International Students Testimonials

Seyed Nima Tayarani Bathaie , Iran

Saint Petersburg Electrotechnical University "LETI"

There are a lot of outstanding museums here, but most of all I love the local nature

I am a master's student at ETU "LETI" in the program Computer Science and Knowledge Discovery. In Iran, I have finished the Bachelor's degree program at Amirkabir University of Technology, which is one of the best universities in the country. I studied in Computer Electronics and worked for three years after graduation. Then I felt the need to continue my education. I began to choose where to go. One of my friends graduated from ETU "LETI," and he told me about the university, about the helpful professors here. And indeed they always answer all questions, explain if something is not clear. We had many students in groups at the university, so the professors did not have time to advise us.

I think that two things are important in any program: the courses and the possibility to communicate with professors. In these aspects, my program is perfect. When I was applying to this university and this program, I learned that the list of the courses is very wide. It is good for me because it allows learning about different areas and deciding what I want to explore further. I learned to speak Russian a little, most often I say: “Privet!” And the most useful phrases are “How much does it cost?” and “By card, please”. Honestly, I am a little bit shy to talk to a Russians because I know that I use a lot of words wrong and with an inaccurate accent.

But in general, people are very kind here; this is the first thing I liked about Russia. I have many friends here. Together we play sports and attend exhibitions – there are a lot of outstanding museums in St. Petersburg. I did not expect that there would be so many extra-curriculum activities at this university. It is great because I would like not just to study, but also develop as a person. However, most of all I love the local nature; my friends and I go hiking. There are a lot of forests and lakes here that I have been to a couple of times in different seasons. This is a completely new experience for me, which makes life enjoyable.