We continue our Top List column with the stories about outstanding students of the SUSU institutes and schools who have excelled in studies, science, sports, or extracurricular activities.
Maksim Popov, student of the Faculty of Automotive Engineering of the SUSU Institute of Engineering and Technology, speaks on how he managed to place an electric race car on the third floor of the university building, on why he does not want to study in Moscow or Saint Petersburg, as well as on his hobbies, such as special equipment and playing guitar.
– Maksim, what did the Alma Mater give you in the course of studying?
– During the first year of studying at SUSU, I gained huge experience in organizing events. At the beginning of the course, I passed the "Leader for Yourself", which is the first stage of the Young Leaders School, where I was able to overcome my inner fears, go beyond the inner self, develop the self-esteem and respect for myself. Besides, we took part in the competition for the best team, what allowed me to prove myself as a leader and demonstrate my organizational skills. And thanks to the activists and creative curator of the faculty, we organized the Faculty Day. Our idea was to put an electric race car, designed by students of our faculty, in the centre of the site of the event. However, this was not as simple as I had thought. The most difficult thing was to lift the car up to the third floor. Since I was responsible for this, I had to arrange all the negotiations and transporting. During the process, the problems were solving themselves, in a short period of time the right people were found and official notes were drawn up. To fulfil the idea of our team, we had to involve about 20 freshmen.
– What about the educational process?
– I came to SUSU with high scores in the Unified State Examination: 240 scores for three exams. At first the educational process at the university seemed to be easy, but covered quite a lot of subjects. I passed my very first exams with just one "B" mark. There is this stereotype that the more complex the studying, the better you are taught. I do not agree with this, because the complexity of the educational process affects the mental state and nervous system of a person, which does not contribute to successful learning.
– Why being such a high-scoring applicant you did not consider the options of the universities in Moscow or Saint Petersburg?
– Since SUSU provided the right speciality, I knew in advance which programme I wanted to choose. Moreover, I do not really like such big cities as Moscow or Saint Petersburg.
– Do you have a motto helping you in achieving goals?
–Yes, and it sounds pretty simple: "Nothing is impossible".
– Please, tell us about your hobbies and plans for the future.
– Currently, I am fond of cars and everything connected with them. I am interested in different special equipment, and I also learn how to play the guitar. My plans for the future are transparent: to graduate from the university successfully, find a well-paid job in my speciality, fulfilling all my creative dreams and ideas at the same time.
Read also:
Student of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering on Her Way to Roscosmos