Radu Tăerel is an exceptional student who refused to study at a university in the United States of America and chose to stay in Romania.
Radu Tăerel decided to stay in Romania Photo: Personal archive
Radu, a 12th grade student at “Tudor Vladimirescu” National College, qualified this year for three final stages of the school olympiads – Mathematics, Informatics and Chemistry – and last year he qualified for five national stages of the school olympiads.
Radu Tăerel managed to win the bronze medal at the Mathematics Olympiad and has high expectations from the Chemistry Olympiad: “In Chemistry, there were quite long and difficult subjects, as it usually happens”, said the high school student.
Admitted to Medicine and Polytechnic
He enrolled and was admitted to two top universities in Romania: the Polytechnic and the University of Medicine and Pharmacy.
“I am already admitted because I have awards from previous years. I thought about studying in parallel, but it is quite difficult because attendance is quite demanding at both. I will think and choose one of the universities”stated Radu.
Radu initially wanted to study at a university in the USA, where he would have benefited from a scholarship as a result of the important prizes he obtained, but he changed his mind after arriving overseas and seeing what life is like there .
“I was in the USA with the robotics team, at the World Championship. I didn't like life because it is quite different from Romania. The lifestyle is very different. There the world is more closed compared to how people are here. Also, the distances are very long. If you want to go to a store, you have to drive. The economic and tax systems are much stricter and tougher”, the young man explained.
He says he considered going to Europe to study, but ultimately decided to stay in the country.
“I looked at a number of universities in Europe but couldn't find anything that suited me. The education system in Romania is quite well structured. It is based, at least in Medicine, in the first part more on theory, after which comes the practical part. It seems to me much more important to know their theory like a book and then apply the concepts”says Radu.
“Colleagues and friends represented a plus that they will stay in the country”
The fact that friends and colleagues decided to stay in the country also mattered: “My parents supported me and their advice was to choose which university I want. Colleagues and friends represented a plus that they will stay in the country”.
Last year, Radu won first prize at the National Chemistry Olympiad. He qualified in the expanded group for the International Chemistry Olympiad and obtained the Excellence Award of the Timișoara Polytechnic University, being also awarded with the Tea Borgs robotics team at the national stage of the FTC Championship.
