Central and Western Europe

Eliška Pravencová (FM) – Carinthia University of Applied Sciences / School of Management, Austria

„Arrival and Covid:

I was quite pleased by my arrival in February, about a week after all shops opened, so I was grateful that I could go and physically buy socks. I left the Czech Republic about three weeks before the lockdown on districts, so I thankfully avoided that unpleasantry. It’s true that the restaurants and bars were still closed here, but the essence of Erasmus for me wasn’t based on drinking beer until the morning, so I managed to live with this situation without any problems. At the time of my arrival, there was a required online registration (Travel Pre-clearance), a negative Covid test in English or German and a quarantine for 10 days, or one could get tested after 5 days. I chose the second option because I wanted to explore the area as soon as possible. I was surprised by how people were handling Covid here, nobody obligated to wear masks outside for example. However, I was surprised that people were looking through shop windows to see if there were more people in the shops than allowed, and if so, they stood in a queue outside waiting to be let in. Compared to the Czech Republic however, life felt normal here.

University:

Unfortunately, classes were taking place online. Originally there were some talks about returning to university after Easter, but it did not work out sadly. Teaching took place on platforms we are used to from the Czech Republic – mainly MS Teams and in some cases also Zoom. I have to say that the teaching at this school was completely different from ours. My very first finding was that we didn’t receive a schedule for the entire 13 weeks, but a calendar in an app, where we had schedule events. Sometimes it happened that we had classes only one day a week, but the next was full (for example, my classes ended on 30^th of June, so I was slightly jealous of the Czechs. Some subjects we only had 3 times, right after that we had the final project or exam for it, so thanks to that I had finished some subjects in March, which I considered an advantage. Classes here don’t last only an hour and a half, but it rather depends on the nature of the subject, sometimes it’s just talking to the teacher for two hours, other times it’s a five-hour block, which sometimes made it difficult for me to concentrate, especially when school was on Saturday. 😀 I thought it was great that the subjects don’t often have final exams, but all sorts of projects, presentations, exercises, papers, etc., for example within one subject, we had to hold a 40 minute negotiation, in another subject we had a 24-hour challenge in which we had to do market research. There’s a lot of practical and student activity, but there were so many seminar papers at the end of the semester.

Students:

I was a little disappointed with the students at first, but it has improved now towards the end. We had a group, in which we shared tips and tricks about everything, so for us exchange students it was great, that we were able to communicate with each other and we had support regarding things in school. However, it was worse with organising our free time. The university was forbidden to organise anything, so free time was an individual matter, and during the semester I didn’t really feel that locals wanted / would be willing to do something together. After asking about 4 questions that nobody replied to in the group about a joint program, I gave up. Nevertheless, there were exceptions during which I spent a nice afternoon or a day with my classmates, travelling for example. The ethnic composition is quite interesting here – from Russians and French, to Pakistanis, Iranians, Indians to people from Sudan or Kenya.

Travelling:

As I mentioned above, the willingness of students during the semester wasn’t very great, but it did not stop me. I personally don’t mind travelling alone, moreover, I felt that I was there for a limited amount of time and it would be a pity not to use it. Austria is an absolutely beautiful country. In addition to beautiful and historic towns, it also offers beautiful nature, which Villach is surrounded by. In the end, I was so glad that I came here during the pandemic, because it doesn’t matter if everything is closed here, you just go out into nature. There are beautiful lakes in the vicinity of the city, Faaker See, Silbersee, Ossiachersee or Austria’s largest lake Wörthersee, next to which the historic and beautiful city of Klagenfurt lies, where the main CUAS campus is. There is a good train connection from Villach to more famous cities, so a day trip to Salzburg to have “Mozartkugeln”, or to Innsbruck is not unrealistic at all. There is also a good connection to Italy, which we used after the borders opened. We went to Venice, and yesterday I came back from a day of swimming by the sea. Now, after the end of school, I’m gathering a lot of experiences from spontaneous events, when my classmates ask me in the evening if I want to go on a trip the following day. So I have tried going on ferrates, which I had wished to try for a long time. I also tried original Austrian hiking for the first time, where we walked for 9 hours on the ridges of mountains. I also didn’t think I would go on a mountain hike at 9 in the evening at sunset. Regarding travelling it’s better now with friend groups, I’m enjoying the Austrian holidays 100%.

