Why did you decide in favor of Estonia and TalTech?
Estonia is a fast-developing country with an enormous amount of opportunities for students. I chose TalTech as my final destination because of its high-quality education, international environment, and professional teaching staff.

Why did you choose the international business administration program?
I'm deeply interested in entrepreneurship, business-leading, and marketing. Taking into account that it's taught fully in English in an international environment, I understood this is the best choice.

Which main speciality have you chosen and why?
Just a few months ago, I chose marketing as my main speciality. The main reason is that marketing skills are essential in the growing digital world – you learn how to influence people's decisions and about competitors through marketing research. And marketing is fun. The most interesting thing is that these skills can be used in everyday life and not necessarily in marketing only.

What has been the most interesting subject so far and why?
Introduction to Entrepreneurship, due to 2 simple reasons. Firstly, this subject enhanced the students' soft skills, which are crucial in business. Secondly, the teacher Ekaterina Demiankova was a professional that made every class as interesting and entertaining as possible, yet shared her valuable knowledge and experience with us.

How do you see your career after graduation?
I see my career starting in a local Estonian bank, and after that, I'm definitely going to use an opportunity to work as a marketer or sales manager in a global enterprise or lead a business of my own. I have always thought about starting my own business. Since my early childhood, I was striving to be creative, enthusiastic, and competitive – all the characteristics of a future entrepreneur. However, I have only thought about it and planned it but haven't worked on its realization yet.

What else do you do other than your studies?
I am a freelance English language teacher in my home country, Kazakhstan. I help kids, teenagers, and adults speak fluently in English through online lessons. I like the freedom to work independently and from any place – I only need a laptop and good Wi-Fi. I'm doing what I love.

What has been a positive surprise about studying in Estonia?
Estonians are very kind, open, and cozy. Before coming here, I'd heard stereotypes that Estonians are isolated and cold, but I don't think so, they just value personal space. When you get to know them better, you'll see how open-minded and smart they are.

What advice do you have for the young people still deciding between different universities and study programs?
Don't be afraid! It's always better to choose to study what you truly love because then you'll both succeed and be happy – jackpot!

Secondly, take a few minutes to investigate what the weather and environment are like in general in the town or country where you are going to study, as it might reflect on your health.

Finally, check beforehand what the available opportunities for students for work or internships are, and in which companies – it will give you a broad picture of how you are going to start your career.

Did you know that if someone simply pockets or forgets a business card given to them by a Japanese, mutual business is likely out of the question? Or that Great Britain has the world's longest tax law? If you have terrific business ideas ticking in your head and the borders of your home country are too narrow for them, come learn the subtle nuances of international business administration: taltech.ee/en/business-ba