December 22, 2022
Umarjon Vohidov is a Junior student of the Liberal Arts and Sciences department at AUCA, This current semester he has spent studying at the American University in Bulgaria located in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria. In this interview, Umarjon shares his impressions about his exchange experience.
My motivation for the exchange
Honestly, participation in an exchange program has been on my list of priorities since high school. Later, when I enrolled full-time at AUCA, I learned that our university offers so many wonderful opportunities for its students that my desire to participate in exchange programs increased even more.
I decided to spend my exchange semester at AUBG because the curriculum of this university is perfectly matched with the AUCA curriculum. It is the same system, Liberal Arts, which I am already used to. Interestingly, the courses offered at AUBG are also offered at AUCA, which is very convenient for students like me. This allows me to complete the required and necessary courses for my major as part of my exchange. Also, I chose AUBG because this university brings together a lot of students from all over Europe. And I wanted to explore European culture through people, which is what I am doing now in practice.
The differences between AUBG and AUCA
First of all, it is the campus. AUBG has two large campuses. One is a bit old, a Soviet-era campus located in the heart of a town called Blagoevgrad. And the other is a modern new small student campus with dorms, a library, a sports complex, a caf茅, and other good conveniences, which is a fifteen-minute walk from the first AUBG campus.
Second, AUBG is located in a small town of almost 70,000 people. It is an hour and a half drive from the capital of Bulgaria - Sofia by bus. The most important thing that is valued here is the quietness of the city and the fresh nature, which inspires and helps to fully concentrate on studies and self-development. This is what makes AUBG a unique place, otherwise, if it was in the city center, I doubt AUBG would have such a learning environment. Students would often face destruction in the city.
Third, compared to AUCA, university clubs at AUBG are very active. There are thirty clubs at the university, each with 10-20-30 students, depending on their program and goals. The students are very active, and everyone is eager to do something useful. Perhaps the reason they are so active is that the university administration provides strong financial support for each club. And the clubs themselves are trying to find and attract financial support outside the university. For example, one club signed an agreement whereby the donor provides financial support, and in return, the club has to promote the company brand with its dance performances. This is one of the most successful cases that I had a chance to see.
My impressions
Before coming to AUBG, I did research on the county but one of the things that really surprised me is the beautiful environment. I was excited to see green mountains, beautiful lakes, smooth roads, and blue skies in which airplanes constantly pass. Also, I noticed that almost all the children from the new generation know English while some of the old generations might know Russian and even that is a very rare case.
I really liked their circle dance with Bulgarian songs. It's a lot of fun and in a way brings people together, it's something I'll never forget. We also had a culture day at the university, where we got acquainted with the national cuisine, which seemed to me to be a bit different from the cuisine of Central Asia. For example, while in Central Asia people usually prefer more beef, here in Bulgaria it is pork. This was a bit of a culture shock for me but overall, good.
Thank you, AUCA!
You know, we don't usually talk about this very often, perhaps because we don't have moments like this to say it. However, I think now is a good time to take this opportunity to express my sincerest gratitude to the university and to all the professors. Thanks to you, my dear professors, I now feel very confident outside the university, in a new environment for me. Had you not been in my life, I would not have been on exchange semester now. Thus, thank you!
I would like to share another important point with AUCA students. Remember that a semester abroad is an extraordinary once-in-a-lifetime experience during your undergraduate studies, where you can study and at the same time meet new people, get familiar with a new culture, new food, new cities, new architecture, and essentially dive into a new environment. Thus, if you have a desire to go abroad for a semester as an exchange student, start prioritizing things now: get good grades, be active outside of classes, and apply for the exchange program. I am sure that if you do all of the following systematically, step by step, you will have a chance to participate in exchange programs as well. Good luck!
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