Nazim Ibraimov, BA-113: “It is easy to be lazy, but it is much more rewarding to work hard”

August 28, 2015

Nazim Ibraimov, a junior student of Business Administration department, spent his spring semester at an exchange program at Collegium Civitas in Poland.

 “Two days after our arrival in Poland, Saule and I went on a bus trip to Vienna, Austria, together with other international students from our host university. The university has a tradition of organizing reduced-rate trips to various locations both inside and outside of Poland for its students. It was a great way to meet other people like ourselves and create fast friendships. Poland was the first foreign country I’d visited (not counting going to Almaty for my visa). I am glad that the original culture shock quickly gave way to enjoyment and greater exposure to cultural diversity than I had ever experienced before. 

Now classes have finished and I am very happy I was able to study there as an exchange student. The courses were more difficult than those I had taken at AUCA, but what I really liked about them was we had the opportunity to do things I had not done before. We did comparisons and analyses in class which built tremendously on my understanding of economics. Most of the classes I decided to take were not offered at AUCA, and they were really useful and interesting. 

Actually, it was precisely because of those courses that I initially applied for the exchange program at Collegium Civitas. Of course, I also wanted to experience being abroad at another university, but I think what really made a difference for me was that I knew exactly why I made the decision go to Poland. The exchange program between AUCA and Collegium Civitas started in 2007. For some reason, it has not been very popular among AUCA students. Maybe our students preferred to go to Bard or somewhere else in the USA. In any case, studying in Collegium Civitas was really a good opportunity, and I am so glad I got selected. 

The application procedure was just like any other—you need a cover letter, an official transcript, and two letters of recommendation. The application opens in November and by December I had gotten my acceptance letter. There was one nerve-wracking part of the selection process. The International student coordinator asked me to re-write my cover letter in his office. I think often when students apply for exchange programs, they don’t look carefully at what courses are offered and so they don’t know how to prove that they really want to go to learn more. In my case, I had carefully studied the courses offered by Collegium Civitas in my major (BA). I considered not only those that the BA department does not offer, but, significantly, areas that were still becoming popular in Kyrgyzstan. Areas that I would need to know for my professional development. 

I am very thankful to the NGA for helping me improve my English, my study skills, and my knowledge, and for stimulating my desire to learn. I am also very thankful to the International student office for choosing me and giving me a chance to broaden my horizons and enrich my experience at AUCA. Last but not least, I am thankful to the SILC committee for financially supporting me with the exchange program; without their support, it would have been impossible for me to take part in the exchange program. 

One lesson I have learned so far is that one must know where he or she is going. It is ok when you are a first year student to still be deciding where your interests lie, but sooner or later, you will have to make definitive and do your best to be prepared for the future. The second lesson I have learned is that it is easy to be lazy, but it is much more rewarding to work hard and feel like you are doing something with your life.”

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