Summary:

I’ve had trouble concentrating during online classes, which are unfortunately demotivating, already at VSE and here it was no different. However, it’s a situation nobody can change, and I am now incredibly grateful for the opportunity to go on an exchange. Even regarding the university, seeing a different style of teaching and practicing foreign languages, it helped me improve my outlook. What I think gave me so much in life – is that one has to rely on themselves from the beginning. I had to be able to take care of myself and be independent, gather experience and courage for the years to come. I do not regret going on an exchange at all, I feel like I am returning as a different person, who realised what is important in life and think differently than before. Thank you for this opportunity!!“

[July 2021]

Nikola Trúchlá (FBA) – Sciences Po Bordeaux, France

„I am very glad that I had the opportunity to go on an Exchange and get to know the local culture and beauty of Bordeaux.

The situation is very good, although the curfew is still from 18:00 and all restaurants and bars are closed, but otherwise I do not feel any major restrictions. Despite Covid we managed to travel to a lot of surrounding cities and the Erasmix group keeps organising various events for us. We can go to school and the library at any time, I even have French in the university once a week.

The government supports students with two meals a day in the canteens for only €1, and some restaurants also have a €2 menu for students on weekends, which means more money for travel and wine.

I don’t know a better way to meet so many people from all over the world than to go on Erasmus! We’re all one big group here, so I’m not bored at all, and after this experience I regret not going on Erasmus during my bachelor’s degree.

I already know that I will miss France a lot.“

[March 2021]

Kristýna Mlčochová (FBA) – EM Strasbourg Business School, France

„Although the situation did not look very favourable, on January 3, I arrived in Strasbourg and started my Erasmus during Covid times. The situation in France was not the best, it started deteriorating in January and a curfew was introduced between 18-6. Even now this curfew still applies and all restaurants, bars, sports facilities, shopping centres, etc. are closed and of course all hygiene measures must be observed. But if one does not go out after the curfew, one can’t really tell that there are restrictions in Strasbourg.

We started university online, but due to many protests from students, we’ve had most of the subjects in school since February. However, if for any reason we are unable to attend, it is always possible to connect online via Zoom. From February, we can also use all areas of the university, including the library, which was accessible in January. As for the schedule, it changes every week, most seminars last 3 hours, but even 5-hour seminars are no exception. We do not have any lectures, there is usually a maximum of 20 of us in the class and the subjects are based primarily on teamwork and reading academic texts.

Erasmus in this time has its ups and downs, but in all cases, it’s an unforgettable experience. Although fewer of us arrived than in “normal” times, we managed to meet many international students from all over the world. Thanks to ESN, which even at this time tries to organize trips around the area or online games through Zoom. What is absolutely invaluable at this time is living at the dorms. Since everything is closed and it is not possible to leave after 18, we meet other students at least in the kitchens in the dormitory and are getting to know international and local students.

Administrative matters in France are very lengthy and one has to get used to the fact that everything takes an incredibly long time and involves a lot of bureaucracy. But I must highlight how much care students get in France at this time. All students can now buy lunch and dinner in the canteen for 1 Euro, once a week it’s possible to pick up a lot of food for free and the school still offers psychological or any other help.

Travelling to surrounding countries is now very complicated, but France itself offers a lot. Traveling and accommodation in hotels or boarding houses is not forbidden in France, so us international students managed to travel around France for a week during our holiday.“

[March 2021]

Luisa Podařilová (FoEcon) – EM Normandie (campus Le Havre), France

„I’m doing pretty well here, unfortunately, many things are closed due to Covid. Thankfully, we can still travel! Which I try to use as much as I can. The biggest problem is a curfew from six in the evening. We can go to campus only for some classes – mainly language courses, but that helps a lot as well.“

[March 2021]

Matěj Ježek (FIR) – Audencia Business School, France

„I rate the current study program very positively. Despite all the measures, such as the closing of restaurants and bars and the curfew after 19 (I think this is from yesterday, the former curfew was from 18), we still maintain physical contact with other students that are on an exchange. We try to take various trips, there is definitely a lot of places that are worth seeing around Nantes. So far, we have had all classes online, however, from next week, we should have classes in person one day a week.“

[March 2021]

