American TV series about teenagers will make anyone think that in world-famous universities - Oxford, Harvard and Berkeley- life is like in a fairy tale: around the elite, the best teachers and campuses sparkle. But in reality, everything is completely different. For example, our heroine Kristina Zhegunova experienced all the charm Berkeley. After graduation, she became a PR director of the company "Appetizing Marketing", which supports 50 restaurants (including Arkady Novikov, Alexander Rappoport, Ginza), but Kristina perfectly remembers all the "charms" of the university years. So how do you get into Berkeley, and is such education available to a mere mortal?

From the age of 6 I dreamed of becoming a journalist, at 14 I was already published in the city media. She graduated with honors from the Faculty of Journalism in Russia, without thinking about studying abroad. And after receiving a diploma, when I was engaged in business training, my supervisor advised me to try to enter the top foreign university, for which I am immensely grateful, because I myself would not have come to this idea. And then an important question arose: what to do, what documents to collect and what to do?

Now I can easily and with full confidence tell any applicant that there is nothing difficult in admission. Even though I had my doubts: “Can I? Is it worth the effort?", and the preparation of all required documents seemed to be an absolutely unbearable burden and caused a lot of headaches - now I understand that it was not in vain.

Before flying to Boston, I turned to an academic agency that prepares Russian students for admission to foreign study programs. But, alas, they did everything according to the template and did not delve into my wishes. So I decided to do everything myself.

The first step was to obtain an international certificate in English TOEFL. But starting preparations for Moscow, I realized that I needed more - to immerse myself in the environment, and therefore the entire learning process was transferred to USA. First, I studied at Boston Language School doing homework in Harvard Yard under the shade of ancient trees. And then I chose the master's program Business Administration in Berkeley and went to the other side of the continent - to California.

The language (in this case, English, of course) exam is important point upon admission to any foreign university American educational system- the more prestigious the institution, the higher TOEFL they demand. I needed 100 points with a maximum of 120. Before the exam, this seemed absolutely impossible. But in fact, if you study hard and understand the structure of the exam, then passing it with a high score is not so difficult. But if you did not pass the exam or passed it for a grade below the passing one, the probability of entering a top foreign university tends to zero. Somewhere they take with a score of 80 points, in other universities - 100, somewhere only with top score– 120. The exam consists of 4 parts: reading (reading), speaking (speaking), listening (listening), writing (writing).

But in addition to an international certificate, you will also need letters of recommendation (one academic, another professional) and a motivation letter (which, keep in mind, is not written in a hurry in 10 minutes, but accounts for almost 70 percent of success), which tells about the goals of admission. The icing on the cake is an interview at the embassy, ​​which is also part of the admission procedure. A lot of paperwork - I had to collect a large number of certificates, including from banks - the required amount on the card based on - $100 per day in the country. And also provide data on the chosen place of residence, the paid tuition bill and a number of other data about yourself, without which you will not be allowed to cross the border.

When evaluating the budget before the trip, you need to consider that housing in USA overall worth it $700 to $2500 per month depending on the location and area of ​​​​the apartment itself. And everything is rented without furniture at all - so save money on furniture in your account. Even $500 a month is enough for food, but the more friends you have, the more often you see them in a cafe, and food costs increase.

Having passed all the difficulties of entering, obtaining a visa and accumulating sufficient funds in a bank account, you will find yourself in an environment completely unfamiliar to you. And I am sure that in the first few days you will experience, as it is called there - culture shock.. For example, it was a big discovery for me that a Korean at the age of 30 often resembles a Russian teenager in behavior. In everyday life, for them, much that we do once or twice causes problems, anguish and a storm of emotions. And the guys from South America in general, they are not in a hurry - being late for lunch by forty minutes is the norm. At the same time, almost everyone loves such entertainment, in which I lost interest at the age of 20-25: clubs, roof top parties, raffles, adventures. Or am I such a bore?

