Blagoevgrad-born AUBG student Velislava Stoitsova shares her perspective on how AUBG interracts with the city and talks about her academic experience and dreams about the future.
What do you think about AUBG as a community in Blagoevgrad?
I think that the AUBG community is something that makes Blago a better place because it brings something different to the city. Most of the students live on campus and that makes the AUBG community closer and tighter. They are like a family. Many AUBG students love the city and it is easy for them to integrate. I like that AUBG brings diversity to the city.
Why did you choose to study at AUBG and stay in Blago? How has your perspective of your hometown changed after you became a university student?
I decided to stay in Blago and pursue my education here in AUBG because of the great education that the university provides. For me, it is the best in Bulgaria and the Balkan region. I have always thought about it that way and now that I am in my Junior year I can’t imagine how right I was. I am satisfied with my choice and I am not regretting it for sure. I met a lot of interesting people here, the whole system changed my way of thinking and attitude towards different aspects of my life. I think it shaped my personality in a better way.
How did you decide on your majors and what do you find most interesting about those fields of study?
Well, when I started my AUBG journey, at first I had difficulties deciding what majors to pursue. So I decided to start with General Education courses (GenEds). After I completed most of them, I decided to major in Political Science (POS) and Journalism and Mass Communication (JMC). I am also going to take Marketing courses because I like them.
My favorite part of the POS major is that involves learning history and analyzing it based on actual events that are happening worldwide. We get deep knowledge of the political models in different countries, as POS students we can find the possible reasons for every political move.
The JMC major is something that I am passionate about because it makes me communicate with all types of people and write all types of stories. At first, I thought that it is going to be all about writing but now I know that there is a lot more than that.
What do you find most rewarding about studying at AUBG? What do you find most challenging?
My biggest difficulty is the intensity of study. We always have assignments, tests, homework. It was difficult at the beginning but I got used to it. I think the hardest part was getting through the Math courses because I am not a math person. Still, I must admit that they helped me develop my logical thinking. The most rewarding thing about studying at AUBG was that I learned the ability to multitask.
How has the pandemic impacted your education? Would you say there are some benefits to online education and what are they?
I think studying online is not that bad at all. In terms of the material, I think we can learn it as well as if we are learning it on-ground. Benefit number one is that you can take your class from anywhere in the world. You don’t need to get up early to go to campus for your class. It is a good substitute. I miss being in class though…
Tell us a bit about your experience with student clubs and other extracurricular activities at AUBG?
I currently am not participating in any clubs, but I often go to events. Any events. Next year I will try to get into one of the AUBG clubs. I think it is important and I won’t miss that opportunity.
What has been your experience with Work and Travel and/or internships?
I went to Alaska for Work and Travel in 2019. This summer, I had plans to go again but unfortunately, I will not because of the pandemic. In the summer of 2020, I took an internship in one of the local newspapers and now I plan to stay in Bulgaria and find another internship for one of my majors.
What are your plans for the summer after graduation? What are your dreams for the future?
My dream job is to work for an international fashion magazine. It could be as a journalist, editor, or in the advertising field. I just want it to be related to fashion.
