The Transition From Regions to AUA

Located on one of the busiest and most vibrant streets of Yerevan, the AUA has become a second home for many students from different regions of Armenia. Although 1383 out of 1850 students enrolled at AUA in Fall 2020 come from Yerevan, do not be surprised to hear a mixture of dialects of the students chit-chatting in the corridors and tongue-twisting sentences that can be hard to understand.

With the increased number of opportunities in the transition from regions to Yerevan, students face a sudden change of lifestyle. What challenges them most, are the increased responsibilities and the change in the social and physical environment.

Zhanna Kuroyan, EC sophomore from Gavar, thinks the biggest challenge students from regions have to face is starting to live alone without their families. “For many of us, it is the first time living on our own,”  Zhanna said. “However, it is a great chance to learn to organize finances, be better at time management and be more independent.”

The sudden change of responsibilities can be overwhelming, making the students come up with alternatives and ways of coping with problems in the household they are now in charge of. The students who rent an apartment with others and have roommates, seek a quiet place to study and recharge with energy.

Nona Harutyunyan, EC sophomore, from Armavir, first entered AUA, it felt different to her. Although Armavir is close to Yerevan, the differences in social and educational life still can be sensed in many ways. “Well, the main difference is that young people in Armavir do not have opportunities to learn and create,” she said. “The mindset of people is also different as they have more conservative beliefs and ideas about certain things.” Besides the differences in the city, she moved from the Armenian speaking environment to the English speaking environment which was the biggest challenge for her.

“I have received my education in a very small village where we were forced to learn some lessons by heart without questioning their relevance,” confesses Shushanna Ghandilyan, EC senior from Gegharkunik. “However, AUA gives students the luxury of questioning, asking questions and expressing ideas that are different from what others think and not getting attacked or ridiculed by instructors and peers.” She considers the great network of changemakers as the most important aspect of studying at AUA, who together should do their best to make informal and equal education accessible to everyone.

Zhanna, likewise, thinks that the lack of opportunities in the regions can restrain the youth from fulfilling their highest potential to become the best engineers, mathematicians, programmers, architects and doctors in the country. With the help of AUA and the knowledge she gains, she hopes to contribute to the development of the teaching and learning system in her region. She hopes to see teachers passionate about teaching and students be given equal opportunities for their studies, career choices and options in life.

AUA has become a second home for many students coming from regions to fulfill their goals and pursue the careers of their choice. Thanks to the peer mentors, professors and the environment at AUA, the students feel more welcome and supported in the transition they undergo. Our students plan to go back and make their communities stronger with the help of connections, resources, and ideas they gained at AUA.