Welcome!

Welcome!Dear student,

               Welcome to Saint-Petersburg State Technical University! We hope that your stay will be successful and enjoyable. We have prepared this booklet to assist you with some of your initial questions and we hope that you will also find it a useful reference throughout your stay in Russia.

               As a new foreign student you will be faced with multitude of changes. Perhaps the most exciting and challenging of these will be your on-going adjustment to life in Russia.

               Things may not be as easy as you had expected. You may miss your accustomed ways of dealing with school or work, social relationships and everyday life. You may feel homesick and idealize your life back home while being highly critical of life in Russia. You may become frustrated, angry, anxious and depressed. You may have minor health problems and disruptions in your sleeping and eating patterns. Your motivation may start to disappear and you may find yourself waiting to withdraw from your new friends. This is a natural reaction to living in a new culture and there are ways to cope with it.

               During this stage, it's important to recognize what is happening and to realize that your reactions are very common.

               Adjustment to another culture is often a long and difficult process. You may have additional stress of trying to succeed in a different educational system. Common concerns among international students may include struggles with thoughts of going home early before completing degree, anger of not finding what one had expected.

               When you are feeling depressed it's easy to sit inside and do nothing. This can sometimes make you feel even more isolated. Athletic activities or other kinds of exercise such as taking walks may also be helpful.

               To help yourself get through this period, there are things you can do to feel better. Most people find that contacting other students who are studying here, in Saint - Petersburg is a big help. Joining international student clubs is a good way to meet students from other countries. We are sure you'll find lots of friends from all over the World. They also will help you to get used to the way of living in Russia.

               You are very welcome to our University!

Source of information: StPSETU report