{"id":88,"date":"2017-09-10T23:09:05","date_gmt":"2017-09-10T23:09:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/more.efpsa.org\/studytravelabroad\/?p=88"},"modified":"2017-11-03T08:09:55","modified_gmt":"2017-11-03T08:09:55","slug":"studying-abroad-ketis-adventure-slovakia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/more.efpsa.org\/studytravelabroad\/2017\/09\/10\/studying-abroad-ketis-adventure-slovakia\/","title":{"rendered":"Studying Abroad – Keti’s Adventure in Slovakia"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hello! Tell us something about yourself.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

My name is Keti and I am from Albania. Two years ago I decided to study abroad and I made a very unusual choice (at least my family thought so). I decided to study psychology in Slovakia. The bachelor’s program here for psychology is only offered in Slovak, so I prepared myself to undergo a full year of learning the tricky Slovak language. My university of choice was Comenius University, the oldest and best in the country. What describes me as a person? Well, I like to read a lot (luckily, Bratislava has many amazing bookstores!), I am a bit impulsive and I love to talk about people, the world, what is currently happening and so on.<\/p>\n

What is the word that best describes your experience abroad?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Unpredictable.<\/p>\n

What was the best thing that happened to you during your experience abroad?\u200b<\/strong><\/p>\n

I got the chance to learn a new language from scratch and to meet the people that are now my best friends.<\/p>\n

What was the worst experience you had?\u00a0\u200b<\/strong><\/p>\n

Waiting endlessly at the foreign police office to get the study permit.<\/p>\n

What is your favourite word in Slovak? Why?\u00a0\u200b<\/strong><\/p>\n

Zmrzlina\u00a0<\/em>– it means ice cream and the sound “zmrz” makes reminds me of walking on snow or breaking a piece of ice.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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W<\/strong>hat is the best food you had in Slovakia?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The best food was, without any doubt, chocolate.<\/p>\n

Was there a situation that made you step outside of your comfort zone?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

When I started my first year, I was (and still am) the only foreign student. I didn’t speak Slovak as fluently as the natives, although I understood everything in class. I was afraid to become part of discussions about several topics because I thought that no one would understand my point. It was very comfortable being passive but it grew upsetting when I saw that I knew the answer to the professors’ questions but I simply didn’t have the courage to speak up.
\nOne day I pushed myself and answered despite the anxiety I felt, and I have not regretted it.<\/p>\n

What is the biggest difference between your host and home country?\u200b<\/strong><\/p>\n

Slovakia is very quiet and tidy compared to Albania. It is a refreshing change but sometimes I simply miss the hot temperament and the spirit of the people in my Mediterranean town.<\/p>\n

Where did you live? Was it difficult to find a place?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

I have lived in dormitories. It was not hard to find one, everyone in Bratislava knows them. The cost of the rooms vary from 50-100 euro per month.<\/p>\n

What is the best mean of public transport in Bratislava?\u200b<\/strong><\/p>\n

Buses and trams. Very comfortable and fast.<\/p>\n

According to you, what should a person visiting Bratislava definitely do there?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Try the traditional dishes and see if they like them.<\/p>\n

Which cities have you visited during your stay abroad?\u200b<\/strong><\/p>\n

From Bratislava it is very easy to reach Vienna, Prague and Budapest. So I did not hesitate to jump on a train and visiting them all.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Why did you choose Comenius University?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Comenius University is in the list of the top 500 Universities in the world, and it has a very attractive list of degrees you can pursue.<\/p>\n

What was your favourite course?<\/strong><\/p>\n

My favorite course was social psychology.<\/p>\n

What were the professors like?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The professors were very friendly and most of them sometimes tried to be as informal as possible to the students to make the lectures more interesting.<\/p>\n

Did you study more or less than at your home university?\u200b<\/strong><\/p>\n

I did not have to study a lot. I have a feeling that in my home university I would have to study much more.<\/p>\n

Where did you meet most of your new friends?<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the corridors of the dormitory.<\/p>\n

What is the most important thing you learned from your experience?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

To be polite to people even when they anger you with their opinions .<\/p>\n

When it comes to problem number one – money, what is the best way to save money there?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Choose the shops where you go shopping wisely!<\/p>\n

How much money did you spend monthly on:<\/strong><\/p>\n