University of Ljubljana
How did you draw up your Learning Agreement?
Once I received confirmation that I can go on Eramus, the receiving university sent me a proviional study plan and course escriptions. The plan included study courses from years 3 to 6. I had to choose the courses that I would otherwise have to do at RSU – I had to make sure the course contents fit and the courses do not overlap.
There were courses that overlapped for a week e.g. the last week of haematology overlapped with the first week of urology – in such cases I was allowed to take both courses. It did make the life a little more complicated, but by the end of it I had both courses covered. There was a situation where initially I was not allowed to take one course because of an overlapping week, but by the start of studies, the course was included in my Learning Agreement.
I found it helpful that there were elective courses I could choose as many of them matched the A or B part courses at RSU – if I could not attend A or B part course, I took a similar one from the elective category.
Overall, putting a Learning Agreement together is not hard at University of Ljubljana. Erasmus office is quite helpful and you can adjust your study plan along throughout your mobility.
How is the study process organized in the receiving university? What is different compared to RSU?
The only thing you know when arriving is which courses you are taking and when. You will receive the precise plan with all lectures no more than a week before the start of the respective study course (in some cased it will be a day or two before the start). However, in a grand scheme of things, it changes nothing, as you are on a mobility where you are constantly learning to adapt and adjust.
There are many lectures during each study course; each lecture lasts 40-60 min. During the pandemic we had less lectures, but the practical classes in hospitals still took place. Usually, those were 2-3 days spent on practical lessons for each course. Additional 2-3 days per course were spent on seminars – students worked in groups to prepare a presentation on a specific topic.
What were the living conditions?
I did not get a room in dormitory, but I got lucky with the flat. I lived in a block of flats and shared a room with another person. Know that rent in Ljubljana Is too pricy. However, there are many “Erasmus homes” – houses with 10-15 Erasmus students living there, besides, you can agree on a better price with the owners.
To avoid the complications when looking for your own flat, you should fill the Learning Agreement and the online application form to get the dormitory room, while they are still available.
Did the Erasmus+ grant cover the living expenses?
Yes, the stipend covered all basic needs. You should consider that Erasmus is rich with many adventures and that mostly you will have to pay for participation or travel. I do recommend saving money before going on Erasmus or finding a job in Latvia that you can do remotely. I have heard that you can also work in Slovenia, although I did not and I do not now a single student that did work during their mobility.
Your advice and recommendations for others choosing this city for their mobility
- Put your Learning Agreement together and fill the online application form for dormitory as soon as possible.
- Say “yes” as much as possible.
- Make sure the Erasmus office has signed you up for all courses stated in the Learning Agreement.
- Make sure to communicate with local students – they are very collegial and can share advice on preparing for exams.
- Enjoy life and people around you - Erasmus offers a unique opportunity to meet many different people form many different countries and cultures. You can widen your horizons.
The best memory or experience from Erasmus+ mobility
My friends and I decided to go hiking – climb a mountain. We picked a trail from a Czech tourist map. At one point along the way we realised that we had definitely pick the wrong trail, but we could not turn back because of how steep the trail was and how dangerous the walk back would be. This was the first time in my life when I experienced a panic attack where a physically could not move because everything seemed useless.
We believed tat at the top we would find a safer path, however at about 1.4 km height we realised we could no longer move up, but also could not go down. We called the mountain rescue and had to wait almost 3 hours until they got to us and helped us get down.
The most valuable realization or lesson you have learned
- Do not believe Czech tourist maps!
- We can spend much of our time on school and work, but at the end of the day, the only things remaining with us are emotions and memories. You must be quick to adapt and adjust to external circumstances so we gain as many positive emotions and memories as possible.
