Graduate studies in the USA

Marina, why did you decide to continue obtaining higher education in the USA?

Already studying at a Russian university, but dream of changing your life and becoming a student at one of the US universities? It is quite real!

Continuing to study in a master's program or even doctoral studies in America is an interesting and promising option for those who want to gain new academic experience abroad.

What features do admission to American universities after a Russian university have? How do students study overseas? Is it possible to achieve full coverage of tuition in the USA

Russian Marina Lepekhova, who received a bachelor's degree in Russia, a master's degree in America and is currently receiving a doctorate at the University of Massachusetts in Boston, shared with us her personal experience of studying and living in the United States ...

When I received my coveted Russian diploma of a teacher of English and German, I could not imagine where fate could lead me. However, in 2014, I entered a master's program at the University of Mississippi in Applied Linguistics and Teaching English as a Second Language (MA Applied Linguistics & TESL), which I successfully completed in 2017. Currently, I am continuing my doctorate in PhD Applied Linguistics at the University of Massachusetts in Boston.

The idea of ​​continuing my education abroad began to interest me in the 5th year of a Russian university. I always wanted to know how it feels to be a student in another country and how much the knowledge gained at a Russian university will be applicable in practice. Of all the countries that attracted me at that time, there were Germany and the USA, since I was fluent in English and German. In addition, as a student, I visited these countries and experienced the process of immersion in culture and language.

After some thought and searching for suitable programs on the Internet, I opted for the United States, as American universities offered funding and the programs themselves seemed interesting.

What, from your point of view, are the advantages of American linguistic and humanitarian education?

The biggest advantage of American education in general is the freedom to choose subjects and the flexibility of the education system itself. A student can choose a specific direction of study from the very beginning or change it during his studies. It is also possible to receive additional specialties in addition to their core. For example, you can study linguistics as a main subject (major), but take additional courses in a completely non-adjacent specialty, for example, physics or engineering (minor). Often a student who has come to the university does not know what exactly he wants to study or, on the contrary, his range of interests is very wide. Freshmen have the right in the first year to study under the undeclared major program, without highlighting any specialty and take a variety of courses, and in the future they will precisely determine their specialty.

Personally, I started my master's studies in the specialty of linguistics, but later I realized that, nevertheless, applied linguistics is closer to me. After two years, I changed my specialty, got the missing items for a year, and graduated with two related specialties.

Another advantage of American education, in my opinion, is a special approach to learning. It seems to me that it is radically different from the Russian one. In the USA, everything is built on the development of critical thinking, analysis of facts, the formation of one’s own opinion, rather than reproducing accurate information from textbooks. I like that here I am not forced to memorize unnecessary facts. It does not impose topics on which you should write a course or report. The student has more freedom in choosing what is really interesting to him.

Why did you choose the programs of the University of Mississippi and the University of Massachusetts in Boston?

Honestly, at the time I entered the doctoral program, several universities with full funding accepted me. However, the program at the University of Massachusetts seemed to me the most balanced in terms of subjects and areas of study presented. In addition, I always dreamed of living and studying in a big city, so Boston was my choice.

As for the University of Mississippi, at that time only this university sent me an invitation and offered full funding. I was also interested in learning about the south and its culture. It seemed to me that the master's program at the southern university would be interesting and informative not only in educational, but also in cultural terms.

Was it difficult for you to enter a magistracy, and then in PhD? What difficulties did you encounter?

Receiving in another country is always very exciting, costly and takes a long time. For entry abroad, namely in the United States, you need to prepare in advance, at least for a year, or better for two.

In the case of my admission to the magistracy, I had a very long time to look for suitable programs. For me, a very important factor was also the provision of full funding for studies. I spent the whole summer just to study the education system in the United States as a whole, find out what types of financing are available, university ratings, and program requirements.

It was already easier to enter PhD. I knew what to expect, how many points I had to score on the TOEFL and GRE tests. I also realized the seriousness of further studies and the fact that its duration would be at least five years.

I spent a lot of time writing a Statement of purpose, choosing programs in which I could fully realize my scientific potential. In addition, it is important to find professors who can not only write letters of recommendation, but also tell them about the student himself, about what qualities he has and what his potential is.

It seems to me that it’s important for students to understand that PhD in the USA requires absolute returns. You need to know why you need it and what prospects it will bring. I did not come to the conclusion that I need PhD in order to somehow legalize in the country and stay here forever. I consciously went to this for several years and always knew why I needed it.

Marina, share your experience, do you like living and studying in America? What are the pros and cons of your student experience you could name?

I enjoy living and studying in Boston. There are many opportunities in a big city. Of the advantages, I can name an interesting program of study at the university. I also like the variety of languages ​​and cultures represented both on campus and beyond. In the subway you can see people from different countries and hear a lot of foreign languages. This does not surprise anyone. I like my campus, located on the shore of a large bay. In the evening, when I return from class, I can always admire the magnificent view.

Of the minuses, I can name expensive life in Boston, traffic jams and crowded transport at rush hour. But for me these are so everyday problems that I do not pay attention to them. Of the minuses of student life, perhaps, one can single out the fact that you do not feel any unity with your classmates. We meet only in the classroom, but outside the classroom everyone has their own life, and we hardly talk about personal topics. There is no such student spirit as it was in Russia. Everyone lives on his own.

Many foreign students about to study in the United States are concerned about the current changes in the country regarding foreigners. As a person who has been living in the USA for a long time, can you say that changes are really taking place in American politics and society that could negatively affect foreigners living in the country?

The changes taking place now in the United States are more focused on illegal immigration and on those who break the law. In my case, I am legally in the country, so I did not notice any changes in my attitude.

Tell us about how you managed to achieve the full funding of your studies in the USA. What is needed for this, and can a student earn extra money while studying?

For all the years of my studies in America, I did not pay either for my studies or for living in the country. All my expenses were covered by the university in which I studied. In Mississippi, I had a teaching assistantantship, which covered the full tuition fee, and I was paid a small stipend that was enough to cover my basic expenses. Also, the university paid me insurance. In return, I worked at the university and helped the professor with the organization of lectures and verification of homework. I also worked in the Russian program and taught one class of Russian for American students.

At the moment I have the same scheme for covering expenses, only now I am not teaching, but I am engaged in research activities. I work on research projects in collaboration with two professors. The university, in turn, covers me fully with tuition, medical insurance and pays a scholarship every two weeks.

According to the rules of the F-1 student visa, a foreign student has the right to legally work on a 20-hour campus. Work off campus is prohibited and requires additional permission, which is given only in very exceptional cases. I never broke the law and always worked legally for the university 20 hours a week. The scholarship that I get paid is enough for a living.

What are the prospects for employment for graduates? Is it easy to stay in the US after graduating from a local university?

The situation with finding work after graduation changes every year. At the moment, finding work for graduates is quite difficult. I have 5 more years to understand exactly what I want to do in life. Ideally, I would like to become a professor at the university and teach courses to students, but life is so unpredictable that I would not want to make a guess. Perhaps in the future I will open up other perspectives.

Do you recommend other Russian students, especially the same linguists, to go to study in the USA?

I recommend going to study in the USA only to very motivated people who are willing to invest their time and energy into study. Also, studying in the United States is suitable for those who are really ready to accept something new in life and take a different look at the education system as a whole. Masters in the USA is a pretty good option. Doctoral studies are already a more serious step. As one friend of mine said: “PhD is not for everyone,” with which I completely agree.