Student Nela Bušovská: Studying in the USA moved me a step forward

Nela Bušovská is in her second year of the master's programme in Economics and Management with a focus on Entrepreneurship at NEWTON. In addition to studying and working as a marketing specialist, she also experienced what it is like to live in the USA. She spent five months there as part of her studies at Hilbert College in Hamburg, NY, where she was awarded the Rector’s Award for outstanding academic performance.

How did you get the opportunity to study abroad and what motivated you?

Studying abroad has always attracted me, and when the chance to go to the USA came up, it was an obvious choice since America had always been on my wish list. I mainly wanted to experience life in a different country and gain new experiences and knowledge.

How was studying in the USA for you?

At first, it was more challenging because the teaching methods in the USA are different. On top of that, there was the new environment and studying in a foreign language. However, I quickly adapted and everything went smoothly. I even received the Rector’s Award for outstanding academic performance.

What do you think are the main differences between studying in the USA and the Czech Republic?

University studies in the USA operate quite differently than in the Czech Republic, at least at Hilbert College. We didn’t have any lectures, only seminars. We had a lot of homework from class to class and many seminar papers that instructors discussed with us during the sessions. Personally, I experienced that most grades were accumulated throughout the semester, and the final grade was the sum of all grades earned over the entire semester.

What do you think the Czech education system could adopt from the American one, and vice versa?

The Czech education system places much higher demands on students and is more advanced in some ways. What I liked about the American system is that the final grade doesn’t depend solely on how well you perform on a single exam; instead, your work throughout the entire study period is taken into account. They don’t even have a national final exam – the final grade is a summary of all your results throughout your studies, plus a small paper.

Is there something that didn’t go perfectly but from which you learned and gained valuable experience?

At the beginning, it wasn’t entirely easy for me. After all, I was completely alone on the other side of the world. Studying and living there is quite different from life in the Czech Republic. A big advantage was that I didn’t go completely alone – I went with my friend Magdaléna Vyhnálková, who has been studying with me at NEWTON since our bachelor’s. However, going to America doesn’t mean living the American dream. It’s quite expensive for us Europeans, and life there is different in terms of people’s mentality, food, and even travel and transportation (you can’t get around without a car). A few challenges arose, but the hardest part for me was arranging all the necessary documents and preparations before departure.

What did studying in the USA give you, and what is your favorite memory?

I would say that my Erasmus experience in the USA moved me a step forward – not only in terms of knowledge and skills but overall. It gave me new friends, contacts, and unforgettable experiences, but most importantly, it helped me grow as a person. When someone asks me what it was like in the USA and what it gave me, I answer that I matured a lot there. I don’t have a single favorite memory – rather, I have many, and I can’t pick just one because the whole experience was absolutely amazing.

What advice would you give to someone considering studying abroad?

Don’t hesitate – just go! At first, I was quite afraid, and even after submitting my application, I wasn’t completely sure, but it turned out to be the best experience of my life so far! And if I could, I would go again immediately.

Go abroad and gain new experiences yourself. NEWTON University has partnership agreements with universities in Europe, America, and Asia.