Dovlatov tried several times to enter university. His first attempt to pass the exams for the prestigious Russian department of the philology faculty was unsuccessful. Sergey went to work in a printing house to gain the necessary work experience. After a year of working at the printing press, he decided not to take any risks: he applied to the less popular Finnish department—and was accepted. However, the writer was unable to complete his studies. His turbulent student life and first love, whom he met within the university walls—Asya Pekurovskaya—got in the way. The young couple married while still students but separated after Dovlatov was expelled and sent to serve in the army—in the internal troops.