But then everything will go on as usual, you will “join” the student environment. Although at first you will notice that international students are a little separated from Americans, there is also a separation between foreigners. It is quite normal when groups of foreigners from the same country (for example, China) speak their own mother tongue after classes. I don't know how the Russians would behave (I was the only one Russia), but for me it was strange. Despite all these features, students still become close friends very quickly, because there are simply no alternative options for fun or support. It is also easy to make friends with Americans - they are very friendly, and if you are open to communication, you will be accepted into any company. The culture of communication among Americans is special - you will not hear the discussion of existential issues, the guys in California prefer to argue on the topic of American football or Obama's politics. In general, everyone is very erudite. I really like the fact that instead of gossip, you enter into a conversation about the greenhouse effect, the importance of corporate culture, or advances in neurosurgery.

Speaking specifically about educational process, then the teachers in Berkeley quite different from the Russians. They do not divide anyone into categories, they do not have any favorites, they are devoid of subjectivity, they have a creative approach to conducting classes. I adored our management teacher - every lesson he led some interesting interactive game. And although later I had to write him written works for hours on the topic of the games held, it was still fascinating. The cheerful old hippie instilled in us the whole course that all people are different, everyone has talents, positive qualities, the main thing is to discern and skillfully use this for the good common purpose. This had a strong effect on me. Gin, that's the name of the teacher, arranged parties at his home, where we were all long-awaited guests. And still, once a year, on the eve Christmas, he sends us philosophical letters that touch to the core!

I will add that homework teachers in Berkeley do not ask. This surprised me until I realized that the teacher means that you have already read half the textbook at home. Well, he talks to you as if he is absolutely sure of your responsibility and self-organization, he addresses you as a colleague.

During your stay in USA(almost two years Boston and San Francisco), I was deeply immersed in the culture. I have only flown home once. I will never forget this day at the airport: I am in a short checkered woolen skirt and leather jacket, in ankle boots on a bare leg - so everyone goes to San Francisco. But here I instantly froze, and all the passers-by looked at me like I was crazy. I then realized that nothing had changed with my beloved relatives and friends - a lot of small daily stories, deeds, and so - everything is the same. It seemed that time had stopped. I can't say if this is good or bad.

After graduation, perhaps the best thing is the realization that you now have so many friends from all over the world. It's an incredible feeling when you meet a soulmate on the other side of the Earth, and the whole city turns into your home..

After graduation, I immediately went home, I had no idea to stay. This life is over, and my family and friends were already waiting for me at home. Thanks to the training, I received a lot of relevant knowledge that will be useful here and now. Although, in my opinion, new acquaintances, friendly contacts scattered all over the world are of greater value: the heiress of the owners of the largest hotels in Thailand, the daughter of a politician from Venezuela, the son of the director of Samsung… You expand your horizons by accepting an important thought - we are different, and this is our advantage.

I am eternally grateful America for what she made me. It helped to perceive people as a community, without making any racial, national or even mental division. Unity in Diversity - That's the Idea Berkeley Gave Me.

Going to Berkeley Applicants can count on a Bachelor's degree or an Associate's degree in a number of specialties. Education for a Bachelor can take only 3 years, and an Associate's degree - 18 months. There is an opportunity to study under a special shortened program, but with the receipt of the corresponding certificate and in 9 months.

To exclusive Berkeley virtues applies, as we usually say, Internship. The final 3 months of the Associate degree program and 6 months of the Bachelor's degree students work in companies in their specialty, and attend classes in the evenings. Students are constantly advised both on the conditions of the internship and on issues of starting a career, the rules for compiling a resume, and interviewing potential employers.

As a rule, this gives its positive results.

Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA).

Campuses in New York State:

• Accounting
• Fashion Marketing and Management
• Management
• Marketing
• Management in the field of information systems
• international Business

Business Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA).

Campuses in New Jersey:

• Business Administration
• Accounting
• Management
• Marketing
• international Business
• Human Resources Marketing and Fashion Management

Training for 3 years.

