Arnaud
Graduate student of Physics, Toulouse, France
I have chosen the Faculty of Science because the syllabus of the Master’s programme in Physics was really interesting. Here the study groups are smaller than in France, so we have a closer contact with the teachers, which is more pleasant. I also have fewer classes than at my home university, which was one of the things that surprised me the most. In my experience, the biggest difficulty is finding a regular rhythm for studying – there is not much time between Erasmus Student Network events and exams. But with good organisation, it can definitely be done.
I was surprised to see that prices in Croatia are on the same level as in France and in some cases even more expensive. To be honest, I was not prepared for that.
What I miss most from home are my friends and my city, which I love. Unlike home, everything here is closed during the winter season. I miss hanging out with my friends in the city and I also miss my mountains. There are some here, but it’s a little different.
| „Study groups are smaller than in France, so we have closer contact with the teachers“ |
The Erasmus programme has given me the opportunity to study in English and at a different university and meet new people. I would definitely recommend Erasmus mobility to anyone. It gives you the opportunity to get to know other people, get acquainted with another culture and learn about the world. You can also improve your language skills and you make contacts with people all over Europe. It is such a beautiful experience!
Bianca
Graduate student of Mathematics, Stuttgart, Germany
I decided to apply for Erasmus mobility at the Faculty of Science because I found courses here that are suitable for my qualification. Some of them I do not have at my home university, and I can get ECTS credits for them, which I need to complete my bachelor’s degree.
Since the classes for my courses here are in Croatian and I do not speak Croatian, I do not attend the regular lectures. Instead, I have private classes with the professors in English. For this reason, it was not easy to get in touch with other people, especially locals. The Erasmus Student Network organizes excursions and other events, so I have more contact with other Erasmus students than with the Croatian ones. To get in touch with locals, I signed up in a local scuba dive club.
One of the things that surprised me was the weather. I was told that it would not rain much in Split, but there were a couple of days which were kind of rainy. Also, a lot of bars and clubs and museums are closed in the winter because there is no tourist season anymore. So, I feel like there is not much to do in the winter. Also, the trips that were organized by ESN were cancelled because of the bad weather conditions.
The best part of my Erasmus experience is experiencing a different culture, learning a new language, and meeting so many international people. I do miss my family and friends. And a certain kind of food (Kartoffelsalad :-)).
| „I have more contact with other Erasmus students than with the Croatian ones. To get in touch with locals, I signed up in a local scuba dive club.“ |
I will stay in Split for the whole academic year, until July. So, I think it’s too early to make my final impressions. At the moment I think I would rather do an Erasmus exchange in the summer, when the weather is better and when there are more trips and events going on.
Justyna
Undergraduate student of Biology, Lublin, Poland
One of the reasons I chose the Faculty of Science is that it is located in Croatia, which I have never visited before, and I wanted to get to know a new place. When I was looking for the best place for my Erasmus mobility, the Faculty of Science in Split seemed to be a good choice regarding the selection of courses for my studies.
When I attend classes together with Croatian students, the teaching methods are generally very similar to those in Poland. I really like that teachers have an individual approach to the students individually. This means that they always ask if we understood everything. I am glad that I can get all the study materials in English because it makes my studies here so much easier.
What helped me the most in the first days at the Faculty was that one of the professors offered her help to get in touch with the teachers for each of my classes. In general, the people here at the university are very open and helpful. The openness of people was one of the things that surprised me the most. The other was that there were not that many Erasmus students in my classes. But all the courses I have here are well organised.
I love the atmosphere here and I really enjoy spending time at the University. The labs are well equipped and the meals in the campus canteen are delicious.
I miss my friends, the extra activities I had at home, and the atmosphere in my hometown – I really love my city but living in Split is a pleasure for me.
| „I love the atmosphere here and I really like spending time at the University. The labs are well equipped and meals in the campus canteen are delicious. “ |
I would definitely recommend an Erasmus experience to other students. It is the best opportunity to improve your English, gain new experiences and skills, meet new people, experience everyday life in another country, see new places… I could list a lot more.
Michael
Undergraduate student of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Cape Town, South Africa
I didn’t actually choose Split’s Faculty of Science for my exchange program. Many people sign up for my home university’s exchange program so not everyone gets sent to where they chose to go. I chose to come anyway because living in Croatia seemed like an interesting opportunity and one that was unlikely to come up in my life again.
On my exchange here at Split I am not attending lectures. All my courses are conducted through private lessons complimented by content which I am assigned to study at home. This means almost all the studying I do is by myself at home or sometimes in the library. Not everyone is suited to this kind of learning method, but I enjoy it. I am grateful that my teachers have made exceptions to allow me to take courses that are normally not taught in winter semester to suit me needs.
One thing about the general experience at Split which is different to my faculty of science at University of Cape Town is the existence of oral examinations. All my exams back home are written.
