Institute of Business Management (IoBM), Karachi, Pakistan
Bachelor Program
September-December
2017 - 2018 Academic year
I was an exchange student at Institute of Business Studies, Moscow. Hearing of Russia, people presumed it to be a place filled with rude people and a country where no one ever goes. I encountered a lot more astonishing stares then criticizing ones. Being the first girl in my family to ever visit abroad independently was an exhilarating experience and a milestone in my life. All the stereotypes of Russia proved wrong when I entered Moscow. It is a beautiful city with very humble and helpful people. The only problem which any foreigner would definitely face is the language barrier because everyone speaks Russian and except for some school/college/university going students. Travelling becomes very easy when one gets acquainted with the Moscow’s most efficient metro system. Eating out is also feasible as there are multiple worldwide food chains like Mc Donalds, Burger king and KFC. A foreigner should be aware of the welldressed, more of theatre-type dressed people near Red Square and Kremlin because it was not expected by us for them to ask for money after insisting us of taking a picture with them. Other than that, Moscow provides a wide ranging product prices so it gets very easy to adjust with a tight budget. Snow usually begins at the end of October but the municipal committee is very efficient in clearing off the roads and providing clarity for traffic. How much the colder it gets, it still just never stops the livings and businesses in Moscow.
Experience at IBS RANEPA
Being a part of IBS RANEPA was a prestigious thing for me. I really enjoyed studying here and getting acquainted with their teaching methods. It was an excellent experience of getting to know Russian students and meeting great teachers. The credit for providing this ease definitely goes to our coordinator here in IBS- Moscow, Miss Zemfira Galimullina; she helped us with almost everything and helped us meeting our schedules and deadlines. Hostel life was the most exciting part of my stay in Moscow. It was my first time to ever live so independently without my family into an unknown place with unknown people but I got to meet so many international students here, from Spain, Italy, America, France, Germany, Nigeria, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, India, and China. I got to see their lifestyle and their different and similar approaches towards anything. I got to know about their eating habits and even got to taste their cuisines. Moreover, I myself got so many compliments on Pakistan cuisine as most of them got to taste our dishes. I would say the best part in the Hostel life was the Kitchen; where we all would sit together, eat and laugh about things. I was lucky enough to get a Spanish roommate with whom I had the best time. She was my closest friend here and we enjoyed sharing our cultural values and relate to so many things in life.
