Carlos Hernandez, Mexico

In September, I will begin studying for a bachelor's degree in Economics at the HSE Faculty of Economic Sciences. I will be studying in Russian.

I started learning Russian on my own in Mexico four years ago when I was 15 years old. After watching the American movie Bridge of Spies about the Cold War, I became interested in discovering more about the USSR and Russia, so I decided to start learning Russian to get acquainted with Russian culture and history.

I studied Russian through YouTube videos and textbooks.

For those who want to study the language, I can say that learning Russian is a long process, but the most important thing is practice

Without practice, it is not possible. I downloaded apps where I found native Russian speakers and started communicating with a Russian girl. She helped me practice: we would talk for 2–3 hours every day. She was very helpful to me, and we became close friends. It is also good to buy a textbook if possible, because in addition to practicing with people, it is necessary to use books to study grammar.

After finishing school, I decided that I wanted to study economics and even got enrolled in a university in Mexico. But I also applied for a scholarship in Russia through Rossotrudnichestvo and received it. Studying in Russia was my dream, so when I got the scholarship, I did not hesitate. I chose HSE because it is the best university in Russia for economics.

I am interested in the financial sector: I have always been curious about how the economy works because everything comes down to economics. I am also interested in how the stock market operates. 

I really enjoyed the process of studying Russian during the Prep Year. HSE University has very good Russian language teachers who help international students. Russian language is very difficult, and to master it at a high level, you need the help of teachers.

The main difficulty I faced upon arriving in Russia is bureaucracy. As foreigners, we need to arrange various documents: migration card, registration, fingerprinting, medical tests. And at first, it is very difficult because you have to understand everything in Russian and communicate with the employees of these organisations in Russian. It requires a lot of patience. It took me five hours to complete the fingerprinting process at the Sakharovo migration centre. Getting medical tests took about three hours. Obtaining a migration card and registration went fairly quickly. HSE has a buddy programme, but unfortunately, in my case, my buddy could not help me. As a result, I received all the documents myself, managed to do everything on time, and even helped other students with their paperwork.

I really like Moscow. It is a very convenient city for studying and working. I am from the capital of Mexico, Mexico City. This city is similar to Moscow, but in reality, it is more convenient here: there are many different apps that let you order absolutely anything. Mexico doesn't have that yet.

People in Russia seem a bit different at first. In Latin America, people are very warm and friendly, while here people communicate differently. But I have never encountered any xenophobia.

I have made a lot of friends here, both Russians and foreigners

After completing my bachelor's degree, I want to apply for a master's degree, but not right away. First, I would like to work in Moscow—you can get a good job and gain valuable experience here.