ICEF Celebrates the Freshers’ Day

© ICEF

Led by the managers of ICEF and its bachelor’s degree programme, the event has introduced the newly admitted students to ICEF, its organization of teaching, alumni community and how and where to seek support and assistance. The day involved the tour of the campus where the students met with their tutors and got advice from seniors.

The first to deliver his welcome address was ICEF Director Sergey Yakovlev. He mentioned this was ICEF’s 26th Freshers’ Day and that the chances of becoming a successful graduate increase with the experience and opportunities the programme offers. But opportunities per se don’t guarantee success. Crucial to the success at ICEF, in career and in life is the ability to find the tracks that fit you best. One important asset is the hard skills and the knowledge. They are a vital but not the only element to career success. One needs to be prepared for act in the workplace independently whether in business, civil service or science. Alongside ICEF Career Services, that provides guidance and assistance on the choice of a career path, there is a large network of alumni. “The alumni are your secret and very powerful resource. They live and work in more than forty countries and can give advice for choosing the right career, university or company. I strongly recommend you meet with as many of them as you can – and you will have four years to do that – to land a reliable source of guidance in the professional world," said Sergey Yakovlev.

Sergey Yakovlev wished the new cohort of students that they find a way to balance their studies with the bright, eventful student life, the latter actually being the only time for one to improve their communication skills – the skills such as teamwork, idea formulation, persuading, presenting and negotiating. With many interesting personalities, HSE is the right place to build them all. You just need to make best use of the resources that it offers and that lead to excellent communication skills. Once you have, you stand a much better chance of turning out a successful graduate.

To achieve academic success and avoid anxiety in the time of uncertainty, the Director advised the new students to focus on making the most of the diversity of opportunities that are available at ICEF and HSE at large as they study Economics and enjoy the vibrant student life.

Speaking next was Oleg Zamkov, Bachelor’s Programme Academic Supervisor. “A year ago we welcomed our freshmen online, and I am sincerely glad we can meet in-person today and can return to in-person learning,” he said. Oleg Zamkov spoke about the importance of never postponing studies to tomorrow. The “3-day study plans” don’t work at ICEF. Attendance is very important, as are home assignments, for your final exam grade will depend on how well you have performed during the term.

Oleg Zamkov mentioned one important change: from now, to satisfy the English proficiency requirement of the University of London International Programmes, it is sufficient for applicants to successfully pass ICEF’s in-house exam in English. The English language course and the exam procedure were duly certified by the UoL in April 2022. Another news is that students will have Programming in Python as a core course and that there will be an extended range of the electives – those willing to learn an extra language or take an advanced course in mathematics or economics will be able to do so by joining ICEF Academia courses.

Extending their warmest congratulations were head of BSc Office of Studies Maria Motsar, Bachelor’s Programme Coordinator Natalia Arkhipova and course inspector Nina Zakharova. They told about the impressive guidance and support available from the team and faculty of ICEF. “You are lucky to have enrolled in ICEF in its jubilee year – ICEF turns 25 in 2022. You are a cohort of students that witness the start of ICEF’s next twenty-five years,” said Nina Zakharova.

The official part of the day was followed by the sessions led by student tutors and the tour of the campus.

Alexandra Gorshkova, student tutor, 4-year student

Since tutors are senior undergraduates who’ve completed their first year and know first-hand the easing into college life after school, they can give useful advice on how to prepare for exams or what to concentrate on while studying a course. We are at all times available to other students for information and assistance. We arrange both formal and informal meetings to help students with their educational issues or provide encouragement to help them ease into the college life. Freshmen often stay in contact with their tutors long after they have completed their first year.

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My tutors were supportive enough to create a kind of safe space around me. I knew I was welcome to contact them on any matter and have my loads of questions answered. Knowing that I would be helped and guided acted as a safety cushion. One important thing – our tutors conducted training sessions to prepare us for the exams. We would go through problems together. Our tutors were, of course, those go-to people who knew what to do, who to address and where to get your query answered.

One lifehack that I think can genuinely help first-year students is learn to manage your time. We have compiled a special syllabus that features textbooks and all elements of final grades to help the students figure out what they should be focused on in the first place. Another important advice is do your homework and get enough sleep on the night before the examination. Spending nights studying is a bad idea. You will find your exam tasks to be very similar to those in your home assignments, so make sure you do them and remember that a good night’s sleep is vital for your nervous system.