Anton He (FBA) – Technische Universität Dresden, Germany

„Everything is fine here. Teaching is still online, in the form of presentations that can be played at any time. This is good on the one hand, because I have the opportunity to travel at any time, on the other hand, the disadvantage is that there is a lack of social contact with students and professors. Otherwise, restrictions are being relaxed, for example, restaurants on terraces have now opened. As far as traveling is concerned, I have a Studentenausweiss, so I can travel all over Saxony by train for free.“

[June 2021]

Dominika Jakubová (FIR) – University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria /School of Management, Austria

„The school is great here so far, all of us foreign students were in person at the university the first week, we got tested in the morning and then we had “normal” lectures. By the end of the semester, we only have online lessons, but there are a few subjects with exceptions, when we go to school for the purpose of “business games”, which are a part of the lessons and it is necessary to be there in person. Even though the school is online, it is still a very interesting experience, as my schedule is different every week. There are subjects taught in blocks, but we also have some throughout the semester. We even have school on Saturday, which was quite a shock to me. The lessons are very interactive and practice-oriented rather than theory-oriented, which I really appreciate. At the same time, many local teachers are experts in practice.

Even the online teaching does not make us sit alone in a room during classes. We often meet other international students and spend the lessons together, for example on our sun terrace. 🙂 There are 16 foreign students in total, so we all know each other. But Austrian students are also very friendly and we meet them as well as the international students.

The university offers us tests every week for free, which we often use for preventative reasons, so that we can spend time together and travel as much as possible. Austria offers many opportunities where you can discover the beauty of nature as well as cities. So far, we have visited several lakes, or went hiking in the mountains. We have also already managed to get to know the beauty of cities such as Graz, Link, Salzburg or also lesser-known towns, where our friends live. Even though the Buddy program does not work here as it does at VSE, it was not a problem to find friends with whom we create our program and make experiences.

Due to the fact that measures in Austria are milder compared to the Czech Republic or Slovakia, I feel very good here and I feel that life is “normal”. I believe that the terraces and hotels will soon open, so that we can travel and get to know the country even more than before. 🙂“

[April 2021]

„I can’t praise my stay at FH in Austria enough. I am very happy here, and am very glad that fate finally brought me here. Since the end of April, measures have been drastically loosened here, so it’s great that we can finally go to a restaurant or go on a trip and sleep in a hotel, as Austria has a lot to offer in terms of tourism.

Due to the good development of the situation, we even have some classes at school and we are all required to get tested beforehand and then enjoy the Uni experience. And since this is my last semester overall, when I still have some subjects, I’m happy to be in the university. 🙂

But overall, the lessons are very interesting, the curriculum and the teachers are very up to date, so I’m glad that I’m not just learning definitions, but also analysing the present and sharing our opinions with each other. During one subject, we even simulated the whole production process and tried to optimise it. The result of our production was a piece of paper coloured according to the order. Maybe it’s funny, but it gave us a good inside look at how it really works and that it isn’t easy. I can only recommend FH.

Because Steyr is a small town, it’s all the more intimate here, and maybe that’s why it’s easier for us to socialize. I have had my circle of friends here for a long time, who are either other Exchange students, or even local Austrians. Because of them, one does not even feel homesick, as we have created a home here together. We go on trips, we cook, play games… we do anything we can think of.

The International Office at FH also takes good care of us, they ask us if everything is OK, and they also recently gave us a nice package with food and a school mascot to take home a piece of Austria 🙂.

So I’m just going to enjoy the last month, I’m quite sad that it’s over, because it is and was great here! Hooray back to Prague.“

[June 2021]

Romana Urbanová (FIR) – Cracow University of Economics, Poland

„Erasmus in Cracow… At first I wasn’t really sure if going on an exchange is a good choice in these times. Even on my way to Poland I didn’t know whether I should just turn around and go back. 😃 But it turned out that it was the best thing that could happen to me during these times!!! Not only that one – after a long time locked at home – absolutely regenerates his mind here, but I’ve also started so many friendships here and seen so many beautiful places which couldn’t be possible in the Czech Republic during these times. The historic centre of Cracow is rightfully on the UNESCO World Heritage list. It’s beautiful. Despite covid times the ESN here organized getting-to-know meetings in the beginning, with masks and distancing, of course. During these activities I had the opportunity to taste Polish specialities, visit most famous places in the historic centre of Cracow, and, when the situation allows it, I firmly believe that a trip to Morskie Oko in Tatra Mountains will be possible in April or May. So we all had the opportunity to get in touch with others more easily, which of course helped a lot in the beginning, especially to us who we went on the exchange all by ourselves.

