Especially for those who are thinking about where to apply after school, The HSE analyzes where is the best place to study law. We have collected the stories of five law graduates from top Russian universities - HSE (Moscow and St. Petersburg), Moscow State University, MGIMO and St. Petersburg State University - about the pros and cons of their faculty, and most importantly, what they look for when applying for a job

National Research University Higher School of Economics St. Petersburg

Vladislav Salita

When you come to work in some serious organization, you quickly begin to realize that you were not taught anything at the university. And with horror you begin to think about one thing: either you haven’t done anything for five years and therefore don’t know anything, or your university wasn’t very good. But no matter how strange it may sound, the main thing is to perceive this whole situation as favorable.

At first, I thought that out of everything I learned from law school, I wouldn’t need anything other than procedural reference books (APC, Civil Procedure Code, Code of Criminal Procedure). But somehow it’s not like that

All legal disciplines collectively formulate a legal way of thinking, and in this way you can form the correct conclusions from situations. In law, it is very important to have a good analytical mind. And if you have such abilities, then by comparing the facts, you will learn to quickly understand everything. I cannot say that there are unimportant or particularly important disciplines; I would divide them into useful and interesting. At a minimum, you will gain experience communicating with a teacher and will have at least the slightest idea of ​​what a “transaction passport” is, for example.

My first serious job was not at all in my profile, as a sales consultant at Lacoste in my third year. Then, until the very end of my studies, I worked as an administrator in a boutique repairing modern gadgets. And immediately after graduating from HSE, I got a job as a lawyer at a well-known law firm, which is also the largest licensing center in St. Petersburg. The work teaches you quickly and constantly keeps you on your toes (in the good sense of the word). I am very pleased with the work for several reasons: it is stable, interesting, and most importantly, a wide variety of activities in which it is possible to apply not only the knowledge acquired at the law school, but also life skills, the so-called experience. All this fascinates me, honestly. Even at night, sometimes I wake up, say: “I’ve got an idea!”, and start writing ideas to my boss on WhatsApp.

Working as a lawyer teaches you to be very mobile. And the most important acquisition is the ability to adapt to any circumstances, unless, of course, it is not possible to adapt the circumstances to oneself

I won’t say anything about income, I’ll just say that the center of pleasure is constantly spinning around its axis and your needs, dear graduate, will grow and grow.

Those employers with whom I had to communicate did not look at the diploma. They didn’t even look at the grades on the diploma. They only looked at its color and asked: “Why not St. Petersburg State University?” Today, a good university is a well-advertised university. It's like the city of Geneva in Switzerland. There is nothing to do there, it’s a boring provincial European town, but it is considered prestigious to live there. The most important thing in education is self-education (pardon the pun). Talent, genius, grades, and university status are not important. We live in an age of high technology, where you can get any information in a matter of moments. This means that everyone’s starting line is approximately the same. Genius is 99% hard work and only one percent luck.

HSE Moscow

Anton Fridman

I would characterize my studies at the National Research University Higher School of Economics as a rather complex and at the same time very interesting process. Of course, the disadvantages of studying include a heavy workload, but it is likely that it cannot be otherwise at one of the top universities in Russia. I would probably consider only 4 sessions per year and a short period of time to prepare for exams as serious disadvantages of training. During my studies, there were still a number of disciplines that may not have been too useful to me, but preparing for these exams sometimes took more time and energy than preparing for subjects that were really interesting to me and were related to my upcoming and interesting career. me with work. All training at the National Research University Higher School of Economics is based on the study of theory; there is almost no practice.

I can’t say that this is a cardinal disadvantage of training, because, knowing the theory, you master practice quickly and easily

During my studies, I completed an internship at the Moscow City Court, at the prosecutor's office, at a law office in the city of Omsk, interned at the Law Office "Liniya Prava", and managed to work as a lawyer in strategic consulting. Now I work at the Central Bank of the Russian Federation. Quite a lot of the knowledge I acquired while studying at the National Research University Higher School of Economics has already come in handy and turned out to be very useful. At the same time, I must say that I actually studied those areas of law with which my work is mainly connected. For example, working at the Law Office “Liniya Prava” and as a lawyer in strategic consulting required fairly in-depth knowledge of corporate law. So I knew corporate law before we were taught this course at university.

