Artem is a 19-year-old, first year Motor Transport Electronics student from Donetsk, Ukraine. He chose Kaunas University of Applied Engineering Sciences as the study programmes offered here seemed the most appealing and closest to what Artem was interested in.
Despite the difficult and worrying situation back in his home country, the young man decided to face his fears and apply for the studies. “Not knowing Lithuanian, leaving my friends and relatives behind did not stop me and after becoming a part of university’s community, I am now happy to say that the language is turning out to be less of a challenge as the time goes by” Artem shares. He then adds that “meeting new people and enjoying life in Kaunas are now an important part of his daily routine”. Artem is extremely happy and grateful for the people and staff members of university, he claims that despite the language barrier, the teachers are immensely helpful and try to explain or translate the information as well as the tasks needed for the courses.
Artem is happy to have chosen Kaunas as his destination as it is a city of contrasts: while having a long and rich history Kaunas is also a perfect modern place where one can go out, do sports, go sightseeing and so many more other activities.
Despite challenges such as changing the country, social circle and longing for his loved ones and his home, he finds energy to play sports and explore Kaunas. Artem also adds that as soon as he finds more time, learning new languages will be the next on his to do list as it will add to this overall experience.
When asked what advice Artem would give the incoming international students, he tells them not to be afraid of trying and just go for it: once you start, all the fears go away and all you have to do is push forward.