Through Challenges to Knowledge

In the world of technologies  and permanent changes, the role of IT specialists is becoming increasingly important. The guest of our HED_people column, Nwafor Fotso Constant Denis, who is a student at the Faculty of Digital Systems of Yaroslavl State Technical University, shares his experience as a young programmer and talks about his impressions of Russia and overcoming new challenges in his professional development.

Nwafor Fotso Constant Denis, a student at Yaroslavl State Technical University

I’m a young aspiring programmer. I study IT at the Institute of Digital Systems. I’m 25 years old, I’m very hungry for knowledge, I love, life and my greatest joy comes from helping others.

It was my uncle who helped me choose the university, and it was he who advised me to apply to a Russian university and made the required paperwork. At first, we sent my documents to Saint Petersburg and Moscow but they didn’t accept me. We didn’t despair and applied to YSTU. Fortunately, I got accepted to this university as if they knew I was capable of being a success here.

The Russian Language is a New Challenge

I like the Russian language because it is something new and it encourages me to push myself beyond my limits. When I first started learning Russian, I was so discouraged because I studied hard but the results were not visible at first. Nevertheless, the preparatory year was a year of discovery for I was humbled by how much there was still to be learned.

The process of learning the Russian language can be tedious, but it’s also amazing. During my studies, I learned a lot of new things about myself, about the people around me and built my social skills. It was honestly a beautiful period of my life. Every day was a brand new day to dive into the unknown.

Practice Makes Perfect

Practice makes perfect. The faculty is fully aware of this and so the lessons are more practical, with a lot of talking and writing. Also, there are a lot of classes with native Russian speakers, and all of this yields good results. I am grateful for the experienced teachers and their help in difficult situations.

At YSTU, I received plenty of love and support that helped me progress quickly, it pushes me to work hard and strive for the best. In fact, YSTU offers plenty of opportunities for creative and talented people. My fame comes from my involvement and success in numerous activities and competitions, like vocal music competitions, literature competitions, oratory competitions, video contests, and conferences.

Russia is an IT Heaven

I can’t fully express my love and gratitude for being here in Yaroslavl. Despite some difficulties, every experience has played an immense role in my life during the two years of my stay in Russia.

I am on good terms with Russians. I love them, and they love me. It will give me the greatest joy to become a part of this great nation, and I plan to stay here after my graduation. I can’t talk too much about the future, but I know it will be full of wonderful surprises.

Thank you, YSTU

I am grateful for my first Second Place Diploma at the YSTU’s Student Spring Festival. It was special for me because I felt that I was supported by the people around me. My success can be attributed largely to the Preparatory Faculty and support from Nadezhda Moreva, Lyudmila Tyukina, and Alyona Malakhova. When I was facing adaptation problems, they helped me in my further development.