This book is a unique guide to the world of higher education for applicants and their parents. The author, a mathematician and a passionate, talented teacher, knows the higher education system in Russia and Holland from the inside, and has extensive experience working with students of various specialties from different countries. Nelly Litvak has found a clear formula for “getting into a calling” and offers seven rules that will help any high school student make an informed individual choice. How to understand which profession is right for you? What do you need to know about the university and the curriculum, and how can you make the most of the coming years of investing in yourself? The book will give applicants starting points for searching and choosing a specialty, and will tell parents how to avoid conflicts with children and support them in making one of the main decisions in life.