Student Spotlight: Kseniia Shmankova, Belarus

Hi Kseniia! Please tell us a bit about yourself.

I am Kseniia Shmankova from Belarus and I study business informatics at the Faculty of Technological Management and Innovations. I got into the program thanks to Rossotrudnichestvo and I am really glad because the competition was very high. Even though my interest in business informatics is new, I am very excited to be studying this field. 

How did you choose this program? 

I see myself working in a leadership position in business because I am interested in the way it works, but I didn’t want to focus only on economics. I wanted to specialize in something connected to IT and innovations, so business informatics seemed like the right choice. After graduation, I expect to not only be business savvy, but also have certain experience and expertise in programming. 

That’s interesting! How did you realize you wanted to be a leader? 

Well, I am generally more extraverted and I feel like people tend to listen to me, especially when I am spreading a “positive vibe.” And during teamwork – which we get a lot of in my program – I also notice that I like organizing things, I initiate group processes, and I know how to delegate tasks. I noticed this about myself at school. I was and still am into the works of Dale Carnegie; you know, the way people communicate and what you can do to influence others. I can really see myself in this role. 

You’ve mentioned there’s a lot of teamwork in your classes now. Can you talk a little more about that?

Well, this usually happens in more specialized courses. We separate into teams and complete a task, like creating a company, starting from its mission and goals and onwards. This is a semester-long endeavor and we need to keep working in the same team to present the final project. With many of my teammates, we meet even outside university, so it’s also a great way to get to know people – even from different faculties, if we are talking about the core modules. It’s great when people become more to you than just someone you see at 10 am on Friday for math. 

What a nice way to look at it! So, would you say the program meets your expectations so far? 

I would say yes. There are days when I struggle, of course, but I know that I will get used to my new routine and it will get easier. I already see the opportunities that I came here for and I expect – maybe even in my second year – to get the chance to apply my knowledge in practice and start moving in the direction I see for my future.

Why did you choose ITMO in particular for education in this field? 

There were several important factors. First, thanks to my sister who studies graphic design here, I had the chance to learn a lot about the university and how it works on the inside. I did consider other universities, but ITMO seemed to be the one most in tune with the current trends – and I was interested in learning how to build a business and manage teams in the modern world, so it felt like a match. I am glad that I am here because people here are energetic and they fulfill their responsibilities as students, but also know how to have fun.

Plus, I feel a connection to the city because my parents used to live here and I always thought it would be great to experience it for myself. I know that when I come back home for the holidays, it’ll feel surreal that I study here. I felt the pull of the city and now I live here!

Did you find it easy to make friends with your new groupmates? 

Actually, I have to thank ITMO for a lot of events for freshmen that helped with that! Thanks to ITMO Enter, we started chatting online with our classmates and adapters all the way back in August, so we already knew each other a little even before we met in person for the first time. Naturally, I couldn’t remember all 120 people in my program, but still, having chatted and spent the ITMO Enter week meandering between the stations in groups, we weren’t really strangers by the time the first class came around. 

For instance, you come to a large lecture hall and you see a free spot next to a familiar face. I’d usually come by and say, “Hi! I’m Ksyusha, what’s your name?” After that, it’s easy to keep the conversation going. Usually, friendships and connections grow from such light-hearted chats, even though they are a bit like making friends in primary school. I think this is much better than starting your school year not knowing anyone in your group. 

Do you already have some fun stories to tell? 

I still remember one day when we had a deadline for some course, but on the same day there was a music video competition at the university. A girl from our group just texted the chat looking for people willing to participate – and I joined in. The theme was 2013 or something like that, so we had to film a video for a pop song from that year. And we just had a blast dancing in the background, filming it all for about an hour. Just your regular day at university.

Have you had the chance to explore St. Petersburg? Do you already have some favorite spots in the city?

I visited the city before with my family and I’ve been to all the tourist favorites. Now that I’ve transitioned from a tourist to a student, my perception of the city is changing, but I still have a lot to see – for instance, I keep meaning to explore the Russian Museum. So far, the places I like are connected with memories. For instance, my family and I went to Vasileostrovsky Market and later I went there with my teammates from one of the group projects; it felt nice to visit the place again. 

You live in an ITMO dorm. What are your impressions of it so far? 

My mom prepared me for the worst, so I wasn’t expecting to be glorious, but I was placed in a block-type dorm and I’d say I am quite satisfied with my conditions. It’s quite clean and convenient – my roommate and I make sure of that. I know it’s a new stage of my life where I need to take responsibility for the state of my room, what I eat, etc. Maybe I wouldn’t want to stay in the dorm for all four years of my studies, but for now it feels quite nice.

Were there any fun or pleasant aspects of adapting to your life here? 

At first, every trip to the grocery store felt exciting. I was curious to see all the new and unusual products. I love doing this when I travel: going to a grocery store to look for something I haven’t seen before, almost like a souvenir. Here, I got to do this a lot when I first arrived. Now, of course, I am used to what I see on the shelves, but I do get excited about new flavors of the things I tried and enjoyed. 

Final question: what advice would you give to students considering applying to ITMO?

I think that people thinking of applying here are already quite ambitious and they want to find themselves in a place with like-minded people. To them, I say you should just try and do it. I landed here because I just decided to give it a try – and it turned out to be a successful experiment. I don’t think there are any boundaries for applicants who want to get here, so if you’ve set for yourself this goal, don’t shy away from it, keep going.