A Conversation with Minerva Student Dinara

Meet Dinara, a student in the Class of 2021.

Quick Facts

Name
Dinara Bammatkhanova

Hometown
Moscow, Russia

Class
2021

Major
Business
Social Sciences — Designing Societies

Conversation

Why did you choose to attend Minerva?

I first learned about Minerva from my exchange program alumni social media group. As soon as I read the website, I knew Minerva’s vision was perfectly aligned with my goals. At the time, I was already studying at a university in Moscow but I was discouraged by the lecture class format, which wasn’t effective for my learning and allowed a lot of students to skip class. My school didn’t promote critical thinking at all. Instead, we would memorize information and would forget most of it after the exams. I wanted a different education, where my enthusiasm for the subjects would not fade.

When I read about Minerva’s model, I thought it could be a place where I would be continuously challenged and academically stimulated. I liked the small, engaging, discussion-based seminars and that assignments required students to practically apply the concepts to relevant problems. Minerva’s international student body also was a significant factor, as I had studied abroad in high school and enjoyed meeting people whose perspectives were very different from mine. And I’m thrilled I applied because the last 2.5 years have been precisely that.

What do you like about Minerva academics (class, pedagogy, curriculum)?

Something I am very grateful for is that I’m profoundly interested in my class readings, which makes my motivation to study intrinsic. My Social Science concentration is Designing Societies, which examines how societies function from the perspective of personal motivation, applied economics, and constitutional design. It has been fascinating so far; I don’t think I could pursue a specialization like that anywhere else. More generally, I also appreciate the way our classes are facilitated by the professors. Every student in each class participates in the discussions, we debate and analyze various topics, with sometimes opposing ideas, and we get support from our professors whenever we need it.

What do you aspire to do when you graduate? What is a problem you would like to address in the world?

I am still figuring out exactly what I want to do after graduation because every semester I am inspired by new opportunities in each city. I’m very passionate about environmentalism and entrepreneurship, and I want to create a business that would reflect my values in sustainability. I am fascinated by how societies and cities work; coupled with the knowledge I have and will acquire at Minerva, I want to create initiatives to help communities thrive. Additionally, I would also love to continue to develop my YouTube channel and digital community as I am able to connect with a lot of people and, hopefully, help them in a meaningful way.

Tell us about a collaboration with a Civic Partner (during a co-curricular or civic project) that you are proud of. Which partner was it, and what made you proud of the collaboration?

During my first year, I worked on a civic project with the Zuckerberg General Hospital in San Francisco, which was a hugely impactful experience for me. Our team used design thinking and a human-centered approach to analyze how their Women’s Clinic could redesign the prenatal care department to increase patient and provider satisfaction. During the first semester, our team individually researched different aspects of the practice, such as how to best apply human-centered design thinking to prenatal care for at risk women. In the second semester, we shadowed practitioners, led empathy interviews with patients, and ideated and synthesized our findings with the fantastic professionals from the hospital’s Innovation Hub team. The process was challenging at times; we all felt a lot of responsibility to do a good job because we did not want to let down the clinic and its patients. We presented our findings to the Innovation Hub team and at Minerva’s Symposium, our end-of-year review, and were glad to hear that the hospital would continue their project using our research. The experience taught me how to break down complex tasks into manageable sections and how to work well in a team. It made me believe that, even if it seems very small, we can effectively bring positive change.

What would you tell another student who is considering Minerva?

I would say that studying at Minerva has been the most challenging, rewarding, mind-opening, and fascinating experience of my life. Minerva is not for everyone but if you believe that being in an international community, having rigorous academics, and traveling aligns with your personality and goals for life, do not hesitate to apply.

What are some of your other passions and interests?

I’m passionate about veganism, sustainable fashion, photography, editing videos, reading, and writing. University life can become overwhelming at times, such as too many social events, so I love to meditate, go for a long walk to explore new neighborhoods, or bury myself in a book. It’s important for me to balance my academics and work with both solitude and quality time with my friends.

How is Minerva shaping the future, in your own words?

Since I have been at Minerva, my global awareness and cultural dexterity skills have grown exponentially, which is a result of living with a diverse group of people and learning from the locals in every global residence. I also enhanced my emotional intelligence and critical thinking, which is something my previous education neglected. Minerva has helped my peers and me look at the world through different lenses and be more self-aware of our intentions and impact. Ultimately, I think this maturity leads to a greater positive shift in our generation, as well as in the communities we get to interact with during our four years at Minerva.

Compared to your previous university, what has been the biggest difference at Minerva?

I decided to leave my previous university because I was dissatisfied with the academics and didn’t feel like I belonged to the community there. It was a competitive culture with a singular viewpoint. However, at Minerva I feel the complete opposite. Although I had been in rigorous educational environments for most of my life, it never felt as engaging and interactive as it is at Minerva. Moreover, I’ve never been a part of a community that was as close and supportive as our student body. We genuinely want each other to succeed and try to help each other whenever we can whether it’s in academics, our careers, or personal lives. It’s refreshing to be part of a group of people where everyone is open to each other’s perspectives despite how different we all are in our backgrounds, age, culture, religion, ethnicity, and upbringing.

How does Minerva’s Foundation Year curriculum compare to the courses you took in your first year at your previous school?

The Foundation Year curriculum introduced many concepts that are essential for critical thinking and effective communication, such as cognitive persuasion, confidence intervals, and emotional intelligence. Our curriculum is structured so that we learn these concepts through real-world examples and frameworks that make the material very memorable and applicable. One of my favorite concepts was gap analysis, which is identifying your initial state, finding ways to get to your goal state to bridge the gap between them, and considering already existing solutions. Another favorite is the concept of interpretive lenses, which analyzes how prior experiences and expectations affect our inferences in different forms of communication and how to react accordingly. Many of the concepts I learned in my Foundation Year are applicable to my everyday life as they are fundamental and highly transferable to various disciplines. This is very different from my previous university, where in the first year, I had introductory courses that covered the scientific method, logic, philosophy, and public relations but I never learned how to synthesize and transfer my knowledge to other contexts. I wish more people had the opportunity to learn the Foundation Year curriculum because it has provided me with a new, structured, and more profound outlook on the world.

What advice would you give to those who are considering transferring to Minerva?

It can be a tough decision to transfer, especially if you already paid for your current education. But the sunk cost of time and money spent does not justify not pursuing your passions. When I considered transferring, I talked to my family about what interested me in Minerva, how attending would be immensely more beneficial to me and the opportunities I could gain from living abroad. I listened to myself and was lucky that the people close to me believed in my decision. If the thought of transferring to Minerva feels right and exciting to you, I encourage you to continue to research. Will you be able to live away from your family? Are you ready for the challenges it will bring? If you can answer these questions honestly and make the decision for yourself; everything else will align.

If you are inspired by Dinara’s journey and want to join an innovative educational program with an international student community, consider applying to Minerva.