Studying in Prague: A KNU Student on Mobility Exchanges and the Path to Professional Fulfillment

Borderless education: student Sofiia Yatsiuk's story of a year studying in Prague.

Sofiia Yatsiuk is a student at the Institute of Journalism at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. In her second year, she spent a year at New York University in Prague, and shared her personal story of 'borderless' education exclusively with DeTalks.

How did you find out about the chance to study at NYU's Prague campus?

“My mom's Facebook. At the start of the full-scale invasion, my parents talked every day about studying abroad. But for me, it was a firm condition that I'd return to Ukraine afterward, so I went through the Ukrainian Global University program, which is closed now. It was organized by the Kyiv School of Economics and, I think, the Office of the President.

The program itself was positioned as something that would 'prepare Ukrainian youth for rebuilding the country.' So if you look at it that way, Facebook is what took me abroad.”

Were there any scholarships or support available for students from Ukraine?

“Yes. I won the golden ticket, like Charlie in the chocolate factory. My parents thought until the very end that it had to be some kind of scam, since the terms being offered were so good. My tuition for the year was fully covered, and I got free dormitory housing. And over the year, I was paid $7,500 in scholarship money.”

“ People often tell me I'm 'lucky,' but this is exactly one of those cases where it really was luck.”

What does an applicant go through when applying for a mobility exchange? What was the hardest stage for you?

“The hardest part for me was getting everything approved with my university in Ukraine — signing all those agreements. As for the mobility application itself, first you had to fill out a motivation statement. Then I had an interview test with the prospective university, and after that, they sent us a [language proficiency] test from Duolingo. That was it.”

How is the American education system different from the Ukrainian one?

“First, less workload, more clarity. It was really convenient that my specific university had a portal where materials for the next class and homework assignments were posted. And it was really comfortable having that clarity, since I chose my own courses. You could also see every assignment in full, how many points it was worth, and the deadlines.

Second, I really liked that the system itself doesn't divide things into seminars, lectures, and practicals. And for any class — or, more precisely, it's called a «class» here — you're expected to read some literature or prepare an assignment for it. But there really weren't many assignments overall. In my hardest course, I had only three assignments the whole semester. And mostly, we'd discuss what we'd read, or new topics. It was also great that because the community was small — we had 60 students in the first semester — it really brought us together.”

I also really appreciated how transparent the grading and evaluation were. And another thing — it was cool that I didn't just hand in a finished assignment right away. First, I'd go to the professor, we'd discuss the assignment, they'd give me feedback so I could understand my mistakes and improve, and only then would they check the final version.”

“Here, what matters is that you actually learn, not just 'get it done.'"

How difficult was it to adapt to a new environment?

“It was hard for me in the first few months, since it was the first time I'd lived on my own abroad, in a completely unfamiliar setting. It was a little easier because I lived with a Ukrainian.”

"On exchanges like these, it's important to realize you're not the only one going through this. Because it feels like you're the one who's struggling since you're on your own. But actually, everyone arrives feeling the same way."

“Americans, in general, are very easygoing, but they communicate fairly superficially and don't build very deep connections. You could feel the difference in mentality. We were told that Americans are surprised if people don't smile at each other on the street. But overall, they're pleasant, and I liked how easily they strike up conversations and make connections.

Americans hold to certain human values. When we submitted our documents, we could specify the name we wanted to be addressed by. They also genuinely try to teach you — engagement really matters to them. Everything is very adapted to modern realities, since it's clear something new is being created all the time.

Another thing that stuck with me was that we had a whole class devoted to dating apps. We discussed how they work, what impact they have on society, why there are more and more apps but fewer and fewer people in relationships. It was really cool that they apply practical, real-life experience like that.”

Can you give advice to students who only dream of studying abroad?

“The main thing is not to be afraid to go. If I could turn back time a little, I would have spent that academic year more fully. I travelled, but I held myself back a bit out of shyness.

I recently went back there, and it's just an incredible feeling, returning to a city that's close to your heart. I know that in 20 years, I'll go back, and I'll have the same warm feelings for Prague — I'll walk the same streets and look for my favourite coffee.”

“ If you look at the advantages of studying abroad, it plays a key role in professional fulfillment“.

“When I came back to Ukraine, I didn't have an official job. I started writing and sending out resumes, and people would respond: «Wow, you studied abroad». I'd also recommend learning English. Constantly. I know many people don't get into an exchange program on their first try, but the main thing is not to stop and to keep trying.”