The Campus of the Polytechnic University in Bucharest (PUB) is in a continuous hustle and bustle. Among those heading to the classrooms is also Ghenadie Caraman, a young man come all the way from over the Prut River in order to be educated in Bucharest. He’s been gone for six years from Kishinev, the city he was born in.
And for the past six years, he’s been living in Bucharest, the city which adopted him and helped him be formed. He went to the high-school here, at the National College “Ion Neculce,” and after the high-school graduation exam, he was admitted at the Faculty of Automation and Computer Science within PUB.
“I Came to Bucharest Because I Had to Begin to Mature”
“The majority of the people whom I asked why they left the Republic of Moldavia to study in other countries told me that that preferred to get a diploma acknowledged in all the European space, to have more opportunities. I totally agree with them: in Bucharest there are many more opportunities in comparison with Kishinev. In my case though, the main reason for deciding to leave was that I felt the suffocation of that city. I realized that in Kishinev there is no place for me to grow, I have no way to know everything that is new in this world. I came to Bucharest because I had to begin to get mature,” recounts Ghenadie.
And the city that adopted him really caused him to mature.
Even now he recalls the first impact Bucharest had on him. “To be honest, my first impressions about Bucharest were not among the best. Originally, I ended up in an area that to me seemed dubious. Moreover, walking through the city, I noticed that here, very many people smoke. Especially the ladies. Six years ago, at Kishinev, you would not see too many women smoking,” recalls the young man.
Meanwhile he discovered the real Bucharest, and today he has a number of places in the city that he prefers when he wants to relax. “I am the type of man who would rather escape into the park than going to a party in a club. Bucharest has many parks; most of them look alike, but there are some that are more special. For instance, Parcul Tineretului / Youth Park, that has a special area: “Chidren’s Amusement Park.” The Park is very large and if you go into the “Chidren’s Amusement Park”, you return to your childhood. As far as I could understand, this is the park with the largest expanse in Bucharest. Another very well-known park is King Michael I Park, which all call Herăstrău. It is the park in which you see a whole lot of people doing sports, even many older people. I enjoy seeing people exercise” adds Ghenadie.
When going out with friends, he chooses the more secluded places, in which he feels peace of mind.
“I adore the diversity of the coffee-shops, the diversity of the foods, the diversity of the people in Bucharest, but Bucharest is a very congested city. With many people, cars, buildings, and it seems that greenery and natural beauty are just not enough for it,” points out the young student.
He Divides His Time Between Learning and Sport
Today, Ghenadie divides his time between learning and sport. Actually, he says that ever since he was a child, he was educated in this spirit. Being passionate about Mathematics, he decided to choose a Faculty that would satisfy his passion for the hard sciences. So it was that he opted for the Faculty of Automation and Computer Science within the Polytechnic University of Bucharest.
He proudly testifies to me that he picked this educational establishment since “it’s the best Faculty in the computers’ realm, where you don’t learn only to write a code and you don’t become only an application developer. Here you master the science of realizing how this code runs and, to understand what lies behind a processor and a video card.”
He had the possibility to choose a less demanding faculty, that would allow him to also work while studying. Let’s not forget that all the higher educational establishments in Romania have special spots for the Bessarabian students, so that the admission was only a matter of applying. Still, he preferred to go to Automation, at PUB, being aware that if he gets his license, he will have a safe professional future.
“Ever since I’ve been a student at The Faculty of Automation and Computer Science, to me the leisure time must represent a relaxation, and for this reason I prefer to got to the pool (swimming is one of my favorite sports), to go out for “a coffee” with a close friend, or just to lie down in bed for one day watching movies,” adds Ghenadie.
“I Was Blessed with Lot of Help from a Number of Foreigners”
Ghenadie was just a child when he came to Bucharest; he was only 16. He had a great courage when he decided to settle down in a city that he didn’t know in the slightest. “I came by myself, without my parents, without knowing to cook. I was forced to learn quickly to make my way around. The first year was very difficult, but I was blessed with lot of help from a number of foreigners. When I did not have internet and I could not find my way to get from the high-school to the student dorm in which I lived, there were people directing me, and even some would go along with me so I don’t get lost. To me, coming from another country, this was a very great help,” underscores the young man.
Overtime he made himself a network of acquaintances that he can rely on. One of the persons who was close to him was even his female homeroom teacher in the high-school. “She is a person that is very dear to me. She was close to me in my rough patches, and he she supported me. She was my friend and math teacher, and she helped me a lot in my preparation for the future Faculty. She is a very good teacher, from whom I learned a lot,” underscores the young Bessarabian.
To Ghenadie Caraman, Bucharest is a friendly city with young people, a city that affords many opportunities to those who want to develop; it is a city in which you can find yourself a job. “I am sure that some people disagree with me. And they are right if we take into account the fact that a young man getting for the first time in Bucharest needs to fit in. And it’s difficult for him to fit in, he needs advice, direction, assistance. Let’s take employment as one example. In order to get hired, there is the need for you to make it through an interview. It’s hard to make it through that interview without a minimal preparation beforehand,” explains the Bessarabian student.
What the young man actually means is that, in order to succeed in such a great city as Bucharest, preparation is very important. He was aware of that from the beginning, and that is why he opted out for a Faculty that, besides a diploma, affords very many opportunities as well.
Over 10.000 Bessarabians Study in Romania
Ghenadie Caraman is one of over 10.000 Bessarabians studying in Romania. The young people come from over Prut River decide to study in our country because of the conveniences they enjoy.
First of all, the language brotherhood that connects us facilitates their educational journey.
Also, they have free access to accommodation in the students’ dorms. Furthermore, over half of the spots allocated to the young Moldavians comes with a scholarship afforded by the Romanian state. This special scholarship can come on top of the merit scholarship that is received by the students with very good results in their learning.
The Bessarabians choose Romania also because of the fact that our country is a member of the European Union, and the studies done here are recognized everywhere within the community. To them, Romania can represent a starting point to studies in other countries in Europe. The situations in which the Bessarabian graduates leave in order to continue their post-graduate studies in other institutions in Europe are fairly many.
Another important facility they enjoy when studying at a University in Romania is the one connected to the “Erasmus” program. By means of this program they can enter projects targeting student exchanges between Universities.
Many of these young people who decide to study in our country do not return home. Statistically speaking, about 10% of them come back to the Republic of Moldavia. The rest prefer to build a future for themselves either in Romania, or in another country in the European Union.
