Southern Europe
Adam Bogdan (FIS) – Universidade Nova de Lisboa / NOVA School of Business and Economics, Portugal
„I really like it here, the restrictions aren’t strict at all, we can walk around the city without restrictions or play sports without masks. However, everything except supermarkets and takeout restaurants is closed. The police are pretty forgiving in this regard and do not punish people, even if they do not fully comply with all the government measures. It is only possible to travel between districts during the week, and on weekends everyone has to stay in their respective districts. This means that we have not yet had the opportunity to travel around Portugal, except for one trip, as we have lectures every day.
Regarding the teaching, of course, everything is online and it is expected that sometime in April we could go to the university, but lectures will still be broadcasted online and we will need to attend seminars in person. So far, all the subjects are interesting and during the lessons, the professors try to involve us in various activities.
I am in regular contact with other students, as we meet often, and I live with three people that are also on Erasmus, so the social contact is not a problem for me even during Covid and lockdown times. However, other than a few exceptions, I only know foreign students. The only cultural shock I’ve experienced is how people cross the streets even when the red light is on, and the police doesn’t mind at all.“
[March 2021]
„I’m still doing very well here. We started going to university three weeks ago, so we are finally enjoying real contact with the school, which is a really beautiful building and the environment as a whole as well. 😊 Lectures finished this week and the exam season starts in a week, which I’m slowly preparing for. So far, l have managed to learn with no difficulties here.“
[May 2021]
Lucie Zemanová (FIR) – Università degli Studi di Milano / Facoltà di Scienze Politiche, Economiche e Sociali, Italy
„Milan is a beautiful city that I am trying to gradually discover (Duomo, Navigli, China Town, Sempione, City Life, etc.). Currently, the measures in Italy have been tightened (from today we can only move freely around our place of residence). I’m afraid we will stay in lockdown until Easter, and then hopefully things will ease up again. When the whole region was opened, I managed to at least go to Pavia for one day, but I’m postponing other trips for when the epidemiological situation improves.
I am involved in the activities of the local ESN group, which tries to prepare at least some program either online (e.g. cooking 😊), or in person, when it was still possible (city tour, tour of the Cimitero Monumentale, a skyscraper tour is also planned). According to one of the ESN members, about 100 exchange students are to come to Milan, which is about a third of the original number. I have met up with my buddy, who is a buddy to other two girls and is also a part of ESN. Only ESN members appear to participate in the buddy system. Erasmus students came to Milan mainly at the beginning of March, when the semester begins at most faculties.
I also went to see the campus (Via Conservatorio, Via Festa del Perdono). Classes have been online since the beginning and it seems that will continue to be so (the university remains open also in the red zone). I managed to meet at least some classmates, in most cases Italians studying the International Relations program in English. Next week, a short exam period begins here at the faculty, which moves freely into the third trimester.
Generally speaking, Italians are accommodating, overall always smiling and responsible. Masks are a daily norm, but there are also some exceptions. I’m trying to work on my Italian, because English isn’t really spoken outside of the university and I’m in a relatively metropolitan city 😊.“
[March 2021]
„The situation in Italy has improved considerably, people have filled the streets/museums/shops, the ESN group has prepared other activities for us (this Saturday I took part in a food tour 😊). We can travel to the yellow-coloured regions (at the moment almost all of Italy is yellow, so I’m going on a trip to Verona and Venice). Personally, I do not follow the numbers indicating newly infected or vaccinated people in Italy, but according to the Italians, everything is well on its way back to normal.
Unfortunately, classes still continue to be online, although an exception is made here and there. Even the Italians themselves do not understand some of the university’s decision. The way, in which they select students (courses, faculties), who can or cannot attend lectures in person, seems to be very inconsistent. If it is possible to have a lesson in person, it is usually on a different day and hour than according to the usual schedule, and VŠE students are definitely not used to that 😄 . We are currently moving into the fifth week of the last trimester (11 weeks).
What surprised me very much is the cohesion and friendly attitude of the Italian students. The university is not only a place for studying, it also normally turns into an ideal space for an aperitif in the afternoon. Due to online teaching, I do not attend the university so often, but I had the opportunity to attend one such aperitif and it was worth it.