There really are lots of French students, so most of my new friends are French. 😃 But I also have friends from Moldova, Romania, Malta, Ukraine and Poland of course. We go for walks around the city, to cafés, we taste local specialities like zapiekanki or paczki and we talk a lot, which improves our English. We went to several museums and to salt mine Wieliczka not far from Cracow. (PS: The photo from the mine Wieliczska with us standing under a big chandelier made of salt REALLY is from Poland, although it may seem that you can see the Eiffel Tower… No, really, it’s from Poland and for the record, the French really are dwarfs. 😃)

I live in a shared apartment with three Polish female students in Cracow. As I have a Polish for beginners course at the Cracow University of Economics, my present home is at the same time a place to practise this language – it’s really fun. Polish has, besides a great deal of letters “č” and “š”, a lot of treats for us Czechs like for example: blueberries are jagody in Polish (seemingly similar “jahody” = strawberries in Czech, translator’s note), April is kwiecień in Polish (seemingly similar “květen“ = May in Czech, translator’s note). 😃

Even though the classes are online via Zoom, I must say that it’s totally different from VSE – in this respect better. In Zoom, breakout rooms can be created so when we are working on a group project or task, students are divided into groups to these rooms, we have cameras on, it’s more personal, we can laugh together and discuss live.

There are disinfectants all over Cracow and you can rarely pass by someone without a mask during a walk. Anyway, the Polish are a bit like the Southerners by soul (which I had no idea about until now). 😃 The lockdown here and in the Czech Republic cannot be compared. As soon as the weather was nice, one began to encounter first outside seatings opened in front of pubs. It’s not so hard to encounter queues for open cafés or cake shops even during this “state”. The pubs are constantly crowded in the evenings, so going out for a beer or a wine without a reservation doesn’t really work here. 😃 Reservation in advance is necessary everywhere.

I’m sorry that we won’t visit the university during classes, anyway, after the lockdown, we plan to go at least for a badminton to the university hall with one of my Polish friends, so I hope to see the beauty of our university from photos at least a few times with my own eyes.

Concerning the situation during the lockdown, you definitely want to spend it here and not in the Czech Republic. 😃 I’m so grateful for this experience, for studying abroad, and that I got to go to Cracow!! ❤“

[March 2021]

Vít Zabloudil (FFA) – Cracow University of Economics, Poland

„Everything is okay here in Poland. During the lockdown and outside of it, there are plenty of possibilities for activities. Mostly I’m in touch with exchange students. The classes are online, there are many group projects and activities. Everything is without any trouble, more or less. I didn’t really experience a culture shock and wasn’t surprised by many things, so I cannot judge. I was supposed to go to China, and this was the only alternative that was offered to me and I definitely don’t regret it.“

[May 2021]

Tomáš Martinec (FFA) – Kozminski University, Poland

„The classes are online so far, but from May, they might be face-to-face. Unfortunately I don’t really believe it.

The courses are taught completely differently than I’m used to from VSE. It’s a mix of seminars and lectures, firstly they explain some theory to us and then we immediately try to apply it in practise, which I find amazing! Otherwise, classes are interesting and beneficial.

I live in a shared apartment with an Italian and French guy. Via them, I’m in touch with other Italians and French. Unfortunately, concerning spending free time, we don’t get along that much, especially when it comes to daily schedule. They live mostly at night and I prefer daylight. Recently, I met some local guy, we met on a climbing wall.

The culture shock lies more in details here. Overall, people are very religious and patriotic here. Probably at every other corner there is a Polish flag raised. I was also surprised when I was at a bakery and I asked for bread, the shop assistant chopped the bread by weight for me. Warsaw is a very interesting city, in the city centre, there are modern skyscrapers right next to old and shabby blocks of flats. Sometimes it’s a funny view. All the streets are wide and there are lots of cycleways and cycle lanes. Lots of cyclists as well. To be honest, I miss hillocks, because Warsaw and its surroundings are insanely flat.“

[March 2021]

Tereza Kučerová (FIR) – University of Lausanne / Faculty of Business and Economics (HEC), Switzerland

„My stay in Lausanne began with a great challenge: the 10-day quarantine in a room about 9 m².😄 So the days after the quarantine were really “liberating”. Thanks to the Welcome Week, we had the opportunity to meet other Exchange students from various local universities. The ESN activities continue. They organize various events every week. Sports activities, trips around Switzerland, cultural events etc. Sometimes I don’t even keep track of what’s going on.😄

