Are
you satisfied with your exchange, and would you recommend others to do the
same?
The Erasmus exchange
was a great opportunity for me. Through the Erasmus exchange I wanted to look
into Architecture studies and see how this discipline can relate to my
bachelor’s degree of International Environment and Development Studies at NMBU.
After the first semester I figured that I really liked the Architecture studies
and decided to prolong my stay for another Semester. I acquired a lot of
knowledge in a field which before the exchange was of much interest to me but
which I did not know much about. I learned about how my studies at NMBU and
Architecture relate and now hope that I can continue my studies with
sustainable architecture.
I chose to go to
Slovenia because it was the only partner university of NMBU that offered
English Architecture courses. I did not know much about Slovenia before I went
but the location turned out to be amazing. The landscape is very beautiful at
the southern side of the Alps. Through Maribor goes the river Drava. Going for
walks along the Drava and the surrounding hills and mountains is amazing. When
leaving the city (which is not so big) you will quickly find some really calm
and beautiful spots which sometimes remind one of being in the tropics and have
nice views. In the summer it is really hot, and you can go for swims. The
winter is not so cold, but you can go skiing on the mountain which is
overlooking the city.
Maribor itself is a
really nice city. Some old Architecture, lots of green parks, nice cafes, bars
and clubs and everything you need. The city is very safe, and everyone is kind
and helpful. The younger generation speaks perfectly English and the older
generation speaks good German (which was good for me as a native German). There
are many young people living in Maribor, many of them are students. Slovenians
generally are very open-minded, welcoming and easy to get to know.
Also, there are a lot
of Erasmus students in Maribor, 600 in my first semester, from all over Europe.
The university and student organisations arrange many events for exchange
students to get to know each other and also the Slovenian students. E.g. a
cinema night for students once a week, in the winter free entry in the
ice-skating hall every Monday, organised hiking and travelling tours and many
parties.
Slovenia and many
people I met here grew on me. I will definitely go back one day and would
recommend an exchange here to anyone considering it.
Was it
difficult to get the courses you wanted at the host university?
Getting courses here turned out to be very
easy. The problem was that all courses in Slovenia must be taught in Slovenian.
However, for the courses where enough Erasmus students were enrolled, the
Professors made extra lessons in English. For the courses in which I was
enrolled as the only exchange student I had private consultations every now and
then, had to work a lot independently but always felt well supported. The
professors are usually very helpful and happy to give advice.
During the semester it is usually possible to
change or choose extra courses, even if they were usually not offered for
Erasmus students.
Did
you get all of the courses approved when back at NMBU?
Since I mainly studied Architecture here in
Slovenia, but Environment and Development Studies at NMBU it turned out not to
be so easy to get many of the courses approved. However, I was able to choose
extra ECTS from the Sociology department here which in the end worked out for
me to have enough courses approved.
Are
you satisfied with the academic quality at the host university?
The academic quality was very good. Unfortunate
was for some courses that not all course contents could be covered by lectures
to the Erasmus students. Sometimes this would require longer sessions at home
trying to figure out yourself how things work. The professors were aware of this
though and always tried to be available for personal questions. It was nice to
get to know the professors personally and usually the learning processes in the
few sessions was much quicker than in normal lecture classes.
How
beneficial was the Erasmus grant?
The Erasmus grant was very helpful, covering
about half of my total costs here. Slovenia is quite cheap for Norwegian or
German standards. Also, universities in Slovenia have a very good system for
student meals where every student gets 20 coupons per months which will get you
subsidised student meals at many restaurants around Slovenia.
Did
you obtain what you wanted by going on exchange?
I got more than I had
expected. My intentions of changing my study directions towards architecture
worked out better than I expected. In addition, I learned to love a new country
and got to know many people from around Europe. Overall the exchange opened up
new opportunities for me and has contributed to my personal development. I
would not want to miss this year and am thankful for this chance.
Slovenia, University of Maribor, Architecture
and Sociology, Bachelor, International Environment and Development Studies
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