So far, I have managed to get closer with Italians from the university, rather than other Erasmus students, and for Italians it is not often the case to be stoked to have a conversation in English. In March, the university language centre offered us an opportunity to take part in Italian language courses, which take place twice a week from March to June (beginner level). The courses are very beneficial and help me feel a little more pleasant in the Italian environment.“
[May 2021]
Martina Stránská (FIR) – Università degli Studi di Firenze / Scuola di Scienze Politiche „Cesare Alfieri“, Italy
„Florence is just amazing! As for the situation and measures, I think about 2 weeks ago, Italy entered the yellow zone, which allows us to travel around Tuscany, but we can also travel to other regions, which are also in the yellow zone. So after a long time, we finally go on trips outside the city. So far, we have basically only went on hikes to the forests and hills that are around the city. But since we’ve been allowed to travel, we visited Siena, Pisa, Rome, etc. Museums, galleries, restaurants (only gardens) have opened, so in general the city is filled with life and there are more people in the city.
To my surprise, lessons here is difficult, or rather the subjects I have are quite demanding for me, and especially new. We have a lot of ongoing assignments, seminar papers, etc. But we still have lectures online. Most of my subjects are over now and we have mainly presentations now. However, the earliest we can have exams is in June.
Regarding the other students, Tereza Karlíková and Monika Duffková, who are studying in Castellanza just came to visit me, so we finally saw each other and I would like to go visit them. Other than that I’ve met a Czech girl through this Erasmus group, who studies at the Charles University, and I’m mainly friends with her. I’m also in touch with Marek and Ondra, who are also from VŠE, we have seen each other a few times, but we all have our groups. And of course I’m friends with students from the whole Europe, who are a part of our Erasmus generation group, and we go on many trips together. For example tomorrow, we are going to the Montepulciano wine region and next weekend, we are going to southern Italy for the weekend.
I haven’t really experienced a culture shock, since my first exchange was in Taiwan, it was worse there. 😂 What surprised me was cheap wine and coffee. Otherwise I can’t think of anything fundamental, one could say I feel at home here.
I hope it’s clear from my message that it’s really amazing here, I can’t complain, except for some things at the university, but other than that, I have completely fallen in love with Florence!“
[May 2021]
Pavel Lomachenko (FBA) – LUISS – Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali Guido Carli, Italy
„Everything is fine here, the exam season begins in a while, so I’m slowly starting to prepare. Regarding the restrictions, most regions are located in the “yellow zone”, which means that travel between these regions is allowed and more lenient measures apply here. Everything is basically open, some small events are also allowed, but restrictions on movement at night apply. Now that it’s warm, there are many people out on the weekends, the pubs and restaurants are full, but when I first arrived, the streets were completely empty.
Lectures take place in a hybrid form, which in reality means that if you want, you can attend in person or participate from home (online broadcast from class). For about a month, due to Covid, lectures were taking place only online. I would say that about 70% of students are now only present online, because it’s more convenient, because some professors also teach from home and there is usually a problem with the sound in the classroom. Overall, classes are similar to ours.
I have met several students. I was surprised that Italians are really very accommodating and pleasant and try to make contact themselves. There is also an ESN group that organized some events for international students about 3 times, when it was possible, but I must admit that I haven’t gone once. It was necessary to buy tickets, and I am not very interested in parties. I went mainly to see the historical monuments without tourists, so now is the best time for that.
I didn’t really experience a culture shock, because I’m used to living abroad. I was pleasantly surprised by the food and wine. 😊 The worst thing here is probably the public transport, it’s just awful. Compared not only to Prague, but also to Russia, the bus may not arrive at all, or leave the stop 5 minutes earlier, or also go somewhere else.