The covid situation here is relatively stable. At the beginning of March, there was even a release of some measures. We can now meet in groups of up to 15 people indoors and outdoors, all shops, sports grounds and museums are open. Bars and restaurants remain closed, but there are take-aways almost everywhere, so it doesn’t matter that much. Switzerland has no night curfew, so overall, we live basically a “normal” life.🙂

We have had the school online since the beginning of the semester, and unfortunately it does not look like there should be any change. But we can go to the campus, so we can meet in the library or go to the canteen for a lunch. The courses take place in groups of various numbers (up to 150 students) and consist of lectures and group work in smaller teams. I was surprised how much work is required to do at home.

Beause I arrived by car, we travel here a lot. We have already visited Bern, Fribourg, Neuchâtel, Geneva, Montreux, Vevey, Zurich, Lucerne, we have also travelled around Interlaken and Thun and other places. The biggest “surprise” of Switzerland is the diversity of languages. When you drive a few kilometres to the north, no one understands you in French anymore.😄 Otherwise, the Swiss are incredibly nice and friendly. Everything is very clean here and everyone does a lot of sports – runs or rides a bike. The nature around just encourages you to do sport. We even took bath in the Lake Geneva (Lac Léman) for the first time in March. It was a funny experience, because people were walking around in winter clothes.😄

I must say that I enjoy my stay in Switzerland very much. I am really happy here and I already know that when my exams are over, I will most likely stay here a bit longer to travel more and discover the more distant parts of the country.“

[April 2021]

Kemal Imeri (FFA) – Erasmus School of Economics (ESE), Netherlands

„The first weeks were hectic – in terms of the school and the city itself. But as I dealt with it and got to know the surroundings and the people, it’s great. ☺

The situation with the corona is currently questionable. The face mask should be worn only indoors, not outdoors. As of Tuesday 2.3., they eased the lockdown a bit, which means that they opened hairdressers and similar services, as well as shops, but only with an appointment. Bars and restaurants are still closed and there is a curfew from 21:00 to 04:30. However, today, there is to be another meeting of the government, where they have to decide how to proceed with the lockdown and whether the curfew will be extended. The travelling around the area and regions is not limited, but I have not yet got to other places as we had an exam week, but in the next few days, I am definitely going at least to Amsterdam if the weather is good. And in Rotterdam itself, apart from the fact that the restaurants and bars are closed, the streets are full of people almost every day. I did not come across any incident or protest regarding the corona.

The teaching was online in block 3 and it still is in block 4, both lessons and exams. Their online test system was quite different from ours in terms of the requirements, so in this respect, it was a bit complicated on the first test, but as soon as I tried it, the second test took place without complications. Let’s see whether the online teaching will also take place in block 5. I would say that the lectures are generally beneficial. The subjects are quite practical and especially now in block 4, I have a seminar where it is more about discussions between the students and their cooperation on various assignments.

I am in contact with several people. Me and Rita, who is also here from VSE, met 2 students who are about to travel to Prague for Erasmus in the next winter semester, of course, if the situation with the corona allows it. They showed us the city and how it works in Rotterdam now. And we are in contact with all the other foreign students. They are from different places like Scotland, Greece, Germany, Egypt, France etc. I didn’t feel any culture shock, but what pleasantly surprised me was how friendly the people here are.

I’m extremely happy with my Erasmus at the moment, the city is beautiful, the weather is pleasantly sunny most of the time, at least based on previous experience, and I’m especially glad that I met other foreign students. ☺ If we also had the end of the lockdown, it would be perfect.“

[March 2021]

Luong Quang Do (FBA) – Rotterdam School of Management (RSM), Netherlands

„It’s going well here, without the corona. We can go out and meet new people.

The situation is definitely better than in the Czech Republic, some shops are slowly opening, visiting a store is possible upon a reservation. The outdoor markets work the same as before the corona. I go to a coworking space, where they serve coffee, beer, one can sit here and work (for a fee, of course, about 3000 per month). In March, the curfew will be hopefully cancelled, which is now from 21:00 (if you walk the dog, then a little later). The travelling is possible, not limited.

