The doors of six world universities were open to him, and he chose Harvard; he graduated in architecture from Harvard, and is now in the third year of his master's studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he also works as an assistant.
He is Slobodan Radoman from Podgorica.
About how his path to one of the world's most prestigious universities went, he tells "Vijesti" that before Harvard, he attended the United World College "Atlantic College" in Wales, where he was accepted as the best high school student in Montenegro.
"At the United World College, I learned about the possibilities to apply to universities in America and Canada. They accepted me at six universities, after which I went to the basketball court with a colleague, with whom I practiced mathematics, to shoot three-pointers", says Slobodan.
His colleague, who is also Chinese, had the opportunity to visit Harvard and MIT before making his decision.
"We decided to shoot three-pointers and if we both hit, we would go to Harvard. That's what happened in the end. To me, each of the universities to which I was accepted sounded fantastic", recalls Slobodan.
He also remembers the situation when "Atlantic College" was visited by a representative of Harvard in Wales.
“We went to dinner together. I ate my meal in an hour and then I waited for her to finish hers, so I could show her the campus", says Slobodan, noting that in their school each student could only take a certain number of portions of food, considering that they saved money. so that more students around the world have the opportunity to come to college.
"During dinner, a person from Harvard told me that at Harvard I can eat as much as I want, so that was perhaps a naive first impression of that university," says Slobo jokingly.
When he went to Harvard, he didn't think much, because life taught him that the future always brings new challenges.
"Instead of spending all my energy planning some goals, I should spend a good part of that energy preparing for surprises, which, of course, are much more difficult to react to," emphasizes the architect from Harvard.
Answering the question of what he will remember Harvard for, Slobodan says that the moments from the building where he lived, with an outstanding professor from Italy and a group of 300 students, will remain in his memory the most.
"What makes this residence special is that it is right on the banks of the Charles River in Cambridge, where I often stayed and looked for inspiration for my work," he says.
He used to stay there until five o'clock in the morning, and then, sometimes directly, he would go rowing on that river. "Of course, I will remember a huge number of great people, both colleagues and professors, but also the student organizations that I either founded or helped in their functioning," says Slobodan.
When he went to Harvard, he didn't think much, because life taught him that the future always brings new challenges
Harvard is like Disneyland
When asked what makes Harvard one of the best universities in the world, Slobodan recalls a story told to him by one of his closest friends from Harvard, whose father was also at Harvard. His father advised him that Harvard is like Disneyland, that it has everything and that everything is interesting. "The most important thing is that you use your time and your "entry ticket" to the maximum and that you try to be as active as possible in the areas that interest you, and in those that you don't know very well, whether it's learning or the people around you . Most of your colleagues are people who in the future, if not already, will achieve what no one can even imagine," says Slobodan.
He says that what is true about Harvard is that it has so much potential, that all a student has to do is make the most of it. "There is a rule that one of three things must be sacrificed at Harvard: sleep, study, or socializing. I decided to sacrifice sleep and devote myself as much as possible to school and friends. I don't regret it," says Slobodan.
Montenegro is the most beautiful country in the world
He acquired his knowledge in prestigious companies around the world. "Of course, the experiences from those companies are invaluable, both because of the projects I worked on, from private villas, for some of the richest people in the world, to the master plan for the World Cup in Doha, Qatar, and because of the opportunity to meet and work with to some of the best architects in the world," says Slobodan. When asked if he was looking for a job in Montenegro, he says that he is not looking for a job in Montenegro, because luckily, a job is waiting for him. "As a scholarship holder of the Capital City, po
I decided to sacrifice sleep and devote myself as much as possible to school and friends
When it comes to Montenegro, Slobodan says that it is the most beautiful country in the world. "I've traveled a good part of the world for my age and after twelve years of traveling I can say this with certainty," says Slobodan, noting that some of his best friends are there
Success in the process, not in the final act
When asked if he considers himself successful, he answers that we should ask him this in 30 years. “Then I might be able to answer. I approach things in life with optimism, but also from a critical point of view and can always do better", says Slobodan. He believes that success consists in a person recognizing that he has the potential for something and that he should get the best out of himself. "Success is in the process, not in the final product. A good process will almost always give a good result," says Slobodan.
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