I can also say, that the university campus is incredible, very beautiful and luxurious. It looks like a place for rest. I like it the most.“
[May 2021]
Adéla Válková (FIR) – Free University of Bozen-Bolzano / Faculty of Economics and Management/ Campus Bozen-Bolzano, Italy
„I’m doing good, I’m really enjoying my exchange a lot. When I arrived, there was a lockdown in the whole province and it was not possible to travel to different cities. Fortunately, in Bolzano it is possible to take a backpack and go on a hike to the mountains near the city. All shops opened at the end of March, and the province of Bolzano has been in the yellow zone for about 2 weeks now, so all restaurants are open. Museums, galleries, as well as the interior of restaurants are open, however, it is necessary to have a so-called “Green Pass” (which requires vaccination, immunity after Covid, or an antigen test). There are several testing centres in the city and testing is free, so this is not a problem either. We can now travel between regions in the yellow zone without any restrictions, so I and some other students on Erasmus spent this weekend in Venice.
Regarding teaching, lectures have been online since the beginning. Some courses are slowly ending, so I will have some exams in the second half of May. Other courses end in June.
I’m not in much contact with local students. We only have group projects in some classes, so I know a few of them, but most of them don’t even live in Bolzano, so I haven’t met any of them in person.
But connecting with other Erasmus students was not a problem. Even though the school doesn’t organize any activities, we still managed to have a pretty good friendship group. Most international students live in the same dormitory. Due to the pandemic, the rules in the dormitories are quite strict, so we are not allowed to meet right here. A lot of students came by car, so as soon as it was possible, we started travelling within the province.
The cultural shock was not too big for me. I live in a part of the city that is further from the centre and more Italian, while the centre is more reminiscent of Germany or Austria. Overall, I’m really enjoying my exchange and I would definitely recommend it to all students! And I can’t do anything but recommend Bolzano. 😊“
[May 2021]
Monika Tóbiszová (FFA) – Universidad de Málaga / Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales, Spain
„I’m doing very well here, the current restrictions are almost at a minimum. Although we are not allowed to go out after 11 pm and we have to wear masks also in outside spaces, the shops, restaurants and cafés are open. We can travel to other regions and the city is starting to return to normal, as possible with the current global situation.
Recently, we started having semi-in person classes – one week we go to university and the next we have online classes, which is really great and it is nice to be at least partially in the uni in person.
Since most of the semester was purely online, I am not in contact with many foreign students, but I have met a few people (both local and foreign) with whom we discover Málaga. We have the opportunity to go on various trips within Erasmus. Given that I had the opportunity to meet many Spaniards before leaving for Erasmus, I don’t think I experienced an extreme culture shock. Spanish people are all very friendly and communicative.“
[May 2021]
Vendula Lehečková (FFA) – Università degli Studi di Torino / School of Management and Economics, Italy
„I’m really enjoying my Erasmus Exchange, there’s still something to do! Until recently we were in the red zone, which made it impossible for us to travel, and all restaurants and bars were also closed.
However, we are in contact with other foreign students, so we were meeting anyways. In the last two weeks, most regions got in the yellow zone, which means going back to normal and enabled travel between those regions, so we have planned some trips.
We have 4 Italian roommates, so we are in contact with locals as well, but we’re mostly meeting with other foreign students.
Classes are okay – everything is online, during the semester there were more lectures, the exam season has started now and my last exam should be on 3.7. The subjects I’ve chosen are beneficial in regard to my field of study, but also quite demanding.
Overall, I can only evaluate my Erasmus exchange positively and I am glad that I decided to go despite the Covid situation. I don’t think my trip was any worse because of it. 😊“
[May 2021]
Petr Vondra (FFA) – Università degli Studi di Roma „Tor Vergata“ / Facoltà di Economia, Italy
„I have been enjoying my stay very much from the very beginning, in recent weeks even more than before.
Most of the regions got into the yellow zone from the 26.4., which allows for a fairly normal life with some restrictions. In addition, the travel ban between the yellow regions was lifted on that date as well. I celebrated my birthday 1.5., I was able to celebrate with friends in Naples, and we planned an extended weekend to Tuscany next week.
Regarding the lectures, I am extremely satisfied with 3 of the 4 selected subjects, because the professors are real experts in their field and they also invite experts from practice for a lot of the lectures. Unfortunately, I am not so happy with the last subject, but I believe that I can finish it somehow.
I have met a huge amount of people here, the vast majority of whom are also foreign students. Locals meet up with us as well of course. However, what really surprised me in this regard is how problematic it is to speak English in Italy. I am not sure how language teaching works in schools here, but I have met economics students at university, who couldn’t, or at least didn’t want to, speak English.
