Varvara Buben attended AIS-Salzburg as a senior during the 2021-2022 school year and graduated as our Salutatorian in the spring of 2022. In this interview, we check in with Varvara and see how college life is going.
AIS-Salzburg: Where are you currently studying and what are you studying?
Varvara: I’m currently studying Psychology and Language Sciences at University College London, which is a course that incorporates psychology, neuroscience, and linguistics, focusing on language in the brain.
AIS-Salzburg: How are you enjoying college life?
Varvara: Academically, I love university – there are so many unique opportunities for various types of learning, including conducting experiments, working with anatomical specimens, and learning from leading researchers in rather niche fields, expanding my understanding of the kinds of questions science asks. As for the non-academic parts of college life, they can be a bit of a challenge, but I think this may have to do more with the specific city I’m in – London can be hard to navigate and rather isolating at times.
AIS-Salzburg: What are the major differences between college life and life at AIS-Salzburg?
Varvara: There is much more independence and responsibility involved in daily life as a university student than there was at AIS-Salzburg. AIS-Salzburg has a really strong student support network; in university, that network is you. If you get sick, if something in your accommodation breaks, if you’re struggling academically, you are mostly on your own. This is not a bad thing – just a different experience from boarding school. Additionally, your entire schedule is basically up to you, but in addition to ensuring all coursework gets completed, you need to factor in time to prepare food, clean your space, commute, sleep decently… AIS-Salzburg definitely makes it easy to keep track of all these tasks due to the very structured schedule. In university, both the actual tasks and the task of planning them all out falls on you.
AIS-Salzburg: Do you feel your time at AIS-Salzburg helped prepare you for college life and if so, in what ways?
Varvara: AIS-Salzburg most prepared me for college by giving me an opportunity to practice integrating into a new environment. Fewer specific skills or habits carried over, just due to how different the two environments are, but the experience of diving headfirst into a new city and cohort would have definitely been much harder to do in university had I not have had the chance to do so in the much smaller, closer AIS-Salzburg community.
2018 Graduate, Sonia Ratiu
University: King’s College London, United Kingdom
Studies: Law
In terms of workload and difficulty, the courses I took in my senior year helped me prepare for the amount of coursework that is expected at the university level (European History, Humanities, and the Senior Research Project in particular).
As a law student, I am expected to read and absorb lengthy cases, articles, and commentaries, and, therefore, the critical thinking and time-management skills that I developed during some of the classes in my final year were very helpful. As I progressed in my degree, the workload also became more onerous, but thanks to the courses at AIS-S, the transition between high school and University was not that much of a shock.
Going to a small, college preparatory boarding school was definitely great in terms of preparing me for University, mainly because of the international environment, the support from teachers regarding both academics and college counselling, as well as the structure of the boarding school which allowed for an increasing amount of independence. As a student in central London, I appreciate having had the experience of living in a campus environment, particularly a very international one. When I arrived in London, I easily made friends from all over the world and faced few difficulties in transitioning to being an independent adult in a big city, this being owed to the school community and years spent in Salzburg. Additionally, I think that the strong support system in school helped me build skills that were very helpful in my academic and professional development.
2018 Graduate, Arina Dankanich
University: Sigmund Freud University, Austria
Studies: Psychotherapy Science
My senior year was challenging due to AP classes, deadlines, and overall stress regarding final examinations and university admission. So, I was not very surprised by the workload of my first year at university! It definitely taught me to be resistant to stress factors and manage my time efficiently. These are useful skills to have at the university.
One of the most important aspects of a small boarding school is an individual approach to every student. It obviously helped me a lot to get a better insight into classes and gain knowledge that I could apply now in my studies. Also, I am so thankful for the study halls we had every day, even though I didn’t like them very much at the time. I feel that it made me much more disciplined and organized.
2019 Graduate, Sonya Galimova
University: Newcastle University, England
Studies: Medicinal Chemistry
12th grade at AIS-Salzburg prepared me pretty well for the workload in my first year. The programs differ a little overall with the UK system, but the level of difficulty at AIS-S was sufficient. The fact that teachers and staff always kept a close eye on me really helped me to develop the right work ethic and organization. You feel like you’re never alone and can always seek help from them. That’s really unique about studying in a smaller school.
What year or years did you attend AIS-Salzburg at what grade levels?
I first attended AIS-Salzburg as a freshman in 9th grade in 2009 and graduated in 2013.
What is your fondest memory of attending AIS-Salzburg?
I like thinking back to school times, in terms of making international friendships all over the world. Classes with teachers who indeed live their profession and are successful in passing on their joy to their students. Finding out my ambitions for sports like volleyball, climbing and running.
Have you remained in contact with any former AIS-Salzburg classmates?
The first 2 1/2 years, yes, but keeping in touch is quite difficult, even when you are in the same city. However, we are equipped with Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms where we can socialize with each other.
What have you done academically since graduating from AIS-Salzburg?
I studied Hotel Management in Klessheim, Salzburg. After receiving my diploma in 2015, I decided to take the business license at the WIFI in Salzburg.
How well were you prepared for university?
I was perfectly prepared for college.
What aspects of your education at AIS-Salzburg best assisted you in further academics and/or professionally?
I believe that practice inside-/and outside of class with friends really helped me to improve my level for languages in general. With that progress I felt quite confident in my studies at Klessheim. Since I get to travel a bit for work, I am able to use my knowledge for languages in Italy and France as well.
Are there any personal accomplishments since graduating that you want to share?
I have hobbies like photography, which I can contribute to my work life, that I count as an accomplishment.
Are there particular AIS-Salzburg moments or memories that have stayed with you over the years?
Volleyball tournaments, getting to know my friends for the first time and excursions.
Do you have any advice for students at AIS-Salzburg or applicants to the school?
Use your time for preparation efficiently, have fun with friends and do not stress about growing up, reaching adulthood will come by itself soon enough.
Sa-Eun Park attended Salzburg International Private School (now AIS-Salzburg) starting in 1993 and graduating in 1998. She went on to obtain a master’s degree in International Development from the American University in Washington, DC. She has since worked in Microfinance, managing economic development projects in developing countries and now works for herself as a consultant in the same field.