are in a very disadvantaged position, so most of the time I was just listening.
After coming to Russia, it is still necessary to listen and practice more. It is very important to focus on listening and speaking training. We cannot just wait until we feel anxious in class and then think about studying Russian seriously. We need to do a lot of Russian listening and speaking training in our daily life. When I studied Russian in China, I focused more on written Russian, grammar, and exam skills. I did not pay much attention to speaking and listening. So students with similar situations should not wait for class learning. In the current internet era, online resources are very abundant. You can also train your listening skills by watching Russian TV dramas and variety shows. As for speaking, you should communicate more with Russian friends around you, and don't be afraid of grammatical errors and accent issues. As long as the other party can understand, it is a good way of expression. Only by strengthening training in daily life can you have more opportunities to express your thoughts quickly in class.
In addition, after coming to Russia, I feel that I have undergone a psychological change. The learning process so far has made me realize that there is no opportunity waiting for me to be fully prepared. So we should all try our best to seize those opportunities that may come. Only by constantly trying and exercising can we know where we are lacking. Only by identifying our shortcomings can we better improve ourselves. Instead of always telling ourselves: I am not ready this time, and I will prepare well in advance next time. But the next opportunity comes suddenly. In this way, we will miss opportunity after opportunity. So whether in class or after class, we should express ourselves and seize opportunities. No matter how poorly we express ourselves, the most important way to seize opportunities is to be brave enough to express ourselves.
For me, if given another choice, I would still come to Moscow. Coming here has allowed me to meet many different people. Life in China was a comfort zone for me. Going abroad was a step for me to break out of my comfort zone. So if I stayed in the comfort zone in China, the students and friends around me were relatively single. Staying in this comfort zone did not make me feel that I had made a big breakthrough and growth. After coming to Moscow, I met many excellent teachers and students. The friends around me also had various career plans and life ideas. This broadened my horizons and also stimulated me to constantly think about what kind of life I want to live. So coming to HSE for me is equivalent to breaking out of the comfort zone and further exploring upwards.
Now, less than a year of study and life at HSE is very meaningful to me. Because I am ones who likes to stay in my comfort zone. From elementary school, middle school, high school to university, I have always been in the same province, and I have not gone out to see the outside world. So coming to HSE, I think I made a very brave choice at the beginning, but to this day, I know it was a very correct choice. It brought me a lot of difficulties, but when I overcame these difficulties, I found a new self. I found out: OMG, I can do this. Anyways, thank you, HSE, for making me a better me.
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