There’s a problem with communication, for example in shops, which was probably the biggest shock for me after arriving, as I had little time to study Italian before leaving. Another cultural difference is late arrivals, timetables, which usually aren’t even a close estimate, and absolutely appalling driving habits (parking at crossings, not letting cross…) Furthermore, it is quite common to raise your voice in Italy and there is a lot more talking to random passers-by.
However, these are all minor inconveniences. I am very satisfied with the trip, even so much that I decided to extend it to another month till July. I can’t wait for my exams to be over at the beginning of June, and the following two months that I will be able to use to travel more.
P.S.: I was pleasantly surprised by the incomparably good coffee or gelato with most places in the Czech Republic, no matter where you went in Italy.“
[May 2021]
Lukáš Strýček (FoEcon) – University of Porto / School of Economics and Management (FEP), Portugal
„Staying in Portugal is great even during the coronavirus pandemic, and it’s absolutely amazing here. I can’t complain about anything and I’m really happy. Porto is a beautiful city and Portugal is a great country that offers countless experiences. As for the current restrictions, everything works, but with a limited time (i.e., at 22:30 they close everything, which is absolutely great in the current situation). Traveling both in the city and in the surrounding regions is not limited in any way, which is really great, so I try to make the most of my stay. During my stay so far, I have visited Madeira, most of the national parks on the mainland and other cities and places worth visiting. In terms of travel, sports, and other leisure activities, one feels as if there was no coronavirus crisis.
The teaching itself currently takes place in a hybrid form. It is preferred that one goes to university in person, but if s/he is not feeling good or has another serious reason, s/he can watch the class online. As for contact with other people, we have a really great group consisting mainly of foreign students. Most home students are very careful and do not want to take any risks because they live with their families and therefore do not meet us as much. On the other hand, I was pleasantly surprised how friendly all the people of Portugal are. I must admit that the university itself has its qualities, which one knew from the approach of teachers and the content of lessons.
In conclusion, I must add that anyone who hesitates whether Erasmus is a good choice or not, go! You will not regret anything, and you will have lifelong experiences.“
[May 2021]
Veronika Klánová (FFA) – University of Porto / School of Economics and Management (FEP), Portugal
„I’m doing very well and I’m probably the happiest I could be at the moment. 😊 I am very glad that even the situation in Portugal at the beginning of the year, which was not ideal, did not deter me from doing my trip abroad. The beginning was a bit more difficult for me (quarantine, I lived alone, all school and extracurricular activities took place online, some foreign friends were not yet in Porto), so I was a lot of time alone, but I was still glad to be here in Porto and I was satisfied and happy here. Of course, after I created my community here, it is even better and it’s definitely my best semester in my life.
As for the measures, of course we wear face masks, restaurants have to close at 22:30, etc., but otherwise I finally feel like I’m living a fairly normal life again. I must say that I was very pleasantly surprised by the crisis management of the Portuguese Government, and I would certainly welcome it if ours took an example (and did not invent measures such as testing before entering restaurants, etc.).
You can travel almost without restrictions since Easter (the city came to life with the snapping of a finger with the first release of the measure), so my friends and I make full use of it and we still have many plans. Among all the cities, however, Porto is the clear Portuguese number one for me, I always like to come back here and it’s like a second home for me.
Teaching at FEP is comparable to VSE. I am very satisfied with the quality of the courses. Initially, the lessons took place in zoom, now the teaching is hybrid. We are divided alphabetically according to first names and we rotate, one week we have online lessons, the other in person at the faculty. I will only go twice in total, but even so I was moved during the first full-time lesson, because I’m fed up with the zoom and team meetings. 😊 According to my information, the exams should take place in person, for which I am happy.
I am in contact mainly with foreign students, but also with some Brazilian “local” students who study their master in Porto. I almost didn’t have a culture shock. The Portuguese are nice and smiling people. The only inconvenience was the attack and injury of my friend, which unfortunately can happen everywhere.