Associate Degree Programs:

The duration of this program is 18 months.

• Accounting
• Management in the field of information systems
• Marketing
• Management

Fashion Marketing and Management - International Business - Paralegal Training - Criminal Litigation - Interior Design - Web Design - Network Management

The university has 5 campuses. All of them are located in the Greater New York area. Students can choose where to study: in the suburbs or in the center of the largest metropolis. All country campuses are located 40 minutes from New York, so that students are not cut off from the cultural, professional and educational potential of the metropolis.

Applicants to Berkeley usually provide an English-translated high school diploma or diploma, proof of English proficiency in the TOEFL system or other certificate confirming the completion of accredited courses, as well as a document from the bank confirming the necessary funds - $ 27,000 at least.

Department additional education The prestigious University of Berkeley offers more than 2,000 courses annually in a variety of areas, including distance learning, as well as about 75 certificate programs. In addition to being certified by a well-known and respected university, another benefit of UC Berkeley Extension online courses is that many of them count as university credit.

University: University of California Berkeley

Year of creation: Department postgraduate education has been at Berkeley since 1891, online distance courses have been offered since the early 2000s and have become especially popular in recent years.

Course topics

UC Berkeley Extension offers a wide range of programs in a variety of areas: art and design, health and medicine, business, construction, environmental science, education, languages ​​​​and humanities, mathematics, applied sciences, biotechnology, Information Technology, communications.

Most of the programs are aimed at specialists with higher education and work experience and are designed to provide the knowledge necessary for a career, but there are programs (especially in the humanities) that can be taken solely for interest and self-development.

Teaching language: English

Programs

In addition to individual courses, there are certificate programs that include several courses (usually at least 6). Possible specializations include:

• accounting
• Biotechnology
• Business analytics
• financial planning
• editorial work
• Marketing
• Legal assistant (paralegal)
• Information Systems
• Project management

Form of study

Video lectures, reading materials, practical tasks, tests, communication on the forum with other listeners. In addition, it is possible to combine distance learning with full-time classes on the campus of the University of Berkeley in California.

In order to receive a university credit, at the end of the course, you must successfully pass the exam (each course has its own requirements).

Duration

Individual courses lasting from 18 hours to 60 hours. The certificate program, consisting of several courses, is made up of at least 180 study hours.

UC Berkeley Extension offers two types of courses - fixed start and end dates and courses that are enrolled throughout the year.

Availability of a certificate: Yes. Upon completion of all required courses in the program, a certificate is issued. For example, to obtain a certification in marketing, you must complete four required courses (“Introduction to Marketing”, “Marketing Research”, “Social Media Marketing Strategies”, “Marketing Strategy”) and at least two elective courses (for example, “ Development of an advertising campaign” and “Planning and organization of events”).

Admission conditions

Enrolling in UC Berkeley Extension online courses is easy: just sign up and pay for the course. You do not need to take entrance exams. All courses are held on English language, but it is not required to confirm the level of language proficiency. However, the university advises course participants to have an idea at what level (for example, in TOEFL scores) they speak the language.

For some courses it is desirable to have higher education(at least a bachelor's degree). Also, certain courses, especially as part of the certificate program, must be completed before proceeding to the next.

Price: from $565 to $800 for a single course. The certificate program will cost, on average, $5,000.

UC Berkeley Business School is in one of the best locations that could be invented for a business school. Once you get there, you will never want to leave. First argument: nature. The campus is surrounded by picturesque hills and lakes, and one of the best Olympic resorts is only four hours away. Second: proximity to San Francisco, in my opinion, the most beautiful city in America - it is only 10 minutes by car. And third: the campus itself, which is fully adapted for life, and especially for foreign students. Here, in Berkeley, they are accustomed to foreigners and live with them soul to soul. Your usual food is sold in every grocery store: what self-respecting Californian will go to a supermarket where you can’t find “borscht”?!