My biggest obstacle and biggest cause of stress has been working towards being granted temporary residency by the police. My biggest worry was that if I didn’t organize my residency before my visa expired that I would be forced to leave the country, or worse, stay and be placed on a “undesirables” list if caught with an expired visa. Luckily, I found out that as long as you are in the process of residency, you are legally in Croatia, even if your visa has expired. My suggestion for anyone coming from a country where a visa is required is to make sure that your criminal clearance certificate is the original and has an apostle stamp. Luckily mine came way faster than expected and everything ended up okay. My next piece of advice with regards to the police is to just be patient. There are people at the international office who will help you, and even if the process is difficult, it will probably all be okay 🙂
I’m surprised but how little Croatian friends I am making. I do have friends but they’re all fellow Erasmus students. It’s disappointing because I wanted to practice the Croatian I learnt before coming and I expected to make more Croatian friends. But the people who attend the ESN events are all Erasmus students except for the organizers, and the ESN events are where I have all my friends.
| „Erasmus has taught me a lot about what it means to live by myself in a foreign country where you do not know anyone. It has been a big part of becoming an adult for me, with all the responsibilities it entails.“ |
What I like most about my stay is Split is public transport, safety, the Riva, the sunsets, Marjan Hill, access to other Croatian tourist attractions, the old town, the campus gym, the beaches, the ice cream (before the season ended), making new friends with people from all different places.
The things that I miss most are my friends, my pets, my home, the food, energy drinks (there is not much variety of them in Croatia haha) and the lack of administrative problems.
Erasmus has taught me a lot about what it means to live by myself in a foreign country where you do not know anyone. It has been a big part of becoming an adult for me, with all the responsibilities it entails. I would definitely recommend at least one Erasmus experience for anyone to whom it is available.
Miriam
Undergraduate student of Biology, Kiel, Germany
For my Erasmus mobility, I chose the Faculty of Science because I study biology at my home university. I also have some courses in marine biology at the Department of Marine Studies.
I really did not expect the classes here to be in Croatian, which shocked me a bit at first. But most professors offered me and the other Erasmus students private consultations in English. I was able to ask many questions and the professors were very patient and helpful, answering everything until I understood it. There seems to be a very friendly atmosphere and the students and professors are closer than in Germany. Most professors seem to really care about the students and I definitely did not feel like just “a number”. However, now that I do not go to regular classes most of the time, it is difficult to meet Croatian students and most of the classes I only have with other Erasmus students.
The paperwork was very complicated for me in the beginning because I did not understand the language. Things that are very easy in Germany were a big challenge here (e. g. getting a picture for ID, getting a Student X-Card that you need to get discounts in the canteen and getting a bus ticket). Also, understanding how the bus system works in Split was very difficult at first. I was very happy when a Croatian student explained it to me a bit.
I miss a bit how organised things are in my hometown. It is much easier for me to plan my life when it is more organised. For example, I did not get a schedule for classes, but I had to search for the professors and class times on my own.
Fortunately, I found an amazing diving club in Split! Since I made a training as a scientific diver in Germany before coming to Split, I really wanted to continue diving. In the diving club I met an underwater archaeologist with whom I could go on excavations.
I also really love the landscape, the sea, and the many opportunities to make great trips to different islands or other places. During the underwater excavation trip, I was also able to see some traditional festivals/cultures, which was an amazing experience!
I would definitely recommend an Erasmus experience to other students! You learn a lot about how to handle and solve problems. Also, it’s an amazing chance to make new friends from all over the world! You get to know a new country and culture and you get to see many beautiful places! And the most important thing, it’s just an amazing time with amazing people!
I think it’s a good opportunity to become more open-minded because you see your life from a different perspective. In my case, I was in a country where I did not know the language. That showed me how hard it is for people to live in a country with a different language and how difficult life can be. I am really glad about this experience, and I hope that now I know better how to support people in Germany with this problem, because I know at which points I had the biggest obstacles.
Pablo
Undergraduate student of Physics, Oviedo, Spain
I chose the Faculty of Science because it offered me the opportunity to study in English, which was not the case at other destinations my home university had in its offer. Also, Croatia is becoming more and more popular, and the beauty of the country and its culture really caught my attention.
The main difference between studying at my home university and here is the number of students per class. At home we have two groups with about 50 students. Here, the groups are smaller, which leads to closer contact with the professors and a closer relationship with the other students.
The way physics studies are organised here is different. Our undergraduate programme lasts 4 years. Also, all courses in the Faculty of Science are organised to last for one semester only (there are no year-long courses). Another difference is the clear separation between theoretical and practical classes.
The biggest obstacle when I came here was of course the language, because Croatian is not a very well-known language. But in general, everyone here speaks English fluently.
At the university, the main problem for me was the fact that undergraduate courses were not taught in English, which is why I had chosen many courses belonging to the graduate programme in English, even though the level was higher than I was supposed to do.
| „At my home university, we do not get that close to each other. Here, I felt comfortable with the other students from the first day and they included me as one of them in all aspects, both faculty activities and private life. |
However, I had no problems with the undergraduate courses I enrolled in, as I was offered individual consultations with every professor whenever I wanted and was provided with study materials in English. I never felt separated of being forgotten from the rest of students. I have to thank the whole organisation team of the university because they really helped me and took great care to make sure everything was in order.
The most surprising thing for me was the good relationship with the other students. At my home university, we do not get that close to each other. Here, I felt comfortable with the other students from the first day and they included me as one of them in all aspects, both faculty activities and private life.
What I like most are all the experiences I get here, academically, and personally. I never thought I would learn so much and do so many activities with locals and other Erasmus students.
Of course, what I miss the most is my family and close friends. All the things you are used to change, and you see and live life in a completely different and priceless way
Needless to say, I highly recommend this Erasmus experience. It does not matter what you study or where you go, the Erasmus experience teaches you how to live on your own, it makes you do things you may have never done before, and you meet wonderful people that you will remember forever. It is a unique opportunity and I highly recommend you take it.
