Denis Kulikov is a second-year student of the Humanities Faculty, majoring in ‘Foreign Language (English) and Foreign Language (Chinese)’. He shared with us the way he started learning Chinese, why he’d decided to submit an application as well as his plans for the future.
Why did you decide to enter Minin University? How did the idea of tying your further career with languages occur to you, to be more exact, with the Chinese language?
To be honest, I had never thought before that I would learn foreign languages and the more so Chinese. At first, I had dreamt of becoming a long-distance train motorman, later a doctor and then an economist as my parents had set high hopes on my career in the sphere of finances. However, a day before submitting my application for USEs I made up my mind to check what exam results were necessary to enter Nizhny Novgorod economic universities. At first, I got disappointed with the scope of subjects required as English was an obligatory exam. Fortunately, I had never lagged behind in English at school, which helped me score highly in the exam. My Maths results were low, which would not allow me to study on a non-fee-paying basis. Still I didn’t get upset, because while preparing for the USEs I decided to try my luck at entering language specializations. This was how I became a Minin University student that lured me because of the opportunity to learn Chinese as a major owing to its perspectivity and being in demand.
Had you learnt Chinese before entering Minin University? What difficulties did you face while learning it?
I had never been acquainted with the Chinese language before, but this fact didn’t prevent me from plunging into the educational process right away and achieving my first success owing to our professional and competent lecturers. This fact could not but make me pleased. As time passed, I got more and more interested in Chinese culture, being an active participant and later head of the international cooperation student club known as ‘ALaoUi’. Its main activity is acquainting Russian students with the peculiar characteristics of China, Chinese students, in turn, with Chinese peculiarities, as well as active communication and strengthening friendly relations between Minin University and foreign students.
What made you decide to apply for study in China?
It’s an open secret that Minin University provides its students with a wide range of opportunities to get education and maintains partnership with a large number of universities worldwide, including Chinese ones. This year a partnership agreement has been signed between Minin University and Shāndōng Polytechnic University (PRC). In compliance with this agreement, some most active and successful in studies students will be able to go to China for advanced curriculum in Chinese within the framework of the grant that will cover all the expenses on education and accommodation. Like some of my fellow-students, I also decided to take a risk and take part in this contest.
What information is necessary to be submitted to be awarded a grant?
I was to provide information on my academic attainment and my portfolio, confirming my active participation in various spheres of Minin University student life: arranging and partaking in educational, cultural, sportive and international events.
When did you get to know about the acceptance of your application? What emotions did you experience at that time?
Two weeks after handing in my application I received a phone call informing me that I was among the lucky ones to spend the whole academic year in China, thoroughly learning the Chinese language, culture and making new friends with people all over the world. We are leaving for China at the end of summer already, which is going to be definitely filled with tough preparation for the coming academic year. The syllabus will cover a many-sided approach to learning Chinese: spoken language, grammar and calligraphy, together with learning the country’s cultural peculiarities. If I say I was incredibly happy, these words will convey nothing. The feelings of delight, happiness, excitement and fear got intermingled, in fact. My head immediately produced a number of questions required to be answered together with a number of tasks necessary to be solved before leaving. But I am sure that owing to my relatives’, friends’ together with, of course, Minin University’s assistance, I will manage to overcome all the difficulties and problems on my way to China, as the saying goes “on a thousand li way, which started from one step”. This is my first step, my entering Minin University, that has so far radically changed my life. Minin University is a great beginning of any way!
Minin University wishes Denis luck and success in his next academic year!