My background

From the 7th grade until the 10th, I studied at the Nazarbayev Intellectual School, but I did not continue my studies there because my health started to be not as strong as I used to have. That was the reason I decided to move to Astana City to live with my family. I graduated from School-Gymnasium #91.

Why I decided to study abroad in Spain

My mom sent my younger sister and me to Europe for two weeks. Being in Europe, I loved Austria so much that I dreamed of studying there and even started to learn German. However, when I was in the 11th grade, I decided to change countries because I figured out that the education there is more inclined toward medicine. Talking about my major, I have wanted to study business. Spain is the right fit for me. I love the climate and culture of the Spanish people and how hospitable they are. I thought that I would have a balanced lifestyle between work, studies, family, and resting if I go there. In addition, in Spain, people are close to their families and have strong connections with each other. I learn from them to be closer to my family. For instance, in Spain, on Sundays, any shops, markets, or even grocery stores do not work because people usually unwind and spend their quality time with their parents, siblings, and relatives. If you start to study Spanish or get more interested in their culture, you may notice that a plethora of things in our surroundings are connected to Spanish because it is one of the most popular languages in the world. As I think, it is crucial to know about the Spanish culture and the language itself.

Why the University of Jaen and my major

I am in love with a business degree because, in the future, I want to become an entrepreneur in the educational field. Professors at the University of Jaen are highly qualified. Some of them had their studies in Europe, the USA, and the UK. They always strive to help and are friendly with us, their students. They work for you, want you to know more, and want you to be well-educated. Additionally, my university offers many different opportunities to its students. For instance, I got my place in Sweden through the exchange program. The next year, for six months, I will be studying there. My friend is going to go to the UK for ten months.

Stats

My GPA was perfect, 5/5. My IELTS was 7.5 (C1).

My hobbies and extracurricular activities

After all the classes at university, I spend a bunch of time creating content and working on my blog on Instagram to develop it. The second thing I do with content is lead Instagram pages for businesses, such as pottery and furniture studios, and educational organizations. The third one is psychology because I work a lot on my mindset and I want to be more conscious about my choices, to be content with myself. I try to write down my daily thoughts and reflections, to do journaling. When it comes to sports, I go to the gym, to the pool, to yoga, and make my body flexible and healthy. In Spain, I started to bake a lot because sometimes I am stressed because of my studies and mainly work. Baking actually helps me because it makes me focus on the process and forget about everything. My friends and I also discussed the startup that we are planning to launch, fulfilling our idea into reality and building up our own business.

Application process

Details on the application requirements: https://www.ujaen.es/internacional/en/international-students/access-university-jaen

I remember that I asked for help from mentors in November and they helped me with the application process. I applied for all the required documents, collected them, and applied for a visa in the summer. It took me approximately eight months. For my IELTS preparation, I spent two months preparing for this exam. Frankly, I did not hesitate or stress about it, I just went ahead and passed it.

Helpful resources

Stemming from my personal experience, the Gallup test helped me a lot. I was hesitating between psychology and business management when choosing my major. To figure it out, I found a test called Gallup, which determined my strengths and weaknesses. With a combination of my strengths and weaknesses, I was able to identify the field I want to work in. During the application season, I also used the internet and googled all my questions.

Financial aid

I do not have any financial aid because I submitted my application to the program late. I missed the deadline for the scholarship. If you want to get the scholarship at my university, apply early!

The student body at the University of Jaen

Here, we have many international students. Most of them are from Morocco, the Arab Emirates, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Germany, and Russia. Plenty of students come from the Erasmus program and study with us. It is easy to make friends here. If you want to strike up friendships, no one will refuse you. Talking about that, I have an amazing story! In the very beginning, I was living far from the university and was commuting by bus. While I was sitting at the bus stop, I became friends with a person with whom I have recently had a trip to France together. In my home country, Kazakhstan, it seems impossible to sit at a bus stop, make friends with someone, and then after several months, offer them to have a trip to France. In Spain, people are extremely open, so it is easy to build connections here.

Plans after graduation

I want to work with big companies that are working with logistics or auditing because, in the university, I found out that my accounting skills are good and I loved it so much! After working in the company for some time, I am going to save money and invest in my future business.