Reviews of Univerzita Komenskeho V Bratislave | Slovakia

Useful | 0

dasm0012

Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
Business Studies, Undergraduate, Erasmus

Expenses

Main source of funding:

An ERASMUS grant

Other sources of funding:

none

Work opportunities:

I didn't want/need to work

Personal spending habits

Slovakia was very cheap (prices rise every month)

Telephone, Housing, Overall, Food, Nightlife, Travel:

was less expensive than at home.

Accessibility of student needs

Second-hand text books

Second-hand household items

Computers / Internet

Administrative

Money from home

Personal comments

none

Useful | 0

dasm0012

Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
Business Studies, Undergraduate, Erasmus

Academic

Course recommendations

A quality of a course depends highly on the personality/motivation of every individual teacher; this also holds true in Bratislava; there were good teachers and also... At my faculty internet acces was no problem (there are also enough internet cafés in the city), books, however, were a big problem (I am grateful to my teachers who helped me out), most local students relied primarily on their notes (in Slovak).

My academic experiences

Quality of courses

Variety of courses

Access to resources

Interaction with teachers

Interaction with international students

Interaction with local students

Personal comments

The slovak eduction system is, in my view, a bit too 'elite'st. But once you pass the entrance exams, it gets easier (and lots of students cheated - so what's the point). More funding by the government is neccesary

My opinion of the university assessment

Exams at end of course

Exams throughout the course

Essays and/or projects at the end of course

Essays and/or projects throughout the course

Overall

Useful | 0

dasm0012

Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
Business Studies, Undergraduate, Erasmus

Overall

I wish I had known...

There are language courses (i.e. meeting other foreign students and getting to know the country faster) in the beginning of september, I wish I knew about them.

In my opinion:

I loved it but I'm not sure everybody would.

Important factors in my choice
(1) Unimportant – (4) Very important

Academic reasons

3

Culture

2

Costs

3

Activities

2

Campus life

2

Party / people

3

Weather / location

4

Personal recommendation

Okay, It's not Oxford or Harvard (cliche), but still I'd definitely recommend it, slovakia is a country in full transition and it's really nice to see and experience this.

During my experience abroad, I ...
(1) Never – (4) A lot

Became familiar with another culture

4

Traveled

4

Improved language skills

4

Met people from other countries

4

Became more independent

4

Partied a lot

4

Experienced a change in life

4

Advanced my studies & career

3

Final comments

I've had a great time and wished I could have stayed longer. Bratislava doesn't sound sexy (most people confuse Slovakia with Slovenia or the Czech rep.), but is in the center of central Europe (Vienna, Krakow, Budapest, Prague are all nearby). There is great night-life, lot's of things to do during the day (eg. skiing, trekking in the tatras, watching beautifull girls while drinking a beer on a sunny day). Initially the accomodation will look a bit 'sub-standard', but why spend your days in a room?) Lots of slovak students have been abroad (to work, or to study), and know how you feel having the inevitable 'culture-shock'.

Useful | 0

dasm0012

Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
Business Studies, Undergraduate, Erasmus

Languages

Language of instruction: English

Local language was: Different than language of instruction

Was learning English a key decision factor?

Yes, I wanted to improve my English

Was learning the local language a key decision factor?

Yes, I wanted to improve my the local language

How much did you improve your English?

My level before: Everyday knowledge (shopping, directions, etc.)
My level after: At ease in most situations

How much did you improve your the local language?

My level before: Did not speak it
My level after: Basic phrases

Language difficulties

Social

Educational

Administrative / Institutional

Overall

Personal comments

Most students speak English fluently. Just buy a good phrasebook (eg amazon.com), and you'll overcome most everyday situations.

Useful | 0

dasm0012

Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
Business Studies, Undergraduate, Erasmus

Housing

Type of housing: Student dormitory (Druzba)

Arranged by: Host university

If returning, I would choose: The same place

Why?

The room was veeeery cheap and the location of the dorm couldn't be better.

Personal assessment

Cost

Facilities

Location

Cleanliness

Space

Personal comments

Having a clean room, bathroom and kitchen is your own responsibility. There is a great night-life in B'lava so you won't spend much time in your room.

Useful | 0

dasm0012

Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
Business Studies, Undergraduate, Erasmus

Student life

Describe host city:

Students interact with the local community without much university involvement

Activities, Travel: Takes place mostly within the university/student environment

Nightlife: Takes place both within and outside of the university/student environment

Personal social experience

Activities

Nightlife

Travel

Overall

Personal comments

Just avoid the big cinema megaplexes and visit the small cinema's that dot the city. Certainly visit the opera a few times and, of course try the beers and home-made high-spirits.

Univerzita Komenskeho V Bratislave

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