Of course, during the first employment, the employer pays attention to the higher educational institution where the candidate for the vacant position studied or is studying. At the same time, I think that the employer pays most attention to the person himself: his knowledge, abilities, desire to work and ability to make an impression. Frankly, I think that being able to impress and win over the person doing the selection is one of the key points: I'm pretty sure that most of the people who work in HR and do the selection are incompetent employees.

Moscow State University

Evgeniy Oreshin

In addition to many years of tradition and a strong teaching staff, MSU has an interesting and challenging curriculum. Particular attention is paid to the historical component in legal education, in-depth study of the theory of each branch of law.

It is difficult to say about the disadvantages of your favorite alma mater. As a rule, the disadvantages include the lack of strong language training of students: the foreign language course is designed for two years, three times a week. At the same time, I know many classmates who studied a foreign language in parallel with their studies at the Faculty of Law and did not experience any problems because of this.

In my opinion, studying at Moscow State University certainly provides advantages in employment. Despite the fact that there are many lawyers on the labor market, qualified specialists are still required. I went to work for the first time at the end of my third year, but after working for six months, I quit because I needed to devote more time to my studies. In my fifth year I went back to work. Then I was hired as an assistant lawyer and since then I decided to connect my life with the legal profession. During my graduate studies, I suspended my practical activities, but recently I resumed them, once again going to the bar.

Based on my own experience, I can say that today lawyers in the field of corporate law are especially in demand. Most of the issues I encounter in my work relate to this part of civil law.

In addition, there are many cases related to taxation. This is one of the most popular types of legal assistance today.

Interdisciplinary knowledge is also very useful in work: accounting, auditing, psychology, rhetoric. If I were now a law student at Moscow State University, I would like to study tax law in more depth.

MGIMO

Konstantin Burenin

At MGIMO there are many languages, there is a lot of law of foreign countries, but the national law of Russia is only an introductory course. For example, out of my total 4400 hours in bachelor's degree, French took 1900 hours, English - about 500.

If we add 250 hours of Latin to this, then more than half of the total time spent at the university was spent on languages. If you want to study the law of the Russian Federation, then MGIMO is clearly not for you

If you are attracted by work in the field of international law (both private and public), and you also want to maintain your language level, then you should think about enrolling in this particular university.

Throughout my studies at MGIMO, I was engaged in teaching activities: I prepared schoolchildren for the All-Russian Olympiad in Law, in which I myself once participated. I can’t say that I bought myself a yacht, but I had enough to live on and I didn’t complain. In addition, it was convenient to combine this with study, and I liked the activity. After graduating from MGIMO, I work in the legal department of one large Russian industrial group, focusing on contract law (mainly contracts with foreign counterparties).

When applying for a job, the university you graduated from does not matter at all.

All the qualifications have long since discredited themselves: it’s no secret that you can get a diploma with honors by spending 4 years at the department in a “bring-and-give” position or playing in KVN. Or you can study at a university with a little-known name, get a “blue” diploma and be a wonderful specialist in your field

When applying for a job, everything is always decided directly at the interview. Most often they ask questions from the field of civil law and civil procedure, but there are employers who are interested in your knowledge of INCOTERMS and the Railway Transport Charter. Therefore, do not mechanically learn the material for a test or exam, analyze everything efficiently and at once, try to build a good system of legal knowledge in your head. Otherwise, the process of getting a higher education will turn into just a Sisyphean task.

