‘Every Word and Grammatical Construction That I Learned in the Preparatory Year Is Very Useful for Me’
Though born in Ukraine, Roksana Ramirez has lived all her life in Bolivia. A native Spanish speaker, Roksana came to Russia with no knowledge of Russian. She is currently studying at the Graduate School of Business in a Russian-taught Master’s programme in HR Analytics. In an interview with HSE News Service, Roksana describes how HSE’s Prep Year programme helped her become proficient in Russian and how she is now mentoring current prep year students to help them adjust to university life.
International Prep Year programmes train international students with little or no knowledge of Russian before they begin Russian-taught full-degree programmes. Upon completing the programme, students are expected to possess intermediate-level language skills and be ready to enter the Russian-taught full-degree programmes at HSE and other Russian universities.
Roksana Ramirez
When I was deciding which university to go to, I wanted to prioritize age and reputation. HSE is a new university and does not have the seniority that I was looking for. However, my opinion changed because the Consular of Russia in Bolivia told me about this university, its rapid growth, and rigorous education.
I decided to take the challenge!
I am currently studying in Russian with some courses in English on Coursera. Every word and grammatical construction that I learned in the preparatory year is very useful for me.
My level of Russian language is not quite enough to write big research papers or understand classes perfectly, but with technology, reading, practicing, asking questions, and my professors’ help, studying is becoming more manageable.
Also I have a lot of daily activities besides studying; I participate in sport clubs where I can be involved in the environment and can speak and listen to native speakers.
Coping with Pandemic-related Challenges
When the pandemic hit, I was studying in the Prep Year programme, and we moved to online study. I cannot say that I enjoyed this kind of study, but it was not because of the university. It was because I’ve never liked studying online. I am an active and sociable person who gets very stressed when I have to be on the computer 24/7. The adaptation process to studying online was slow and caused a lot of stress and physical pain for me, but the global situation was uncertain and the confinement was mandatory.
What was complicated was completing the homework. There were many activities, tasks, and classes that put a very heavy burden on the students. There was no time for rest, so the stress grew.
However, I must say that I had good teachers, especially an excellent teacher of Russian language, who taught us grammar in an entertaining way
It was nice to see how our older teachers learned and put effort into adapting to online teaching.
As for studying in the Master’s programme, the online classes are very difficult for me; it is harder to become friends with my classmates. I am the only person who does not speak Russian well, and trying to communicate with other students through a screen makes the situation all the more difficult.
However, my professors have been very kind to me. They help me and explain things. They understand that I am a foreigner and that I do not always know how the system of the University works. They have been patient with me when I make presentations and contribute to class discussions.
Mentoring Current Prep Year Students
Now I am a mentor in the preparatory year. At the moment, I am leading a project that involves translating a Social Sciences glossary from Russian to Spanish language with Prep Year students who want to participate.
The goal of the mentorship programme is to support students of the preparatory faculty so that they feel more comfortable studying and become closer to the university through students who passed through the same experience as them. We give them advice and also help them with whatever they need.
Living in Moscow
I have no complaints regarding living in Moscow. My dorm is comfortable and quiet. I love Russian culture; I like the food and the city. I am an art lover—I love classical music, ballet, sports and Russian music. I take a lot of advantage of being here, because I go to every cultural and interesting event that I see.
Moscow is a cultural paradise and I feel very happy here
HSE University welcomes applicants from all over the world and offers not only different levels of study, but also different formats in English and Russian, online and offline.
International applicants can apply for Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programmes in a separate admissions process for foreign applicants and receive scholarships with full or partial tuition fee coverage. Students wishing to study in Russian can enroll in Prep Year programmes to imrove their language proficiency and prepare for entrance exams. Applications for the Basic Course are now open. International students can also register to take the Test of Russian as a Foreign Language. The results of the test can be used when applying to HSE University.
Undergraduate applicants can test their chances of admission now by taking mock tests. Master’s applicants also have the opportunity to get a preliminary assessment of their portfolio and communicate with their programme of choice online.
To learn more about HSE University, its admission process, or life in Moscow, please visit International Admissions website, or contact the Education & Training Advisory Centre at: inter@hse.ru, or via WhatsApp at: +7 (916) 311 8521.
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