Rumen Balashov
“Space isn’t just space. It is also time… It is this fabric that can be bent, can be manipulated in all sorts of ways,” says Rumen Balashov.
He is a freshman at the American University in Bulgaria (AUBG) who loves astronomy and is intrigued by the concept of space and time.
Engineering is another great passion of Rumen. “Engineering is my specialty. I love it when I have to apply a practical approach to a certain problem.”
This is one of the reasons why he wants to major in Computer Science. He says that it will give him the opportunity to use this particular skill.
The high quality of education is another aspect of AUBG that persuaded him to study there. “I wanted to find a place where the quality of education is higher than average.”
He is also excited about the opportunities that the liberal arts system gives him.“You can choose to take a class or not and nobody cares. But when you choose it, you have to be responsible and study,” says Rumen.
Another aspect of university life that Rumen likes is the community. “It’s a very valuable experience to see different perspectives, a lot of viewpoints, and to get to know all kinds of people from all kinds of backgrounds,” Rumen shares.
What he doesn’t like is getting into trouble with the Resident Assistants (RAs), students that make sure other students follow the rules of the residence halls.
Despite his recent quarrel with the RAs for making too much noise during quiet hours, he says that he wasn’t a rebellious teenager. “I would say that I was a quite peaceful teenager compared to others. My sister is into this stuff. She’s gotten herself into trouble at school.”
He talks with gratitude about his family and says that his parents have always supported him. “Without them, I wouldn’t be here and wouldn’t have the opportunities…that I have now.”
Rumen is also very close with his friends from his hometown. Even though they study in different universities or even countries, they still communicate with each other. “Two days ago, a friend of mine that studies in the Netherlands called me and asked where we are going for New Year’s Eve.”
He also says that despite the hard moments he went through with his friends, they managed to keep their relationship. “When you are in a group of friends and you have been with [these] people for a long time, there are disputes and debates. But we have a strong bond and we overcame these obstacles.”
Rumen also believes that obstacles are important for his personal growth. He mentions the Latin quote “Per aspera ad astra,” meaning “Through hardships, to the stars.” Regarding it, Rumen shares: “You have to fight for what you want. You have to work for it, get through hardships to get what you want.”
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Frantsiska Kutevska is a student at the American University in Bulgaria. She is excited about meeting new people and listening to their stories and points of view.
