University of Ljubljana
How did you draw up your Learning Agreement?
On my own and with the help from the University of Ljubljana and RSU exchange coordinators.
How is the study process organized in the receiving university? What is different compared to RSU?
They have a separate timetable just for Erasmus students, so each subject can only be taken once during the year, which made the Learning Agreement a bit complicated because sometimes the subjects I needed ran in parallel and I could only choose one.
Studies are organised in blocks. The blocks are large – they last from 2 to 8 weeks. We usually spent 5 hours in hospital on average, some of which was theory and some practical. After the end of the block, there is an exam week where an exam is taken – written at the beginning, and if it is passed, then it is followed by an oral part a few days later. I would like to mention Neurology – the block and the exam is one of the most difficult subjects in their medical faculty, only half of the students pass the first time, and there is really a lot to learn.
What were the living conditions?
If you want to save money, I recommend applying for dormitory as soon as possible, but there are parties all the time and not everyone can cope with that. You can also find different houses and apartments for Erasmus students, but then you need to pay 200–350 EUR per month.
Did the Erasmus+ grant cover the living expenses?
It all depends on the cost of living. If you live in a dorm, I think it will be enough and you can even afford to travel on weekends. In Slovenia, there is a discount system for food for students. Each student gets 20 vouchers per month, which can be used at almost any restaurant, fast food restaurants and canteen. Each place has a special offer for students with these vouchers – you pay from €0 to €4.37 (depending on the place) and you can get soup, salad, a second course and a dessert, which is enough for lunch or to take home for dinner (you can get pizza, burgers, salads, sandwiches, etc. in some places where this offer is free with the voucher).
In general, I would say that the cost of living in Slovenia is similar to Latvia.
Your advice and recommendations for others choosing this city for their mobility
Look for a place to live as soon as possible, and apply for dormitory in any case, as you can always refuse later.
Don't stay at home, go out and explore Slovenia. Although, there are so many beautiful countries nearby, don't forget about Slovenia. There is so much to see and do. Definitely go to Triglav National Park, Soča river, Kamnik Alps, Julian alps, Vrsč pass, Piran. Before I went to Slovenia, all I knew was that there was such a country, but I was very surprised by what Slovenia had to offer.
Buy a bike as soon as possible. Ljubljana is designed to make it easy to get everywhere by bike. And you can buy a good second-hand bicycle for €40–50 on average! During the whole year, I only used public transport on the first day. Ljubljana also has a public bicycle system until you buy your own bike. There are bike racks in 50 locations around the city, where you can pick up a bike, go where you need to go and park it at the nearest station to your destination with a special card that costs €3 a year.
The best memory or experience from Erasmus+ mobility
Slovenia is a perfect Erasmus destination if you want to travel, as it is located in Central Europe – Ljubljana is a 2-hour drive from Austria, Italy, Hungary and Croatia. And at the same time, it's a much cheaper destination than Austria or Italy, for example. In addition, Slovenia has very beautiful nature, mountains, turquoise clear mountain rivers, the Adriatic Sea and very friendly people, a surprisingly large number of whom speak English. Most memorable are the shorter and longer hiking trips when we climbed mountains to meet the sunrise, swimming in icy mountain rivers while it is 36 degrees outside, exploring the Balkans and Croatia with its islands and rocky beaches in the Adriatic Sea, and of course all this with cool companions.
The most valuable realization or lesson you have learned
I am grateful that we are offered this opportunity, and even more grateful that I had the chance to use it. If I could, I would go again.
