– Having Worked at the university you knew about the PortaOne Education Center, didn’t you? What motivated you to apply for our course?
I left maternity leave for my former job and realized that nothing had changed during my absence and it was unlikely it would ever change. I decided to change things myself. Then I met a student I knew, who by that time had already completed the courses. And he advised me to give it a go. By the way, he said that English was important without it we couldn’t do anything. So, I decided to do the course and to boost my English. I had classes twice a week. I had a very strong motivation to learn as much as possible about the topic, to do my best to enter IT. This was the way I challenged myself.
– How did you manage to cover everything: work, English, studies, family, children…?
Well, English during the lunch break, homework in the evenings, when the children are already in bed. I am very grateful to my supervisor who let me attend classes during office hours. He kept saying: ‘These changes are important in your life, and you won’t regret about them.’ I think he was more worried about me than I was!
– So you were older than lots of people in the course, if not all of them? Didn’t it bother you?
I got used to working with students, so it was Ok, both for me and for them as well.
– What was the most interesting for you during your studies?
Being able to ask any questions about the topic and get the answers easy to understand. I was, probably, the least technically knowledgeable in the course and therefore asked more questions than anyone else. So, the teacher explained everything patiently as many times as I needed to understand it. In our course there was even a phrase “to explain at the level of stew fruit”. Andrii Khyzhniak explained snapshots using two glasses and plain language. And that was really great as we didn’t have to learn by heart , we gained the understanding of things. I also remember a friendly atmosphere in the classroom, my “classmates” are all my colleagues now working at PortaOne and staying in touch on daily basis.
– Which is the most important thing that you learned?
Do not give up, but at the same time take regular breaks not to get drained. Believe in yourself. Recognize your progress. You might think that you spend so much time, but nothing changes! But then you do a test, and all of a sudden you realize that you know all the answers, and you understand all the words and terms that you were afraid of. Your diligence will pay off. Learn to be happy about small moments and steps. There were moments when I really wanted to give up. I remember sitting at home over some difficult task. I was stuck. I decided to wash the floor. I did it, breathed in and out ,got back and quickly figured it all out.
– Finish the phrase: If it was not for the PortaOne Education Center,..
… I would still be working as a methodologist in the dean’s office of Electronics and Information Systems Faculty at Chernihiv Polytechnic.
– What was your biggest mistake during your studies?
I connected two wires of networks to one UA and it led to the Internet collapse
– What’s the best memory about your study?
The most exciting one is when you can solve a tricky question at the mashups and close all the assignments. This is somewhat similar to the real situations which I face every day at work.
– In four years since the end of the course, you have grown into a Middle support engineer. Is it your thing? Are you satisfied with these changes?
I do like it that you have to constantly grow and develop. It is difficult, of course, but very valuable. I enjoy being surrounded by smart and reasonable people who are interesting to talk to and also good friends. And I also like using English.
– What’s your advise to our students?
Do not be afraid to ask questions and make mistakes. Mistakes are important! Spend at least 30 minutes every day (seriously, every day!) on technical topics and English. And you will see the results before you know it :-).
