Student Profiles
Naja Ferjan
Undergraduate: Brown University, Rhode Island
Neuroscience Major
Ph.D.: University of California, San Diego
Linguistics and Cognitive Sciences
Why did you choose to study in the United States?
I was recruited by a number of US schools for track. I wanted to be able to keep doing track and study at a good school at the same time, which is pretty hard to do in Slovenia.
When I saw that I could study at one of the best schools in the States and run at the same time, I thought it was a great opportunity and I decided to go for it.
What was different about studying in the U.S. versus studying in Slovenia?
You don’t have to know exactly what you want to study when you apply, and you can change your major pretty easily. I also thought it was nice that you can pick the classes that you’re really interested in; there are some basic requirements within your area of concentration, but you can still choose a lot of classes on your own. For example, I was a Neuroscience concentrator, but I was able to take Spanish, French, US History, etc. I also thought the whole experience of living on campus was pretty unique and very different than anything here.
Was there anything you found surprising about the U.S. in your time there?
Everyone leaves home to go to college, so there are people from all over the place. People don’t usually live at home when they study, even if they live close to the school. I thought that was kind of nice, because you can connect better with the people if you live with them (not just go to class). The Brown community was awesome!
What would you say to students who say “Why should I study in the U.S.?” particularly when they can get a nearly free education in Slovenia?
It’s very different. There are a number of majors that are not available here, you can pick your own classes and study a bunch of different things at the same time and still get your degree in 4 years.
Another thing that was very cool was that the professors were in general much nicer and more helpful there. If you don’t understand the material, or if you’re having a hard time studying for a test, you can always ask for help. There are a number of advisors of all kinds, teaching assistants, and on-line material that you can use. You get a syllabus at the beginning of the semester, so that you can do the reading before or after each class. So if you want to pass your exams, you will. It’s much harder to fail, because they tell you exactly how to get ready for the exams.
What was your most memorable experience, either socially or academically?
I think probably Graduation at Brown. It’s a huge event that lasts for a week. A number of alumni come, and it’s a huge party. They really make you feel special. I’ve never seen anything like that in Europe.
What advice would you give students who are interested in pursuing some form of higher education in the U.S.?
Try to get as much information as you can before you decide where you want to go because there are so many different kinds of schools there. In addition, I would recommend that you contact the financial aid office because there are a number of scholarships that anyone can apply for. For example, some a few schools (including Brown) offer need-based financial aid for international students, which means that each student pays a different amount of money to study there. The cost is based on the amount of money that the parents make and is determined for each individual separately.
How did your experience studying in the U.S. contribute to your career path?
I had no idea what I wanted to study when I was done with high school. I was interested in biology, languages, literature and sports, and I didn’t want to give up anything. At Brown, I managed to combine all my interests while getting my degree. The professors encouraged me to be as versatile as possible. At the end they helped me to figure out what kind of graduate education would best fit my academic interests.
Naja can be reached at: Naja_Ferjan@hotmail.com