Why VMU: Interactive Lectures and Vibrant Student Life
An intern from Hong Kong currently working at VMU interviewed a number of international full-time students and asked them to explain the reasons for choosing studies at Vytautas Magnus University. This series of articles, “Why VMU?”, presents their thoughts.
Zakarija Muhamadovic has recently graduated from international politics and development studies at VMU, earning his BA degree. He chose this famous programme four years ago, after finding out about its high education quality and active student life at VMU. Then he discovered that the university was even better than he expected and decided to continue his studies here, now pursuing a master’s degree.
The education quality of VMU impressed Zakarija the most. “At the end of each lecture, my mind is filled with knowledge, I’ve learned a lot. Not just learned, but also had fun in the lecture”, the student noted. He shows great admiration to the professors, commenting that they are friendly and easy to talk to. The classes are not only interactive, but also interesting. There are the different types of activities involved in the lectures, such as debates, discussions, and seminars. This allows students to deepen their learning through participation. Apart from interactive discussions with classmates and professors, the professors also helped Zakarija in his writing. He is pretty proud that now he is able to write a decent academic articles after all the training and help he received from the professors. He believes that the skills and knowledge that he gained from the professors will benefit and help him in pursuing his master degree.
Apart from learning the knowledge of his major, the Moroccan student also obsessed with Lithuanian language. He took two Lithuanian courses over the past 4 years. “I have been learning Lithuanian for one year. My friends help me a lot. I love the language. It is very beautiful and interactive, although it is totally different from my native tongue, it is not too difficult to learn. If you work hard, then you will do well.” Zakarija recognizes the impact of learning the local language and says that learning Lithuanian has helped him to understand this country and facilitated his integration here.
Apart from the academic aspect of VMU, the recent graduate also gave huge credit to the vibrant student life here. “The school has an international environment, people here are open-minded and friendly. Students are mainly from Europe, but also from Venezuela, Hong Kong, and other countries”. He frequently attends concerts or excursions and visits museums with friends. Zakarija is also very keen on cultural events, such as presentations of Chinese food and culture by students. Whenever there a cultural event on the campus, he will be sure to attend. The vibrant student life in VMU kept Zakarija really active. He is a member of multiple organizations, such as the Agora Speakers Club and the Asian Culture Club. He believes being a member of different organizations will help him to be more open-minded, mature and most importantly, more active in both life and classes.
Overall, Zakarija has benefited a lot from the Bachelor education in VMU. The excellent experiences that he has gained at VMU and in Lithuania even resulted in him making the decision to stay and work in Lithuania after acquiring his master degree in VMU. He is excited for what amazing things are going to happen. He is very grateful for all the amazing experiences that he has in VMU.
