I’m originally from Russia but I have been living abroad for the last 10 years. I lived in China for a while, then in Spain and now I’m back in Russia – but I’ll be going back to Spain soon. For the past three years I’ve been working as an English teacher, but my dream is to work in IT. That’s why I’m studying Business and IT at IU.
Choose the study programme that matches your career ambitions
IU was exactly what I was looking for. I wanted to get a degree in something related to IT, but I didn’t want to be a programmer. I wanted something that would involve business alongside IT; a business and IT career is exactly what I wanted.
I was looking for a university that teaches in English, and the fact that [I can study] completely online is perfect for me, because I move very often. IU is also quite affordable compared to some other universities that I’ve checked. It was just perfect for me.
“I also liked the way that the studies are organised, because you can see your progress online. I liked the description of careers – the website describes exactly which course you’ll be taking, as well as the career options after graduating, so you can compare between the different degree programmes. That was really cool.
If you want to study remotely, in English and not pay a lot – compared to other universities – IU is the best choice. It’s the only university that answers all three criteria.
More flexibility means less pressure
The things that attracted me in the first place are still the main benefits. I really love that there’s no physical presence required.
I also have the IU [Learn] app: what I like about it is that I can move around and study on the go. I like that it’s flexible, so I don’t feel so much pressure. Even though right now I’m taking the most intensive time model, 6 courses per semester, I know that if it’s too much I can always slow down and take only 5 or even 3 subject per semester.
Build the right schedule for you
Last year, before I started studying, I was working over 40 hours per week. But now as a student I need to have more freedom. I can choose if I want to take more students or if I want to work a little less, so I think right now I work between 30 and 35 hours per week. Most of my work is done in the afternoons and evenings, so I start at around 4pm, and then I finish at 12,1 or even 2am. So I usually study in the mornings and afternoons, and then start working afterwards.
Develop your self-discipline
When you study [independently] online, if you didn’t do anything during your semester and didn’t study at all – it’ll only hit you once it’s time to take your exams. So you need to be self-disciplined. It hasn’t been a problem for me during the four months I’ve been studying so far, but if you’re not someone with self-discipline, you’ll have to work on that.