The teaching takes place online, there is a lot of readings at home and then discussions and workshops in the class. The break out rooms, the MIRO collaboration. We write essays, do team presentations. The lectures are great, but not all of them. There are also many guest lecturers.

The Dutch are terribly polite. Sometimes it is quite unusual. When it was snowing, they didn’t know what to do. I am in contact with the student associations online, and individually with the classmates, with friends via social media, and with some former VSE students, who are currently studying here. It is very windy here and as a pedestrian you have to watch out for cars and cyclists. Otherwise, things don’t cost as much here as I expected – at markets, you can buy 10 avocados for 1 euro, or 3 mangoes for the same price.“

[March 2021]

Rita Kadlusová (FFA) – Erasmus School of Economics (ESE), Netherlands

„As for the measures, everything is still closed and some measures have been tightened, and a new curfew has been introduced after 9 pm, which has apparently led to protests here. I was still finishing the last exams at VSE this week and I am trying to follow all the rules and recommendations, therefore the protests did not directly affect me. But the situation here is not ideal, and right here in Rotterdam it was crazy, broken shop windows, including looted shops, which certainly cannot be called a reasonable and civilized protest. To tell the truth, I was quite shocked. If I consider how I viewed the autumn demonstration at the Old Town Square, I would call it “peaceful” compared to the protests here. Given the situation of a disintegrated government and the protests, I hope that perhaps on 10.2., some measures could be lifted, because according to the covid numbers, the situation is not so bad. After a registration at the town hall, there is also the possibility to get the vaccination against covid.“

[January 2021]

„Everything is still closed here, but the weather is better and warmer, so it is also more pleasant to travel somewhere. With the other international students, we visited the city of Kinderdijk, which is a short distance from Rotterdam, where the windmills are, or the Hoek van Holland beach. I have a beautiful view from my dorm room. I must say that I was really lucky with the accommodation. We are going to travel with others even further when the weather is better or at least something is open. If possible, I would definitely like to visit Belgium / France, where I also have friends on Erasmus and it is a short train ride away. I met Kemal (also a student from VSE) and two students who will go to Prague for an exchange next semester. As for school, the block 3 is behind me. The education system is very beneficial for me, we write many essays, and even though it was a bit of a challenge for me from the beginning, I got used to it. It certainly gave me a lot in terms of English skills and preparation for the bachelor’s thesis, including new perspectives and working with other students. What surprised me the most was how everyone does sport here, runs, rides a bike and how nice everyone is and tries to help you. Overall, I’m very happy here.“

[March 2021]

„Finally, the shops and outdoor terraces are open (12:00-18:00) and the curfew from 22:00 until 04:30 is cancelled. With a subscription of 31 euros / month, it is possible to travel unlimited with trains across the Netherlands on weekends and public holidays, so we visited many different cities with other students last month, including Amsterdam, The Hague, Haarlem, Tilburg, Maastricht, Leiden, Eindhoven, Utrecht and others… We really enjoy it here, we spend a lot of time together on the beach by the lake and we do various events, walks, etc. We all have bikes. They can be rented here for about 15 euros / month + one-time fee for the first month about 20 euros.“

[April 2021]

Emma Katarína Halušková (FBA) – ESCP Europe Business School, France

„I am very satisfied. The university allows us to attend few courses at campus, which is amazing and we can get to know more the campus and classmates. I am very happy about the school, teachers are very kind and the lectures are interesting.

We were also offered the possibility of practising the French language and we can sign up for an online tutorial with a teacher. Also, the school organisation Schuffle has been organizing several meetings from the beginning and we could meet classmates which was great as one did not feel alone.

I managed to travel to some other places in France, for example Brittany, Normandy, Étretat, and Bordeaux, and I plan to visit Provence.

It is also great that the government offered lunches for 1 Euro every day at Crous, which means it is possible to make ends meet and I can afford travelling.

It is a pity that this all is coming to the end. I regret nothing and everything exceeded my expectations.“

[March 2021]

Vojtěch Macek (FFA) – Kedge Business School, France

„The face to face classes started in mid-February, so we have a lot of opportunities to meet other students. Due to covid, there are not as many exchange students as usual, but it makes our relationships even better and stronger. French students treat us as if we were locals, and we have good relationships with them too.

Exchange students are taken care of by the student organization Interact at KEDGE. They prepare many activities for us. Teachers place great emphasis on group work and various case studies, so it is necessary to prepare every week. However, this can be easily managed.