SPbSU

Dmitry Dubovskikh

It seems like an eternity has passed since graduating from undergrad. Overall, now I can say that I enjoyed studying. And the Law Faculty of St. Petersburg State University met my expectations in all respects. Of course, it is difficult to talk about any sane practice in the first four years - here you need to ask my comrades who worked part-time at the same time. I didn't do this. If there was anything I could regret, it would be the lack of work experience when I first looked for a job. This factor can be significant, and there is a theoretical opportunity to provide yourself with practice at the faculty. There were enough subjects, sometimes even more than enough (I probably never came to terms with the need to study a couple of disciplines). Perhaps, except that in the master's program the course is somewhat extended; if desired, it can be mastered in a year. But, again, unlike many other law faculties in Russia, there is a real opportunity to work for a four-day period, combining it with studies.

ONLINE CONSULTATION

The problem of choosing: Moscow State University or MGIMO?

Hello Rauf. I am still writing to you as a student at Moscow State University. I really hope for your advice, since I myself will hardly be able to resolve this conflict. And this is the conflict. I study at the physics department of Moscow State University, but I got here completely by accident, without any deliberate desire, preparation, etc. Studying, of course, is very interesting, and I want to follow this path to the end, but I cannot give up the dream of studying at the university that I originally planned to enroll in. MGIMO is what I lived for about 2 years and these years are very dear to me. The whole point is that I don’t know what I want more: to stay at Moscow State University or to become a diplomat... so I can’t concentrate on my studies, and completely unnecessary problems arise, quarrels with relatives... I’m waiting for your advice.

R.M. [In contact with]

The problem of choosing between MGIMO and the physics department is a serious problem; the choice of your life path in the near future depends on it. Of course, it is better to unravel such conflicts in a face-to-face consultation, but let’s first try to unravel this problem a little by email. I will ask you questions, which you will try to answer in as much detail as possible.

1. How did it happen that you entered the physics department, and not MGIMO.

Didn't get into MGIMO through a competition? Your parents didn't have enough money to pay for expensive education? Did your “relatives” force you to enroll in the physics department? Or did your friends persuade you? Or did you have an “eclipse” at the last moment? What happened then?

Tell me a little backstory. Why MGIMO? Where did this idea come from? Do you know diplomats? Or did someone you know study there?

2. Write to me, what do you see as the advantages of studying at MGIMO? (Start your story with the following phrase - “I want to study at MGIMO because ..." and continue with this sentence. Try to find at least five such reasons to study at MGIMO.

Then stand in front of the mirror and say everything you wrote out loud. Try to describe the feelings you experience.

3. Write to me what you see as the advantages of studying at the physics department. Also start your story with the following phrase - “I want to study at the physics department because...” and continue this sentence. Also try to find at least five such reasons.

The same thing: stand in front of the mirror and say everything you wrote out loud, and try to describe the feelings you experience.

Your questions made me think seriously. I will try to answer all this as honestly as possible, although it will not be easy.

Why did I enter the physics department and not MGIMO?

Yes, in general, it happened by accident. In addition to Olympiads and the Unified State Exam, MGIMO requires its own exams. I had to pass a test in a foreign language. The problem was that the tasks should not fulfill a communicative task, but comply with all the canons of the language. Generally speaking, it could have turned out to be complete nonsense, as long as it was grammatically correct. The exam itself had to be written for 87 points out of 100. My score was 84. On the day when the results were announced, you could look at the work and raise your score, if there were reasons. Speech errors in foreign languages ​​are disputed just as easily as similar ones in Russian. But I didn’t go look - I broke down. Or maybe it was pride... I don't know. Three days later, when I had no strength left to engage in soul-searching and the realization came that my dreams had collapsed, I, with the maximalism inherent in my family, decided “if not everything, then nothing.” “Nothing” in my understanding is something completely unrelated to diplomacy. And here I am...

There was never a question about paid training. Everyone in my family was self-made, and I had no intention of using their services. My relatives were sure that I would be an art critic or historian. No one believed in MGIMO and the physics department except my parents. The decision to enter MGIMO was unanimously supported, they helped as much as they could, my friends from the Olympiads still joke that they will kidnap me.

Why MGIMO?