Oleg Grunenko, first-year student

The Freshers’ Day has been a very important day for us. I had an exciting time meeting my classmates and the senior students in their third and fourth year. We had a wonderful tour of the campus on Pokrovka Street. I hope my four years of study will be as enjoyable and positive as my experience today.

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I chose ICEF because it offers a degree that has a solid reputation in Russia and abroad. ICEF makes its students employable in so many economic sectors. It was my brother, who is now in his fourth year at ICEF, who had helped me finalize my choice. I have been following his progress and the quality of knowledge he acquires – his example is the reason I opted for HSE without a second thought. 

I expect my years of study to give me the invaluable knowledge that will make me a worthy job candidate. And I am strongly motivated by the fact that the majority of programme graduates are working at the largest employers globally. I hope to get an unforgettable emotional experience from communicating with my classmates and my teachers, and I also hope my years at ICEF will be one of my best memories.

Sofia Shlyapochnik, first-year student

I learned about ICEF from my parents. They referred to it as a provider of exceptional quality and impressive opportunities, perfectly illustrated by the career achievements of its graduates.  We compared ICEF’s curriculum to those of other economic faculties and we found it to be truly unique. I went to an open house to find out more, and what I heard from managers and students made me fall in love with ICEF’s inspiring atmosphere. ICEF was my best and only option. I firmly resolved to become its student and did not apply any other universities.

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I expect my programme to equip me with the in-depth knowledge of economics and give me useful skills for my future career. I don’t think studying will be easy, but it’s definitely worth the effort. I am sure that my years at ICEF will be as exciting and enjoyable as my experience of the Freshers’ Day. I was really touched by the kind words and thoughts from the director and the academic supervisor. Our tutors have been of great help sharing their experience and explaining the subtleties of learning process. We had fun figuring out our class schedule, and they made the meetings nice and easy. I will recall this day – the guidance from the course inspector and the conversations with the tutors – with pleasure. 

Vera Korovyakova, first-year student

I’d been to many Open House Days before getting acquainted with ICEF and yet it is here that I met so many motivated guys and teachers. What ICEF offers is high quality education and unique opportunities. But for me, the most important and decisive factor is this special atmosphere that has got a hold on me within just a few hours. 

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The Freshers’ Day is one of my best memories of my first days as a student. I am thankful to the tutors for doing a great job telling us what to expect. I know it’s not going to be easy and there’s still a lot of things, even frightening ones to figure out, but we got the message – we’ll be going through challenges together. The nice people from the administrative staff and ICEF student organizations will be there to support us, the worried students, to cheer us up and help maintain our peace of mind. Besides, our tutors gave enough examples of how cohesive the student community is at ICEF.

We were told what to expect from our academic life. The many pieces of advice that we were given did prove helpful and had prepared us for our first day of study. Many of us would like to join the local student organizations. When you find yourself among so many inspiring people, you know for sure that your student years will not be only endless studies, but also vibrant events and meeting wonderful people. It surely won’t be easy to study here, but with the fellow students as experienced and inspiring as mine, no challenge is insurmountable.

Platon Prokhorov, first-year student

I enrolled in ICEF fully aware of the uniqueness of its programme and that the knowledge it provides isn’t available elsewhere in Russia. I chose ICEF also because I want to spend these four years among highly ambitious people. I don’t expect my student years to be easy, but I’ll study hard to obtain maximum knowledge while trying to live life to the fullest and enjoy my every day.

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The Fresher’s Day was an emotional experience for me. I made new friends, was chosen a student monitor (which, in fact, implies some extra responsibilities), I met with my tutors and got to learn that ICEF is a big family where I, too, now have a place. Alongside with the information on the learning process, we were told about who to turn to for support as we move on. It was very nice to meet Nina Zakharova, I hope that working with her will be a productive experience. After we’ve been issued our student passes, we all went to the café for a little celebration. I hope it wasn’t our last one. I am looking forward to the Freshman Inauguration Ceremony, which the tutors told so much about. Got my ticket ready!