Berkeley is a convenient city. Any point can be reached on foot, by bike or, in extreme cases, by bus. You can buy a car and not know any problems with parking. Students who have already started a family receive an apartment in the so-called "village", or village, a complex of cottages with kindergartens, shops and parks nearby. For those who live alone, there are endless alternatives to the hermit lifestyle: bars, restaurants, coffee shops, theatres, clubs and a variety of sports activities - from football to the Italian bowling alley.

The University of California at Berkeley is without a doubt the most famous State University in the United States of America. For professors with Nobel Prize, there is a dedicated car park. True, as they joke in Berkeley, it will soon be canceled, since it no longer accommodates everyone. The university is famous for research in many areas - economics, biology, energy, physics, technology and politics. The UC Berkeley business school, although located in a separate modern building, is still located very close to the rest of the faculties. So the opportunities for her students to expand their horizons and study related disciplines at the University of California itself are practically unlimited.

The MBA course at UC Berkeley Business School is one of the most intimate programs offered by leading business schools. Here, only 240 people study full-time, so everyone knows each other by sight. Many choose a school precisely because it has unique conditions for communication. Training program very flexible, and listeners are given complete freedom to choose subjects. You can seriously master business disciplines for two years in a row, travel the whole world with classmates in search of adventure, organize an international congress on a topic of interest, or open your own business right during your studies. Any initiatives will be supported by the administration and professors of the business school and will command the respect of classmates.

Many students of the school get into it at the initiative of employers: these are consultants who want to get a job in a bank on Wall Street, and bankers who want to go into consulting. I would especially recommend UC Berkeley Business School to people with unusual interests - from alternative sources energy to charity. The specialization of UC Berkeley in the field of real estate and real estate investment deserves serious attention - one of the strongest programs in the United States in this area is carried out here.

Another "horse" of the school is a strong emphasis on entrepreneurship courses. UC Berkeley Business School is located near Silicon Valley, a center for venture capital investment. Here, until now, an MBA student can receive a million dollars to create a new company. At business school, you can take a good course on writing a business plan, marketing technological inventions, and even study a special discipline "How to recognize promising ideas." Students themselves organize several entrepreneurial competitions, which are attended by large investors every year, often investing impressive sums in the development of the most attractive ideas.

Two years of study at a business school fly by instantly. Start doing what you plan from the first day, but at the same time do not miss a single event that promises to be interesting, even if it is not included in your immediate plans!

As for my experience prior to entering business school, I grew up in Moscow, graduated from school number 57 and moved to America, where I entered the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where I received a bachelor's degree in physics. After that, he graduated from Stanford University with a master's degree in Signal Processing. Before joining UC, Berkeley worked for several years, first in technology companies, and later, having felt an interest in business, at McKinsey & Co. as a business analyst.

When I entered business school, my goal was to choose between a serious business career in analytics and finance or technology marketing. I could not choose right away, so I began to deal with two directions at the same time.

On the one hand, I visited an investment club where students actively multiplied the money invested by graduates of previous years and argued furiously in the evenings about which assets to sell. On the other hand, I participated in the activities of the University Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, which gave me the opportunity to talk face to face with local entrepreneurs and businessmen, receiving advice and feedback about my ideas and career. For example, as part of the U.C. Berkeley Business Plan Competition, I was able to meet with 25 venture capitalists (jury and sponsors of the competition). I was the co-chair of this competition and often had the opportunity to make useful contacts.

It is very interesting that, while moving in two such different areas (finance and marketing of new products), I constantly met other students whom I saw here and there. Diverse interests, not particularly supported by an employer who expects 100% focus on one thing, are nonetheless very popular with students. Berkeley is, first of all, an opportunity to try yourself, learn something new and take risks. Somewhere in the beginning of the second year, I made a choice: information technology and marketing attracted me more than finance. The love of marketing led me to a large company - so I started working as a product manager for the online auction site eBay (Internet payments department). There was not a day at this job that I did not remember any case or business school course. Already working, you begin to understand that the MBA program is the widest and most versatile education that can be obtained in two years. Now, two years later, I've moved to a younger company, and I'm the VP of Product Management at Internet company Click-and-Buy (a division of the German company FirstGate).