There are many reasons. Firstly: the dream of a brilliant education, of independence from other people, of interesting student years, theaters, operas, museums, a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and then I like to convince people, I like to make decisions, analyze events. To be successful, a diplomat must be knowledgeable in all spheres of human activity. this is a station wagon. Predicting the enemy's moves, a kind of small war, where soldiers are letters, and losses are measured not by people, but by ambitions, and when history and real interests are woven into all this, you feel like the creator of destinies. I know diplomats who are well-educated people, have excellent self-control, and are able to form conclusions of any complexity in a split second. As the classic said: “humanists cannot be trusted: they are equally good at playing with destinies and words, and in their heads history is laid out in a huge spiral and only they can unravel it.” By the way, have you ever seen the MGIMO building itself??? It looks like a citadel of international secrets. By the way, at MGIMO all teachers and students are equal, which I really like.

But in order to say what I wrote in front of the mirror, a lot of problems arose, every time I went to the mirror, read about half of it, understood - it’s not right, I don’t believe it. I sat down to write again, went there on the weekend, gained peace, came back, no, not the same again, and so every morning for two weeks, this is what I came to.

I WANT TO STUDY AT MGIMO BECAUSE

1) I want to be on equal terms with teachers

2) I want to get an excellent education

3) I want to know many languages

4) I want people around me who share my outlook on life and aesthetic preferences

5) I have many friends there

6) I want to prove to everyone who didn’t believe in me that I can survive there (by the way, it was difficult to admit this)

7) I want to be independent both financially and spiritually

8) .... there should be a phrase about power, but there isn’t, because when I’m in front of the mirror

I say that I want power, I feel disgusted with myself, and when there is nothing at all, it doesn’t turn out very honestly.

When I started reading the final version, I felt satisfaction, a little joy, a little sadness. The most important thing is that I believe in myself, I believe that I really need all of the above. When I read point 6, I was proud that I finally admitted it to myself. And then nostalgia hit...

I WANT TO STUDY AT THE PHYSICS FACULTY BECAUSE

1) I'm interested in physics

2) there are people here with similar interests and mentality

3) everything depends on me here

4) this is an “excellent school of life”

5) I want to understand what I am worth

6) interesting job prospects arise

When I read point 1, no internal contradictions arose, but the thought that it is not enough to be interested, you need to teach and know...

2. Something is missing... probably point 4 from the previous list, about aesthetic attachments

3. This is both pleasant and dangerous, after all, I am a lazy person.

4. Oooh, yes, that’s so... I remember Onegin “my uncle had the most honest rules...”

5. Another attack of self-importance. Although it seems impossible without this. Well, separately 1, 2, 6 - a feeling similar to the first list - this is how it should be, quiet confidence and peace... 3, 4, 5 - You read, and immediately the spirit of a fighter awakens, somewhere inside, a pleasant feeling.

That's all it seems.

R.M.

From your phrases it is clear that Moscow State University is the present for you, and MGIMO (to become a diplomat) is the future that you dream about. You talk about diplomacy with such enthusiasm that I myself (for a few minutes at least) wanted to become a diplomat. Your description of MGIMO is more colorful than the description of Moscow State University. Besides, I don’t really understand what a “good school of life” is.

I still don’t understand whether you had the opportunity to study for a fee at MGIMO. If so, then one of the psychological conflicts looks like this: MY PRIDE (all or nothing!!! in our family everyone achieved everything themselves!!! the question of paid education was never raised!!!) against MY SELF-realization and MY DREAM.

You will have to decide for yourself what to choose - PRIDE or DREAM (I won’t do this for you). It depends on what is more important to you. The problem of choosing between pride and dreams is a very tough conflict for proud people (it is clear that for less proud people such a question would not arise at all). Maybe someday you will be able to build your life in such a way that you don't have to compromise. In the meantime... By the way, my idea about diplomats is that they often have to push their pride “to hell,” because diplomacy is, after all, the art of compromise. These are charismatic passionaries like Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro, who can afford to speak from the stands, waving their fists and swearing, while diplomats always work politely. For example, I would not make a diplomat, I know that for sure.

