Without stereotypes – girls also repair cars and study electronics
August 14, 2020
Eleonora Harčuka is one of the few girls who has chosen the program “Electronic Engineering” at Ventspils University of Applied Sciences (VUAS). She began her studies on September 1, 2019, when she followed recommendations and an opportunity to have a state-funded place. She started doing, as Eleonora says, “one of the best things in her life – studying at Ventspils University of Applied Sciences.”
Eleonora had an interest in technology already at school and, instead of continuing studying at secondary school, she chose to become a mechanic and study at Ventspils Technical College. “After graduating from the college, a logical question arose – where to continue my studies? My first choice was Riga Technical University (RTU), but in Riga a number of state-funded places was limited, so the idea of studying had to be postponed and I started earning money by working in a car service,” informs Eleonora. The future student of the Faculty of Information Technologies continued working in Ventspils, but later began to take an interest in studying in her city and that led her to the Faculty of Information Technologies at VUAS. “The opportunity to study electronics and combine it with my knowledge in the field of auto mechanics seemed like a great opportunity to master the nuances of modern engineering, because it is not a secret that there are a lot of car electronics nowadays,” says Eleonora. Having found out that VUAS also provides state-funded places, the decision to study here was obvious.
“The beginning of my studies was exciting. Later the excitement was replaced by the desire to master everything that is offered in VUAS.” Sharing her thoughts about the first months of study and participation in various events, Eleonora remembers well the event called “Orientation Night” and the lecturer's request that students use the respective form “You” during lectures, when students communicate with lecturer, but outside the university – the informal form “you”. The attitude of lecturers and the individual approach to each student are invaluable: “The lecturers are ready to sit with you for long hours, even all night, so that you understand the necessary information!”
After spending her first academic year in Ventspils, Eleonora likes Mondays much more than Fridays: “I never thought that I would ever say this, but the desire to study electronics and see my course mates every day is much stronger than waiting for the weekend.” In three years, Eleonora will become an engineer, who will have improved the already gained skills in the field of car mechanics, but the memories and knowledge, gained at the VUAS, will always stay with her, regardless of which career she will choose.
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