Overall, I plan to stay in Portugal for as long as possible. Even the quarantine for the Czechs has finally been lifted, so some of my loved ones should come to see me during July. I would like to thank to the VSE International Office for this opportunity and that they are here for us as support for the whole time.“
[May 2021]
Marianna Dunčková (FIR) – Universidad Loyola Andalucía, Spain
„I’m enjoying my Erasmus to the fullest, it’s so warm here and we’re enjoying the sun. The situation in Seville, as well as in the whole Andalusia, is improving. A few days ago they lifted the ban on going out at night (originally it was from 23), so we can finally enjoy the real Spanish life.
Everything is open here, bars are currently open until 2 am. Regarding travelling, until recently it was forbidden to go from one province to another, but now the whole Andalusia is open, which we make full use of and we’re discovering new places like Granada and Cordoba, and we’re also planning to go to the beach in Cadiz. In my opinion, Seville is also coming to life, we’re meeting more tourists around the city.
Teaching takes place in person, but when we were transitioning from online to the in-person teaching, we could choose between the two. Of course, I took advantage of the situation and chose the in-person form, as the university has a beautiful modern campus and it’s a pleasure to spend time here. I find the lectures interesting and beneficial, we have some team work in each subject, thanks to which I was able to meet other classmates, both locals and foreigners on Erasmus.
We spend a lot of time together outside of university as well, we’re getting to know each other, we’re improving our languages, we’re building friendships. I’m really enjoying getting to know individual nationalities and noticing the differences between us. I didn’t experience a big culture shock, I just had to get used to the fact that Spanish people have time for everything and everything here is later.“
[May 2021]
Anežka Hloušková (FBA) – Universidad Loyola Andalucía, Spain
„I’m doing great in Seville, the weather is beautiful, the sun is shining, there’s great food and I feel free here after a long time. The situation here is certainly much better than in the Czech Republic (fortunately for me, unfortunately for others, I believe). The only real restrictions here are the ones that everyone has to wear a mask in public places (indoors and outdoors) and until recently there was also limited travel between the provinces. But even at the time when travelling was limited, it was relatively easy to go to the sea or the mountains by bus. If someone had a car, it was no problem at all.
I would also like to mention that restaurants, shops, services, monuments, etc. are open here and the restrictions change (loosen up) approximately every 14 days. When I arrived at the beginning of February, the restaurants and shops were only open until 18, supermarkets until 20:30 and people were only allowed to gather in groups of max. 4 people (in restaurants and in parks) and there was a curfew from 22. Since then, restrictions have loosened up a lot. Currently we can gather in groups of 8 in restaurants, and nobody checks how many people there are outside (we went on a trip in a group of 30 people), restaurants and bars close at 2 am and the curfew was cancelled last week. People go on walks, meet up, have fun – they just live. Sometimes it feels like the only thing reminiscent of the existence of Covid-19 are the masks.
Teaching was online for the first few weeks, but everything takes place in person on campus now, with everyone having the opportunity to choose whether we want to stay online or go to school in person. It was an easy decision for me… IN PERSON, of course! 😁. I’ll have the subjects recognized in the group of electives, so it was up to me which courses I choose. Altogether, I have 5 subjects here, I go to uni 4 times a week and there is quite a lot of work, but so far I am mostly satisfied. All my subjects are in English, and even though the professors’ English isn’t always the best, it’s not something tragic.
I am in contact with a large number of international students from across all countries, and I would like to mention that only a small part of them studies in the same university as me. Directly in Seville there’s an Erasmus club Seville, which organises various events for Erasmus people. There’s an incredible opportunity to meet a number of people from all over the world. With this club, I have already taken a trip to Gibraltar or the Caminito del Rey, for example. Of course, we also travel here on our own.
I’m not so much in contact with the locals and if so, those are only exceptions. Due to the fact that Loyola is a private school, local students are not very interested in getting to know us. But it doesn’t matter, because there are many foreign students here.
There was no real cultural shock – there is no time difference, I’ve been to Spain and Andalusia before, but there are two things that surprised me a bit at the beginning, but I got used to them very quickly. The first thing is that Spanish people do everything late – the sun rises and sets later here, so the whole day is a bit shifted here. It’s completely usual to have dinner at 10 in the evening. It didn’t suit me at first, but now it feels completely normal. And the second thing is that the iced coffee, or “café noc hielo” really means coffee and a glass of ice.. a so-called DIY coffee. As for prices, everything here is about as expensive as in the Czech Republic.