Perhaps, under the problem of choosing between PRIDE and DREAM, some other conflicts are hidden (it is difficult to judge this from the letters). So if you want to figure this out, understand what you want, and understand why you broke down and didn’t go to appeal and fight back those unfortunate 3 points (PRIDE again!?), come for a consultation.

Good luck with the session.

Thank you. Everything became much clearer.

R.M.

The author of the post himself 5 years ago entered all 3 of the above universities on a budget (and ultimately chose one), so now he knowledgeably shares his thoughts on how to prepare for admission to the most prestigious educational institutions in the country.

For convenience, we will divide these thoughts into 6 important points.

Point 1. Choosing a university.

First of all, you need to understand that entering a prestigious university in Russia does not give you any guarantees of a happy life, a successful career, etc. Moreover, in some cases this can become a problem, because not all employers like highly intelligent, ambitious and proactive young specialists.

Secondly, forget about the conventional “prestige” and “brand” of the same MSU or MGIMO. Think about what exactly a particular university can give you.

Consider the following points:

1. Party.

Talk to students and alumni, read “Overheard” from a particular university, analyze what students are discussing and what worries them. See if the university has business clubs, business incubators, a KVN team, etc. Think about whether you will enjoy studying here in terms of communication, whether the university supports initiatives that are interesting to you, etc.

1. Studying programs.

Go to the university website and, as far as possible, study what you will have to study in the next 4-5 years, including the list of subjects, exams, tests, schedule, workload, what time classes start, etc. Consider whether you can handle it and whether you need it at all.

1. Relations and cooperation with foreign universities.

You need to find out about all the connections of the university - employers, foreign partners, internships, cooperation with government agencies, obtaining double diplomas, job fairs, etc. The wider the choice, the more opportunities for you.

1. Internal university resources.

Library, gym, swimming pool, location of buildings, dormitories, etc. It will be quite difficult to study if you do not think in advance about how to comfortably organize your accommodation.

Point 2. The Unified State Exam alone is not enough.

It is clear that universities such as HSE, MGIMO, Moscow State University, Baumanka, St. Petersburg State University enroll the best of the best, the smartest with the highest number of Unified State Exam points. This is no secret to anyone.

The problem is that the Unified State Exam uses (or at least used) a kind of rating scale, and if you get too nervous and make a couple of mistakes, then it can be very expensive for you, i.e. conditionally, instead of 98 points, you get only 85 as a result.

At the same time, you need to learn not one, but 3 subjects with “excellence,” which is also far from easy.

What to do?

It is necessary to participate in olympiads at the city, regional, all-Russian level and olympiads held by the university itself. This is a must have if you want to somehow protect yourself from possible failure on the Unified State Exam and get 100 points in advance for the subject you need. There are a lot of Olympics, each university has its own conditions and benefits, so you need to actively monitor the websites of universities and follow the news.

The “easiest” way is to become a prize-winner/winner of the final stage of the All-Russian Olympiad for Schoolchildren and enter any university in the field without any exams at all (as happened to the author of this post).

This method can be conditionally called “simple”, because instead of 3 items, you only need to nerd one, but you will have to bot it for a long time, persistently and diligently.

You need to start preparing at least from the 10th grade, and preferably from the 9th grade, and you will have to prepare almost every day and most of all during the holidays. But diligence will pay off one way or another.

Now all social networks are time killers and vanity fairs, where everyone wants to brag about where they were, what they ate, who they hung out with, etc. People hang out for 3-5 hours to spy on other people’s lives, look at funny pictures and read information that they don’t need.

In this regard, here is some advice - remove yourself from those social networks that do not provide any useful component. This primarily applies to Instagram and Foursquare. If you can’t overcome yourself, then at least delete not the account, but just the application from your phone.

Leave only those social networks where you can read some useful information. On VKontakte, unsubscribe from public pages like “Eaglet”, “Cheerful Student”, etc. Don't clutter your brain, concentrate only on your area of ​​interest.

Point 4. About tutors.

