Hello! My name is Lena and I’m a third year student of the International Environment- and Development Bachelor at Noragric. I got the opportunity to spend my fifth semester on exchange at Mendel University in Brno, Czech Republic.
About courses, exams, homework
Our study-program covers a broad range of topics, and hence, we
were lucky to have the opportunity to choose courses from all faculties at
Mendel. I had 6 courses in total, whereas three were following a study program
at the Faculty of Regional Development and International Studies.
Those three were: Development Problems in Latin America,
Development Problems in SEAsia and Politics and Contemporary Political Problems
of sub-Saharan African Countries. I found these engaging and of good quality in
terms of curriculum, lectures and evaluations. The focus was heavily on history
and political situations and systems of the given regions, not so much on
environment and development which differs a bit from what we emphasise at NMBU.
Besides these, I did an Anthropology-course, Czech for foreigners and
Environmental Ethics (Agriscience Faculty). My impression, and I seem to share
this with other Erasmus-students, is that the courses following a degree at the
university are of better quality than the ones created for Erasmus-students, so
that is something to be aware of when choosing courses.
Most courses at Mendel will be between 3-6 credits. This means that
you have to take more courses than at NMBU, but in return, there is usually
only one lecture per course during a week. Exams are also different as Mendel
has a point-system where you will have a maximum sum you can achieve at the end
of the semester (for instance 50 or 100). Different evaluations throughout the
semester will give you the opportunity to earn points toward your final score;
essays, mid-terms, oral participation in class, presentations etc. (not all of
these for every course, but some sort of evaluation(s)). Exams come in
different forms, they are usually put less emphasis on than at NMBU, and for
most courses you will be able to choose between three dates of doing the exam. Exam
forms varies and I had three written, two multiple-choice and one oral exam.
Motivation for going on exchange,
what did I learn/gain/achieve?
The reason I chose to go on exchange was a combination of several
things. I have always wanted to stay abroad for a longer time, and when I got
the opportunity, it was an easy decision to make. I had a desire to meet new
people from all over the world, to use English as the main language of
communication, learn about a new culture, travel, and get academic input from
another university and under different circumstances.
I would say that all of those things came true, and I now have
friends from all over, I learned to navigate life in an unknown place, and I
feel more equipped to tackle future challenges, be it school, work or life in
general.
Accommodation
You have different alternatives when it comes to accommodation:
student dorms, rent a room from an agency or rent a room from a private person.
There are two student dorms: Taufer, and JAK. Here you will share a room with
one or two other people studying in Brno. How many you share kitchen and
bathroom with depends on which dorm you choose, and the comfort too.
You can also choose to rent from a private person or an agency,
which I did. I stayed in a double-room in a private apartment, which I rented
from an agency. Regardless of it being an agency, private person or student dorms, most
accommodations will have double-rooms. You will find single-rooms, but at a
significantly higher price. I paid about
6000Czk for my room which translates to around 250€ or 3000Nok. The student
dorms are cheaper, but the standard is a bit lower too.
When looking for accommodation, you can find it through Facebook
groups, agencies or through the University. I found my room at Flatio, but
there are also others- search for it and you will find some. One important
thing to note is that there are many scammers in the Facebook-groups, so look
out for those!!
Short about the university
The University is located 15 minutes by tram from the city centre.
Except for the Regional Development-faculty, all faculties are located at the
same place. To get to the Regional Development one, you take the same tram but
just a few more stops. The main library is located in the main building, and
you will find a calm atmosphere there, with room both for self-studying and
discussion with fellow students. Brno also has so many great cafes, so check
them out too! They are great for studying and for meeting up with friends!
Language
In our Bachelor's, every course is given in English and I am used
to speaking English at school and with friends, but it was a new and valuable
experience to always use English as the main language of communication.
I also did a Czech course which was interesting, a bit hard, and
useful, as few people from older generations speak English in the Czech
Republic.
Paperwork
In the end it was way less paperwork than I thought it would be, so
don’t let that scare you away! Both the people at SiT at NMBU, and
administrative workers at Mendel were of great help and they will answer any
question you might have!
Would I recommend others to go on
exchange?
I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to go on exchange,
and I will recommend it to anyone. It might seem scary, the thought of going on
your own to a whole new place, but that is also how you grow. There are also so
many people who are there to welcome you and to help you adjust to your new
situation.
Courses
For the courses, I did struggle a bit with getting the ones I
wanted initially. Some were only allowing master-students into class, and
others were not given, even though they were listed (it depends on the amount
of students who sign up for the course). However, there is a lot of courses to
choose from, and I figured it out after a bit of research.
I got my courses approved when I returned, but it is good to know
in advance that they will be approved, so you know you will be able to get all
the credits you need.
Funds from Lånekassen/Erasmus
The Erasmus and Lånekassen funds got me through my time in Brno, as
the Czech Republic is more affordable than Norway, but it is always good to
have some money saved up. We travelled a lot around the Czech Republic and in
neighbouring countries, and usually when you´re in the city, you will meet up
at a cafe/bar etc. because few students have common areas in their
accommodation.
A bit about Brno, Mendel and
feelings after returning home
Brno and Mendel are great if you are looking
for an amazing social life, a charming city and perfect location for travelling
around both in the Czech Republic and in Eastern- and Central Europe. The city is small enough to navigate around,
it has a great public transport system, and you can get almost anywhere within
20-30 minutes. It is also super walkable, and by foot you will get anywhere if
you take the time to walk. It has cafes everywhere, a lot of second-hand shops
for those who are into that, charming buildings and is generally just a
beautiful and lively city.
ESN at Mendel did an incredible job arranging
all kinds of events, and is kind of the centre of erasmus social-life. People
were always showing up to the events, and it is a great way of meeting new
friends.
As mentioned above, the quality of courses varies quite a bit. If
you go on exchange only for academic outcome, Mendel might not be the top
choice, but no one really does that, so for the location, social environment
and full Erasmus-experience, Brno and Mendel is in my opinion the perfect place
to go.
After returning to Norway, I can confidently
say that the exchange-semester fulfilled all I wanted it to. I met amazing
people from all over, explored new places, got to learn about another culture
and got academic input from a university that does things differently than
NMBU. All in all it was an incredible 5 months.
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