Maribor in Slovenia

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