Wherever you enroll, it makes sense to hire tutors in only 2 subjects: mathematics and Russian. Firstly, to be guaranteed to receive a certificate (otherwise, you never know, anything can happen). Secondly, because, one way or another, upon admission to most specialties you will still need to take either Russian or mathematics.

In other cases, you only need a library, the Internet and self-discipline.

There is no point in hiring a physics tutor if you yourself cannot solve part C of the Unified State Exam. It’s better to reconsider your views and go to places where physics is not needed, because then you won’t be able to handle it anyway.

There is no point in hiring an English tutor. The Internet is full of resources where you can find all the grammar, textbooks and dictionaries; all you need is self-discipline and desire.

At the institute, no one will chew on the material for you, so learn to understand everything yourself from school.

In general, the Unified State Exam is not about brains. You just need to get the hang of it, solve around 100 practice tests and that’s it. What you decide will one way or another be stored in your memory and remembered during the exam.

Point 5. About personal life.

Forget about her in 11th grade.

Although some people, of course, manage to combine hanging out with friends and active study.

But it’s better to concentrate on preparing for admission. You will hang out when you arrive and before the first session.

Point 6. If you are not accepted.

Apply in absentia and go to work.

Studying at a “prestigious” university means that you will study around the clock. As a result, you will have a cool diploma, but without work experience the employer will not need you.

By studying part-time and working, you will see the current situation on the labor market and understand what skills and knowledge are now in demand.

Now it is 2014, there is a crisis in the country, and the conditions for employment are becoming more and more stringent.

This year, 900 universities are waiting for applicants. The budget has allocated 408 thousand places for them in specialist, bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

At the same time, more than 22 thousand places were allocated to Moscow State University, St. Petersburg State University, Higher School of Economics, the Financial University, the Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration under the President, as well as the Russian Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture of Ilya Glazunov. There are 615 thousand school graduates this year, so there are more than enough budget places for them.

57 out of 100 graduates will be able to apply for government-funded places. 47 percent of places were given to engineering specialties, 11 to pedagogical and 9 to medical, said Minister of Education and Science Olga Vasilyeva at a meeting of the State Duma Committee on Education and Science.

Exams began at MGIMO today. The acceptance of documents from those who have chosen specialties that require entrance tests - creative "journalism" and language - has been completed. We are talking about the most prestigious areas - “international relations”, “world politics”, “foreign regional studies”, “international economic relations” and others. In addition, the university has begun examinations for those who have the right to enroll not based on the results of the Unified State Exam. These are, for example, people with disabilities, foreign applicants, college and technical school graduates.

The general competition at MGIMO is 30 people per place on a budget.

Additional exams have also begun at all forty faculties of Moscow State University.

A gold medal at Moscow State University adds 5 points. Rector Viktor Sadovnichy advocates that the medal be valued more highly

Programs and assignments from previous years are posted on the MSU website. For example, a math exam consists of eight problems. The first task is a prize one, quite easy, but requires an accurate answer. You don't have to solve everything to pass the exam. The tasks are arranged in increasing complexity; the 7th and 8th problems are solved by only a few. But all tasks are compiled strictly within the framework of the school curriculum. Look, check yourself,” advised Moscow State University Rector Viktor Sadovnichy.

The largest competition for budget places usually occurs at the faculties of mechanics and mathematics, history, philosophy, the Institute of Asian and African Studies, the Higher School of Public Audit, as well as the faculties of public administration and world politics. The “record holder” is precisely world politics. Last year, 41 people applied for one budget place, in 2015 - 38. The fact is that very few budget places are allocated for these areas.

We will accept 10 thousand bachelors and masters on the budget and extra-budget and orient applicants to the fact that we have been teaching for 6 years. We will evaluate our own entrance exam using a 100-point system. For a gold medal we will give 5 points. I am for the medal to be rated higher. I believe that it is possible to restore order in the issuance of medals, as was done with the Unified State Examination. As the organizer of the Olympiads, I am confident that the gold medal can be deserved and objective,” the rector emphasized.

