If you want something so much, it will happen. However, you should not sit and wait – dreams do not realise themselves. We need to act! Our interlocutor is convinced that opportunities always exist. She has shown from her own experience that it is not necessary to have a huge fortune to study abroad, but you can also find a good job at your own university. We talked about the prospects for young people and our own city with Maryna Prokopchuk, who combines training with the work of a leading specialist of the Career Development Center of the State University «Zhytomyr Polytechnic»

«I deliberately stayed after graduating from school in Zhytomyr, although I could go studying abroad or in a big city. Stopped at our «Zhytomyr Polytechnic». The decision was made when I attended the Open Day. I also visited other Zhytomyr universities, but I was not so impressed. I looked and realized that I want to study here. To be frank, at the age of 16 it is difficult to decide, you do not always understand at this age what exactly you want, but I was so impressed by how the university presented itself that really wanted to study here»

«I work at the Career Development Center at Zhytomyr Polytechnic. I got to work quite by accident: I met a classmate who said that they needed a person to work for a few hours a day. I was looking for a part-time job at the time, so I agreed. Then he moved to Kyiv, and I stayed in his place. Now I help other students find work. They come to us and ask about various available opportunities – vacancies, projects. We also invite our students to mentor others. This is a cool practice, though free, because it gives the opportunity to form as a person, to show leadership qualities. Sometimes students refuse this opportunity – not everyone is ready to work for the future. Some people prefer to work in a store, but there is an opportunity to get money here and now. However, for a student who is just starting his career, writing a resume on mentoring is an additional plus»

«Abroad, the student mentoring system works well. When you come from another country, you are helped in everything. And it’s cool! When I first came to Wroclaw for an internship, I needed different tips: how to find a room where the class was, where to wash things, where to eat. And even when I was sick, mentors brought me food to the dormitory. They also help in the learning process. There for some reason mentors go willingly, and at us it is necessary to persuade. There are now more than 2,000 students at the university and only 12 mentors, of whom only five or seven have expressed their wishes. These are the people who understand the prospects»

«I wanted to go to another country, live, communicate, feel the environment, see how the learning process takes place, go on excursions and just go shopping. As it turned out, I went to Poland for an internship. Some people are looking for opportunities to go abroad and stay there, but it’s not about me – it’s better at home. It is good to have a rest, travel or gain experience abroad, and to live here. Unfortunately, not everyone thinks so… When I was abroad, I saw a difference in people’s behavior, in their attitude to their city. They don’t throw rubbish at their feet, as they do here, people are more sincere and frank, they smile. Even when you ask how to get somewhere, they try to help. We want to change relations so that society becomes more humane, so that people take care not only of themselves»

«Anyone who wants to see the world or learn will always find opportunities. First, you can search for yourself. I used to do that. Initially, I applied for a very cool program «Study Tours to Poland», but did not pass it. Another program is NAWA. I did an internship on it, and it seemed to me that there was a less difficult selection. And secondly, now almost every university should have some information about internships. And not only in Europe, but also in Ukraine. At the Career Development Center, we disseminate this information on the website, on our pages, through mentors, so that students can take advantage of opportunities. I think it’s better to start an internship from Ukraine, because if you haven’t been anywhere before, it’s hard to go somewhere far away»

«It is worth going on an internship not only to work or study, but also to try yourself in different fields, to adapt in different environments. When I first went abroad, it was very difficult at first: I was confused, I didn’t know anything. However, a week later I realized that I am completely independent: I cook myself, I choose how to spend my time, I have to buy something in the store. Plus the realization that if I can’t speak, roughly speaking, I won’t sing. Life will make you speak a foreign language. Before the trip, I was very closed, shy, and afraid to ask questions when I needed to. I could have asked my mother to call because I was ashamed, but after the internship everything was completely different. This is a good school of life»

«I was accompanied on the internship by adults – teachers from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Ukraine. All of them will bring the acquired knowledge home and will be able to teach using the latest techniques. In addition to a high level of teaching, there is another level of communication. I was very inspired to communicate with the teaching staff. All this together increases the level of professionalism»

«We also have a lot of interesting things at the university. For example, there is a startup club «YEP starter». We are looking for interesting ideas, there is money for their implementation, we encourage students to apply. If you have an interesting idea, apply, organize a startup and get funds for its implementation, and quite large. The university also has a UGEN leadership program for active students. And all these are free opportunities. It’s just that some people want everything at once, but it doesn’t always work out that way. We have to start with something and then move forward»

«I really want to see more beauty in Zhytomyr, more conscious people. For example, we have a disappointing situation with garbage that needs to be changed. A countdown clock has been installed in New York. It shows how much is left for humanity before the ecological catastrophe. This watch encourages you to be more conscious: a person will look and just do not throw garbage, but think about how to dispose of it. The world is abandoning plastic containers – recycling waste paper and making paper cups. Or people use their cups «to go» or «keep cup». I have two such cups, they are reusable, made of environmentally friendly material. It is important to take care of your health – it is very unhelpful to drink hot drinks from plastic containers. In many countries, people are encouraged to consume consciously, for example, at a discount: you take coffee in your cup and buy it at a lower price. Why don’t we do that?»

«Most of my friends are for the ecological attitude to the world around them – sorting garbage, using eco-bags and eating healthy food. Now adults are learning at a young age. My mother saw that I follow the rules of eco-consumption, and now we do it together»

«I dream of visiting Austria. Firstly, it’s good there, and secondly, I would like to practice the language and then return home. Of course, it’s cool to go and see, but Zhytomyr is native. At home is at home»