Liberal Arts in Humanities means possibilities and freedom says Inara Bakhshaliyeva

 

Liberal Arts in Humanities means possibilities and freedom - in a way you have never experienced before!

Inara Bakhshaliyeva is a first-year Liberal Arts in Humanities BA programme student who was fallen in love with education and life in Estonia and would like to use the knowledge gained at Tallinn University to create a network between her home town in Azerbaijan and Estonia.

How did you first learn about Estonia?

Ever since I was a kid, I would always hear about Estonia. My parents once visited Tallinn and they would always tell me how beautiful the city is, almost as it was from a fairytale. As a family we always had connection with Baltic countries so naturally I had to choose Estonia.

Please tell us more about your life before moving to Estonia.

Before moving to Tallinn, I lived in Baku, Azerbaijan which is where I am originally from. From 9th grade I was serious with the idea that I want to study abroad and I was getting ready by learning foreign languages (Spanish and Estonian) and practicing my skills in English. 

Why did you decide to apply to Liberal Arts in Humanities programme?

I would find myself lost after graduating high school thinking there won’t be a perfect programme for me. But I am happy that I was wrong because Liberal Arts in Humanities is a perfect programme for someone like me, who wants to study all humanitarian subjects in one programme. On top of that, Estonian higher education system is very flexible and has more freedom than other education systems and for me it was very refreshing to see. I am glad that I chose this programme and I recommended it to my friends who want to study humanities.

Which courses and lecturers have inspired you the most so far?

So far in the first semester, all the subjects were interesting and helpful. The one course that I enjoyed the most was “Language and Culture” course which was taught by Professor Mari Uusküla. Professor is very kind and would be really helpful whenever we had questions, explaining them kindly. The assignments in this course were so much fun and interesting, working with the group was an experience that taught me a lot as in gaining skills and understand the material better.

What has pleasantly surprised you while studying at Tallinn University?

I was suprised in a good way to see a course named "Studying at the University: Introduction to the Humanities” since I don’t think there are courses like these in other universities, designed to help first year students in their first semester in order to understand how university works and how to choose modules. Moreover, every week there were new topics about useful subjects and they were taught by different professors. Thanks to this course, me and my groupmates went to two interesting museums in Tallinn which was fascinating to explore and learn more about the history and culture of Estonia.
Besides, staff in the university are very kind, Internationalisation Coordinator Ms. Maris Peters was always there for us in case I had any problem.

What do you like about Tallinn/ Estonia?

There are many things I like about Tallinn, Estonia and I can talk about it for hours. I like how residents of Tallinn can use public transport free of charge. The city is small and perfect for students like me, since everything is closeby. It is always pleasant to live in a country that is highly developed in IT sector, common things are easier to get done since so many things can be done online. Tallinn is an ecologically clean city and it feels like almost city and a forest emerged and became one. In some parts of the city, it is even possible to see wild animals like rabbits and squirrels.

What are your plans for the future?

In the future I would like to expand my work experience in Tallinn and use my degree Liberal Arts in Humanities in practice. Hopefully, I can work in such a sector of career that would help me to combine Estonia and my home country Azerbaijan. 

To whom and why would you recommend this degree programme?

This program is full with possibilities and flexibility for those individuals, who want to study the sphere of Humanities but are not sure what to study in particular. What can be better than a programme in which you can also develop your language skills by choosing courses in many foreign languages? It is all possible in Liberal Arts in Humanities. This is a great programme in many aspects. You will also evolve your social and communicative skills with fascinating courses that this programme provides. I know I wouldn’t be enjoying studying if I did not choose this programme.