He explained that among MSU students, 7 thousand are foreigners, another 2.5 thousand are studying in branches, and invited all Russians to enter the joint university of MSU in Shenzhen, which announced enrollment for the first time.

In addition to full-time education at Moscow State University, some faculties also have evening courses - in history, philology, sociology, and the faculty of journalism at the Higher School of Management and Innovation,” said Viktor Sadovnichy.

At the Theater Institute. Shchukin, the acceptance of documents ended on July 7. Yesterday, applicants had an interview, which is equivalent to a professional test.

We will hire 28 people for the budget, 12 of them are target workers from the regions, and after graduation they will return to work home. This year, more than ever, there are many non-resident applicants - from Khabarovsk to Brest. The Unified State Exam score is not the most important thing for us, but there are guys who have 70 points and above,” said the rector of the Theater Institute, Evgeny Knyazev.

At the Higher Theater School named after. Shchepkina has already prepared lists of those recommended for enrollment. GITIS has also completed accepting documents. Entrance exams are currently underway at the university.

Russian newspaper - Federal issue No. 7317 (151)

Ekaterina, graduate of the Faculty of Journalism of Moscow State University:

- There are many myths that prestigious universities are the kingdom of pathos. Is it so?
No, that's absolutely not true. Pathos is only one facet, but my faculty (journalism department) is rather not the kingdom of pathos, but the kingdom of creativity. As for appearance, everyone paid much more attention not to expensive things, but to some creative designer items. The price includes everything original, creative, unusual. Fiction is more valuable than money. But maybe this is the specifics of the journalism department...

- Which faculty was considered the most pathetic?
The journalism department was considered the most pretentious. The Faculty of Journalism stands out for its location - opposite Red Square (and not on Sparrow Hills).

-Have any bribes ever happened in your memory?
It seems to me that the teachers at the journalism department are very principled. For many, it is a matter of honor that you read this or that work. I couldn’t read The Brothers Karamazov and went to retest several times. I remember the teacher’s phrase: “It would be a betrayal on my part towards Dostoevsky if I give you a test. But I respect him very much and cannot agree to this.” I had to read it!

- Where then do the myths about show-off girls come from?
Probably the fact is that journalism as a profession is conducive to this. Our faculty was called the “faculty of unnecessary things” because it was believed that it did not teach anything specific, but taught a little bit of everything. Perhaps this is so: the faculty seems to give you the choice of what to delve into. I know guys who left the faculty in their second or third year and achieved more in their profession than those who graduated. Such a situation is difficult to imagine, for example, in mathematics or economics departments.

- What brands did you wear in your first year?
- I had a wide variety of brands: mainly Zara, Benetton, Guess, Mexx, Motivi. But there were some cool things - Givenchy, Kenzo

Anna, MGIMO graduate, Faculty of International Relations


- You communicate very simply. I expected that in an institution of this level, girls with great connections study and therefore the tone would be pretentious.
Oh, it's a myth! MGIMO is full of smart, good and talented people! Although on pathos there is a whole caste, yes. They often only accept people from their own circle. There are also incredibly nice, wealthy guys and girls who are ready to communicate and help. True, this is rather an exception. Mostly they walk in groups and are completely closed. They arrive in expensive cars, with security guards.

- What clothes do they wear?
The girls wear only expensive brands - a Celine, CHANEL bag, less often, Louis Vuitton
Dior glasses, Balenciaga jacket, Prada or Christian Louboutin shoes, and go ahead and conquer the world instead of pairs.

- What do most female students wear?
Students with average abilities are dressed more simply. These are brands Zara, Top shop. Sometimes they try to buy a copy of a brand’s bag in order to get closer to the elite, which is wrong, in my opinion.
- What do you have with bribes?
During the learning process, I came across them, of course, but literally only once. Basically, you could always pass with a three. True, many people were expelled from the department because of English.
- Did people from small towns study with you?
Yes! There were students from Irkutsk, from Penza...

These are such unpretentious girls! Although the possibilities they have are wow!

first photo: photographer Yulia Nastenkova