UC Berkeley Business School Quick Facts

• The content of the Haas Business School programs is largely determined by close interaction with the business community of San Francisco and the nearby Silicon Valley. The school has an excellent reputation among employers in the field of consulting and high technology.
• Research centers of the business school: Institute for Management, Innovation, and Organization (research of management problems); Institute for Business and Economics Research; Institute of Industrial Relations (interdisciplinary research in the field of industrial relations).
• The main emphasis in the learning process is on the implementation of consulting projects in small groups. Thus, as part of the mandatory course on organizational behavior Small groups of trainees spend five days conducting audits of companies, collecting internal data and evaluating business performance. Then they present a report to the management, accompanying the presentation with practical recommendations.
• Students can participate in a variety of student exchange programs. In particular, Haas has partnership agreements with educational institutions like IESE, Barcelona and Columbia.
• Over the past few years, the school has launched a number of new training courses, including The Post-Dilbert Workplace, Computer-Based Communications Systems, Privacy Security and Cryptography, Tech Strategies - Market Dominance, The Business of Software, Taxes and Firm Strategy, Financial Decisions, Mergers and Acquisitions, Global Financial Services, Information and technology based marketing. In total, the school offers 109 elective courses.
• Haas graduates most often find jobs in finance (36%), marketing and sales (25%), consulting (18%), general management (16%), process control and logistics (3%), management information systems (2%).
• Annual career development trips: Wall Street companies (December), Europe (January), Miami (March), Los Angeles (November), Seattle (March).
• One of the most popular business school programs is International Business Development. As part of this program, every summer 60-70 students in small groups carry out consulting projects for private and corporate clients from different countries peace. One of the teams recently worked in the Indonesian jungles of Borneo, helping local farmers to collect and sell products to processing companies.
• In addition to internships, students complete many practical projects, take part in conferences, competitions for the best cases and business plans. Berkeley hosts many special events where everyone can use their talents and the knowledge gained during the training.
• Recently, the Management of Technology Program launched a special program with the United Nations, in which Berkeley students participated in the construction of solar panels in rural China and worked on lending programs in Uganda. After spending three weeks abroad, they compiled a report on their work, which was then published in journals. The presentation of the results of this program takes place during the annual UN conference at the Haas School.
• The Real Estate program has been at the top of the list for several years now. national rankings the best programs on real estate. It prepares students for work in a wide range of specialties in the relevant field. Many Haas graduates choose to work in areas such as real estate banking and investment funds, real estate consulting, project development and real estate process management. Students of the Real Estate program concentrate on four main areas: financial analysis, financing and security of real estate projects, project development and commercial strategies. Training is conducted in the form of lectures and case studies. Students meet real estate market experts and offer their own projects. In the future, they can continue their education during internships, at CEO training programs and during thematic competitions.
• The international Haas MBA community has 12,167 alumni and 20 MBA clubs in 10 countries.

Almost three years ago (I was 28 then) I worked as a copywriter at Yandex and really wanted to become a marketer. I've read a lot about marketing, but it's hard to get your old company to take you seriously in your new profession.

I thought about going to the second higher education - in marketing, but I could not decide. I don’t believe in part-time study, studying full-time is too expensive in terms of lost profits (lost salary). The evening section remained. But by that time I already had a family and a three-year-old child - I didn’t want to take his evenings away for many years.

Time passed - nothing happened.

