Анна Осокина

Призер Всероссийской олимпиады школьников
Призер олимпиады «Высшая проба»
ЕГЭ — 98 баллов
Поступила в ВШЭ (Двойной диплом с Лондонским университетом по направлению «Международные отношения»)

It’s been one hell of a ride

So many years of hard work, so many victories and defeats, so many new friends, so many tears, so much stress and pressure as well as happiness and bliss.

My olympiad career has officially come to an end and I can’t help but feel so sad about this fact, at the same time happy about finally winning the long-desired diploma.

I can’t recall a single day of not preparing for the olympiad during high school as all of my time was devoted to it.

This competition has truly challenged me both as a person and as a student.

Not only should one be proficient in the language, but also have enough knowledge of both American and British culture, history, literature, art, science and geography. (Never ever will I forget George Washington’s inauguration date or the dates of Queen Victoria’s reign or all of the works of Jane Austen or that Boston tea party was not an actual tea party but a political protest :) )

Despite being told by some teachers that I shouldn’t be wasting my time on this “unattainable goal”, I persevered and don’t regret it in the least as this competition has educated me beyond all of my expectations.

Apart from being accepted to a university and gaining a lot of knowledge, it has taught me discipline, confidence and the fact that if you have something you are truly passionate about, you should work extremely hard, give it your all and you will definitely be successful. Sometimes you will win, sometimes you will lose but the most crucial thing is to not be discouraged by failure as it is a stepping stone to success.

My advice that I can give is don’t be afraid of failing, be afraid of listening to people who tell you that you’re aiming too high.

Do aim high, do set huge goals and don’t be scared of deviating from socially accepted ways of doing things.

Here is one of my favourite lines from Robert Frost’s poem:

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.”