Aruzhan Uraimova: "The experience of studying at AUCA helped me adapt to my new environment in several ways"

October 16, 2023

Aruzhan Uraimova, a senior student in European Studies. Since childhood, I have always wanted to visit Europe, especially France, and live there for a while. As soon as I entered AUCA and learned about the opportunity to participate in the exchange program, I decided to give it a try. Throughout my studies at AUCA, I took French classes, as well as classes on French history and culture. Therefore, I was always interested in experiencing it in real life.

Sciences Po is considered one of the top three universities in political science. Since my major is European Studies, Sciences Po was the perfect choice for me. I went there to gain new knowledge from the wonderful professors and their vast experience. In total, I lived in France for seven months. My university in France had students from all over the world, from Ecuador to Hong Kong. This allowed me to learn not only about French culture but also about many other cultures and to be exposed to many different languages. I also got to know the French education system, which is slightly different from that of AUCA. At first, it was a bit unusual for me, but as I studied, I became more and more interested and fascinated by it.

Most of my classmates were local French students, which made class discussions and group projects very interesting. Even though I went on the exchange program by myself, I made great friends with local students and other exchange students. Later, we created our own community where we shared our lives and goals, various critical moments, and little victories. Together we traveled a lot around France, even to small towns that only the locals knew about. We also visited other countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain, Italy, and Switzerland. Apart from the main tourist attractions, we also visited non-touristy places that were like hidden gems. It was very interesting to experience such local life in different countries and cities.

The experience of studying at AUCA helped me adapt to my new environment in several ways. First of all, since education at AUCA is conducted in English, I did not experience any inconvenience or language barriers when I arrived in France. In addition, the French classes, which are taught at a high level at AUCA, allowed me to communicate effectively with the local French people. Secondly, the structure of studying at AUCA helped me to adapt to a French university. Even though the education system there is slightly different, it was at AUCA that I learned the essentials such as active participation in classes, proper communication with professors, and the ability to make advanced presentations.

Overall, I would say that AUCA provided a foundation for my skills and knowledge that I was able to later sharpen and put into practice during the exchange program. Not to mention that I had a lot of help from AUCA's European Studies Department professors, who, when I told them that I was going to France, provided me with advice and tips that helped me later during my exchange semester. I would definitely recommend everyone to participate in the exchange program because it is an incredible experience that everyone should have. Moreover, it broadens your horizons, opens your mind, and makes you a globally-minded person.

It might be scary to travel by yourself, live alone, and adapt to a new university life. But when you go there, you see that everything in our lives is so simple. That everything is possible and everything is in your hands. Even when seeing all these people from different countries, we used to think that these people are more advantaged, more educated, and so much different from us, but when you get to meet them, you see that there is no difference between people, and all the fears are just in our heads. So yes, I recommend and encourage everyone to participate in exchange programs because they provide a lot of new experiences, great memories, and teach new ways of thinking.

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