BOOK

I don’t remember how I bought Oleg Tinkov’s book “I am like everyone else”. But I remember that I read it electronically in two three-hour trips and then was very surprised in the store when I saw how fat it was. :)

My heart pounded on one paragraph - I found out that Oleg studied marketing at Berkeley for several months. Marketing Intensive with University of California professors - sounded really cool:

I studied at the Mining Institute for two and a half years and at Berkeley for six months - these two training models cannot even be compared. I officially declare that the Russian educational establishments- this is Kindergarten. These are cheat sheets and cheat sheets. About nothing. There is a lot of work going on in America. Plowing. Speaking in Russian, I just got...stuck. There are very difficult exams, I barely passed them, with C grades, and I am proud that I have this diploma hanging in my office. And most importantly, I soaked everything up like a sponge and prepared well for my next breakthrough - the beer business. After Berkeley already knew exactly what, how and why.

AFTER

We drove at night along the highway, my husband fell asleep at the wheel, I read in the back seat. It sucked in my stomach when I allowed myself to admit this idea in principle - to go to study marketing in the States. At first, this seems like too much of an idea when you have a three-year-old child, you rent an apartment, and your savings would barely be enough for the minimum installment for a mortgage in the suburbs. But Tinkov’s story is just about “like everyone else” - she infected me with a sense of limitless possibilities, and I immediately expressed my idea to my husband, who immediately stopped nodding and, it seems, was not opposed to me making inquiries.

The University at Berkeley met my parameters - fast, with the best professors and a beautiful logo on the diploma.)

In addition, San Francisco, Silicon Valley and the famous Californian beaches are nearby.

Then there was the question of price - at first, $19,500 seemed like a huge amount. As I found out the prices for education in best universities Moscow and multiplied by three years, the amount no longer seemed so huge. More precisely, these two sums turned out to be identical. The difference is that in a Moscow university I would have been separated from my diploma by three years of study in the evenings, and in Berkeley - by several months of “plowing” day and night.

I chose a four-month course that included the following subjects:

I studied with strategy co-author David Aaker, the former head of Colgate-Palmolive's Far East division, a British Airways consultant, a former Stanford professor, and many teachers with equally impressive credentials. Some taught in very unusual ways. =)

The contingent of students is very diverse, 90% are “like everyone else” from different countries. Some have sold apartments, cars to be here. Companies paid for others, parents paid for others.

Unfortunately, there were very few Russians among us. My friends, who easily found $20,000 to upgrade their cars, were very surprised how I could find the same money for education. Official statistics of the participants of my program by country of the world:

Having come all this way and spent all my savings, I could not afford to study for triples (I'm still not Tinkov), although sometimes I wanted to sleep. In the photo - a Chinese student sleeps on a desk during a lunch break, poor fellow.

I don't think grades are important. Much more important - communication with specialists, cases, links and ideas taken on a pencil. But to clear my conscience, I did everything to get all the "A". What's more, it was exciting. As far as I know, in my group there were only two of us who succeeded - me and the Japanese Yohei. He had a couple of minuses less, so he had to give a speech at the graduation :)

Transcript of my grades - column GRADE.

TOTAL

Probably, if not for the book, I would still work as a copywriter in Yandex. The book not only gave me an idea of ​​where exactly to go to study, but “pushed” me out of the state of “mother”, saving up for a mortgage, working for years in a familiar warm place (Yandex is really very warm - in every sense of the word).

For two years now I have been a marketer at Mann, Ivanov and Ferber and I am unrealistically happy doing this job. Although, according to recent estimates, the money spent is still not recaptured. But it is not important. I got a job in a publishing house precisely because books change people's lives. I don't expect million dollar business ideas from books, but I know that they sharpen my mind and each time I become capable of more. It is important what happened to you after the book. Change is priceless. :)

If you have stories about useful books that have changed your life, send them to the publisher by email [email protected] Don't forget to dilute the text with photographic evidence of your achievements. Most interesting stories will be published on Lifehacker under the heading "BEFORE and AFTER". At the beginning of summer, the three stories with the most big number views, will receive national fame and five business books from the publishing house "Mann, Ivanov and Ferber" - the choice of the winners.