Thread: Help with Far Eastern National University

I'm trying to sign up at FENU, for their Computer Science Distance Learning Degree. This is a Russian school, and the language of instruction is in Russian.

They say they have students from the whole world, including USA, and they say, that people with Basic russian skills can sign up for the courses.

However, they are absolutely dumbfounded by my application.

Obviously, they have american students at the main FENU campus, but I cannot believe one ever went through the online program...because I have to sign up completely in Russian, the internet manager won't answer any questions, and is basically hostile to me.

So thats the background, so here is the situation, and question to follow:

She asked for a copy of my diploma. I explained to her that each state in the U.S. makes it's own laws, and in the state of Missouri, a diploma is just a decoration. At one time, the diploma showed your graduation, and the transcript showed your classes. Now the diploma is only a decoration for your wall, and the transcript lists both your classes and is used to show the date of graduation as well.

She doesn't understand me at all.

She also doesn't ask questions and goes silent for weeks...making this application QUITE TEDIOUS, and I'm frustrated out of my mind...by gosh, her job doesn't seem to be to help me become a student, but to prevent me from becoming a student.

So....oh ya, the question. What is the word for transcript in Russian...I'm not sure the dictionary is correct. How would you explain matters....you see most of my Russian has been correct...I've had my mistakes corrected by a native language speaker...but we nevertheless can barely communicate.

I never kept my high school diploma...(in those days we showed very little respect for such a low diploma...oh heck and we still do)...and since its only decoration the school won't print another one...they'll be glad to do an official transcript....so what do I do, just print up a decorative diploma and send it on to the idiots at FENU....or try to explain myself further about the diploma situation.... just go on and on for months and months and months....

This isn't about language as much as culture...I cannot even ask the internet manager questions, because she won't answer them anyway.
I have to politely ask why I haven't heard from them in weeks, and then they say, we are waiting on you....and I say, but what about my question you never answered.... then they go silent again.

sigh.

Welcome to Russia, where the customer isn't satisfied, but tormented! I blame Ninel. Moving on: I would suggest that if you are serious, you enlist this native speaker of yours and splurge on a phone call (keep in mind the time difference). See if that will iron anything out. You could also try to get a letter from your school, on official letterhead WITH a seal of some sort, preferably on the letter, the transcript, and the envelope they are in. Just make it as official looking as h*ll. If you have a decent guidance counselor or principal, and they understand what you're going for, then they should make themselves as flexible as possible on that. If that doesn't work, then find another college -- you can surely find something worthwhile stateside.

thank you for the advice, I'm sure I'll have to do just that...although to give some more background about me...I'm 36 years old, database administrator....I'm not fresh out of high school. and I'm not really looking for a college degree at all....its more of a scheme to learn Russian for free

I'll explain...You see, my employer will reimburse tuition at 100% as long as it relates to my job, is accreditted.

I want to learn Russian...they won't pay for that. But they will pay for this computer science degree....and I'm going to learn Russian by making it a Russian school which uses Russian as the language of instruction.

FENU is the only school I've found that can meet my requirements...i.e. to teach computers...they have to use Russian as the language of instruction...it has to be accreditted....and it has to be online, because I work for a living and I'm hardly moving to Russia.

It's a mighty ambitious scheme, naturally

If only I can get by the internet-manager of this school...lol, and my own impatience doesn't torpedo the whole works...

Originally Posted by Superman

well thanks for the advice...

now I do feel like I should explain something, I'm 36 years old, database administrator....I'm not fresh out of high school.

but...your other advice certainly applies still.

You see, my employer will pay for a college degree as long as it relates to my job.

I want to learn Russian...they won't pay for that. But they will pay for this computer science degree....which is not teaching Russian...its just using Russian as the langauge of instruction.

FENU is the only school I've found that can meet my requirements...which are they have to teach computers...they have to use Russian as the language of instruction...it has to be accreditted....and it has to be online.

It's a mighty ambitious scheme, naturally

If only I can get by the internet-manager of this school...lol, and my own impatience doesn't torpedo the whole works...

OK, I don't know what kind of degree they are offering or what your level of Russian is, but at first glance this seems to be the wrong way to go (and of course I know virtually nothing about you or your situation). It seems to me that if you need to learn Russian in the first place, the way to go is not just an incidental crash course that uses it as the medium for a degree. I understand you are trying to kill 2 birds with one stone, but it would seem to me that you'd be far better off either shelling out of your own pocket for a Russian class OR, if you're employer is so flexible, figure out a way to do full-time university (which would mean your Russian class would be "free"). As for being out of school for so long, I still don't think that matters other than the records may be a bit harder for them to come by (and really, AFAIC, it should improve your chances for getting them to help you out -- who would you take more seriously, some 18 year old kid working at BurgerKing or a 30-something professional if you were the principal?). If they don't want to help you out, tell them "fine, I'm going to go see the superintendent and my school board member". That will most likely get their attention.