Fulbright-Hays Scholarship Recipient Profile: Alexi Kim
This story was originally shared on September 12, 2019.
In this video, Alexi Kim shares her daily routine (all in Russian!) while on the Advanced Russian Language and Area Studies Program in Moscow as a Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad scholarship recipient. To view the video, please click here!
Before studying in Moscow, my main fears were: (1) only having one year of prior language instruction and (2) entering a new university for a semester, where I would need to perhaps adjust to a very different daily-life routine. Moreover, I was comfortable and thriving at my home university and, consequently, I went back-and-forth for a while on whether or not studying abroad was appropriate for me.
While I was deciding, I spent a lot of time online looking for past students’ blogs or videos about their experiences in Russia. From past study abroad experiences, I also knew that one of the bigger challenges is finding and adjusting to a new routine in a completely new city, transportation system, host family and school. So, I was eager to find any information on an American day-to-day life as a student at a university in Moscow. Specifically, I hoped to find a video to physically see what life in Moscow could look like. However, after much searching, I realized that there were not many videos available, especially for the programs I was considering applying to.
Therefore, I wanted to share my school-day routine — from waking up, to university classes, to after school adventures with classmates, and dinners with my host family — in live-video in hopes that it encourages future prospective students, of all backgrounds in language experience, to also study in Russia. I think such a video would have been helpful to me last year, especially as I more seriously considered American Councils’ programs.
I narrated the video in Russian, as well, to demonstrate my level of language ability post-program. As previously mentioned, I went abroad with only one year of prior experience and was nervous when I heard my classmates often had two to three-plus years of study experience. In the video, I talk about my language skills on day-one in Moscow, along with other topics on why I decided to personally study abroad.
As a final note, the day-to-day routine I show in this video is my experience, and is not indicative of what everyone in my program cohort did or experienced. Everyone, with time, eventually settled into their own routines, but nonetheless I hope this video provides a helpful example. Enjoy!
About Fulbright-Hays Scholarships from American Councils
American Councils for International Education has received a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad, to provide scholarships for advanced overseas Russian and Persian language study. Learn more about the eligibility requirements here.
About Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad
The Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act, commonly referred to as the Fulbright-Hays Act, was made law by the 87th U.S. Congress under President John F. Kennedy on September 21, 1961. Senator J. William Fulbright and Representative Wayne Hays introduced the legislation, which represents the basic charter for U.S. government-sponsored educational and cultural exchange. 2016 marks the 55th anniversary of this landmark legislation. More information about Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad can be found here.
By: Alexi Kim
Program: Advanced Russian Language and Area Studies Program
Term: Spring 2019