One of the Milevas, Milica, is another STEM girl of ours who managed to achieve exactly what she wanted – secure a one-way ticket to Colorado to dig deeper into the field of Robotics.
Milica's first contact with Robotics was at the best high school research center in the Balkans, Petnica. The passion fast turned into a goal and Milica decided to pursue a career in the field. She worked as an Associate at her school's Applied Physics and Electronics Club and took part in competitions in different fields such as mathematics, informatics, tourism, and entrepreneurship – where she, along with her teammates, won first place at the National competition and participated at the European Competition in Brussels. Milica is a big fan of Latin dances and has been the National Champion for an amazing 4 times!
What made you choose the University of Colorado - Boulder?
Colorado Boulder has become known as a high-quality university that offers a lot of opportunities and is home to a large number of international students, so I could say that the international spirit which surrounds it was one of the main aspects that persuaded me to apply there. Apart from that, the scenery around the university is marvelous, I could actually picture myself living and thriving there in every way possible. Finally, learning about the top-notch facilities which play a major role in robotics is one of the main reasons I chose Colorado Boulder as my final destination.
What was your motivation to study abroad?
My motivation, as for everything else, was to understand all this as a challenge that will surely pay off in the future, despite the hard work and the end result because I would certainly learn new things and gain new experiences. All this is valid if you have the desire to succeed and if you have seriously considered doing such a thing.
And why did you choose to study in the U.S.?
After a lot of research, I think that the biggest advantage of the American educational system is that it gives students huge support in all fields. America is an extremely developed environment where one can easily find a decent job in any profession after graduating. This means that I didn’t have to worry about what I would do after my graduation – I simply knew that I would most certainly find a job that will fulfill me as much as the studies. When a person has it all figured out and there is no “existential jeopardy”, everything seems so much lighter and easy to overcome.
How would you describe your everyday interaction with Equedu’s team members?
Every interaction with them was as useful as it gets. At the beginning of our cooperation, I was nothing short of ignorant concerning the application process in the U.S., which also made me somewhat insecure about my chances, but the easy-going attitude of the people and the willingness to go the extra mile (what to me seemed was unnecessary) really changed my perspective of all my tasks.
Which aspects of the program were most helpful in your opinion?
I suppose each segment of application covered by Equedu was extremely helpful, but for me, the guidelines and warnings of mentors as well as those secret tips and tricks which highlight you of all the other applicants were the aspects which I cherish most. In the end, I strongly believe these were the main plus points during the application review process. Additionally, the “segmentation” of the whole process done by Equedu made it not only tolerable but also somewhat enjoyable.
Also, from start to finish, the agency was with us. Every meeting with the members of the agency was extremely useful, they presented what our education and life in America will look like to the smallest detail and they knew how to refer us to good universities for a certain future profession. I believe that, in this way, you really get “the whole package”.
Your advice to students applying next year?
My advice is to write honestly in essays about their successes/failures in life, school, or extracurricular activities, emphasizing their failures because they are not something we should be ashamed of but use them, even in this situation, since they teach us important lessons in life. On top of that, listen to the advice you’re getting because, although you might think you know something, you will soon find out that there is much more to find and figure out.
In the end, I would like to tell them that they shouldn't be satisfied with small things since they can do better and greater for sure!
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