During the semester we also have some holidays, and we usually don’t have all classes every week. So, there is also enough time to travel. The TGV high-speed train line leads to Marseille, which allows to travel basically all over France very quickly.

I think that France is a good choice not only in times of pandemic. The anti-covid measures are not hectic here. The situation is stable, and the government seems to know what to do.“

[March 2021]

Otakar Svatoš (FIR) – Tilburg University, the Netherlands

„I’m doing pretty well here. Despite all the restrictions, I’m enjoying my time here and even study here and there 😊. As for the mentioned restrictions, there is more or less the complete package: Most shops and services are closed, there’s a curfew from 21-5 and of course, there are masks everywhere. Travelling on the other hand remains completely unrestricted.

Regarding the university, lessons take place completely differently than I was used to at home. More precisely, most of the lectures are in the spirit of consultation with professors, where they explain to us all the ambiguities of solving homework. Classic style lectures as we know them, are about a third. There is a ton of homework, there is rarely a day when I don’t have anything to do for university. Difficulty-wise, I’d rate it a bit easier than VŠE, but the first big tests are only a week away, so I don’t want to jinx it. 😊

I am of course in contact with foreign students, because I live in a dormitory. About 90% of the people here are also exchange students who stay here for 5 months, like me, so that’s great.

Here in the dormitories we live a bit in our own world, there are not many reasons to go out due to the restrictions, so I didn’t really experience a culture shock. After all, the Netherlands is not so fundamentally different from the Czech Republic culturally, from what I have found out so far.“

[March 2021]

Martin Ištoňa (FoEcon) – Tilburg University, the Netherlands

„While this message may sound negative, it isn’t that bad, it’s probably just a completely different Erasmus from my last exchange and something new. I am healthy and in general there is nothing that would make my stay unpleasant, so I can’t complain + the combination of “lockdown” and regular Saturday markets in the city caused me to miss about the same amount of things that I would normally have missed in Prague.

I’ll probably start with the peculiarities that my stay started with. During the second week of the exchange, me and seven people from one household (a common floor, where we share a kitchen), got fined for non-compliance of social distancing at the pedestrian crossing. Although we attempted to explain to the police that we are in one household, and therefore an exception should apply, they kept leaning on a current regulation, which does not talk about households but addresses, and unfortunately, in the Netherlands, addresses differ by apartment number (in our case rooms), and thus we all violated the applicable regulations. However, we filed an official appeal to the prosecutor’s office, in Dutch (!), unfortunately two of our letters (one of which was mine) got probably lost at the post office, so regarding post offices, the service isn’t great in other countries either 😊. The accommodation agency was less helpful with this issue than one would expect. But after a month, they sent us some kind of a confirmation that we all live together. Regardless, it is debatable whether this kind of accommodation is suitable during a pandemic, because it is pretty impossible to maintain a hygienic standard with 16 people sharing common areas.

Another curiosity are the repeated visits by police of our building / address. Because there are a lot of people from different countries and different views on the pandemic, there are big parties, where a lot of people that don’t live here meet (directly from the city, because they are used to things happening here constantly). This has culminated so much, that the city is now involved and the police have been given a search warrant, so about 2 weeks ago, 7 police cars arrived and the police smashed down the front door on the floor below us, searched the premises so that they can fine someone, or take them into custody. One student has already been deported this way, without a right to get a refund. To make matters worse, the accommodation agency wants us to report any violations by other residents of this building directly to the police. If someone else reports it, e.g. in the case of a party, we will be treated as participants (even if we are locked in our room), because we did nothing to announce it. A really great way to make friends on Erasmus. 😊

In order to complete the Dutch trio of inconveniences, I cannot omit the cooperation on assignments for individual courses. I was lucky enough and I was not in groups with other nationalities other than the Dutch. And my experience is that the “most human” behaving Dutch people are the ones who are the x^th – generation of immigrants in this country. I would say that for the first time in the last year, I felt that it was a shame that we had to work on something online and we couldn’t meet. Normally, our zoom calls don’t end with the completion of the last task, but we talk for hours about various topics. After all, due to the night curfew, no one has anything better to do in the evening.

On the contrary, the real Dutch are arrogant, so much that it hurts to work with them. I almost always get subliminal hints and arrogant messages in group chats, with which they need to prove some kind of superiority and show me that I am only the inferior Exchange student here. Truly, a suffering.