All in all, I definitely recommend everyone to go on Erasmus, while you have the chance and not only to Seville. Although Seville is a beautiful city with a lot of things to do here, Andalusia itself is relatively large. Now that travelling and other Erasmus-related activities are allowed, I really can’t complain about anything. The weather here went crazy in May and the local students are telling us, that it will get even worse. 😁 Unfortunately, it is slowly coming to an end for us, but I try to enjoy it even more now.“
[May 2021]
Michal Kaas (FIR) – Universidad Pontificia Comillas de Madrid / Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales (ICADE), Spain
„Everything is going smoothly so far, and I’m doing good here. The situation is also quite okay here, however, you cannot travel outside the city without a legitimate reason. As for other restrictions, compared to the Czech Republic, it is significantly more free – all restaurants, shops and other places are open. However, there is a curfew from 23:00. Wearing masks has stayed the same throughout my whole stay – they must be worn absolutely everywhere. The only exception is for children under 6 and during sports. However, I would say that the situation in Madrid is probably the mildest in terms of restrictions.
The lectures are going well. The in-person and online teaching take place simultaneously – so if someone cannot attend in person, they can at least participate online. In this regard, it’s quite benevolent regarding all my subjects – simply said, if someone doesn’t want to come to university, they don’t have to. Personally, I much more prefer to attend classes in person, so I rarely, if ever, choose the online form. The only complications that occur regularly with the online form of teaching are technical problems that “shorten” the teaching, ranging by 5-30 minutes. The microphone or speaker often don’t work. Sometimes the classes are a bit unstructured because of the simultaneous model.
Regarding the teaching style, it differs significantly from the teaching style I’ve experienced at VŠE – there is a much greater emphasis on an ongoing activity and group work, over which one spends a large amount of time during the week. In general, I find the lessons beneficial and quite practical, however, they are chaotic sometimes.
I am in contact with both foreign and local students. Regarding the foreign students, the majority are French. Group work helps a lot in bringing people together. As for the cultural shock, nothing has happened to me that I would not have anticipated or encountered before. Perhaps it’s just that, despite the bad weather, people in restaurants prefer to sit outside rather than inside.“
[March 2021]
„I’m still doing well and everything is going according to plan here. This week my semester officially ended and the exam period starts next week. However, I took most of my tests this week. I would say that I’m handling everything quite well, even though the last 2-3 weeks have been challenging. However, no complications occurred. At the same time, the state of emergency ends at the end of May, which could mean another step towards the normal life. I would also like to get to other regions, which perhaps could work out for me before the departure.“
[May 2021]
Klára Bradová (FIR) – University of Barcelona / Faculty of Economics and Business, Spain
„I have to say that in the end everything turned out perfect, and I’m doing great. Since I’ve come here, the restrictions have only been loosening, and from today, the state of emergency has been lifted and there is no curfew. The restaurants are open, as are the shops and sports facilities. The government also allowed us to travel outside of the region. For the first month, we couldn’t even get out of Barcelona, then they allowed travelling around in Catalonia, and finally all over Spain. After all, it was the same with all the restrictions, they have been tight at the beginning, but have been loosening gradually. Other than that, the city is great, I live 70m from the beach, it’s very peaceful without tourists, which is a very unique opportunity. I had the opportunity to see most of the interesting monuments, museums and galleries. I was looking forward and made use of the fact that the cultural attractions are allowed here.
School is okay, I’m studying in Spanish and it’s no problem for me. It’s a shame that classes are online only, I don’t actually know any of my classmates, just by the names in the chat from the lessons, and it’s quite anonymous for me. I was thinking of mainly socialising with the locals, but I haven’t had many opportunities to get to know someone from the school, so I’m a little sorry. Mainly because of the language, but it’s just a detail, I’m very grateful that I’m here and that I was able to live almost without any restrictions and enjoy it differently than I would have if there wasn’t Covid.
One of the subjects I have here has been the best subject I’ve had since the beginning of my entire study, I’m really satisfied with it and I have already recommended it to everyone who is going to UB next semester. The other two are also great, practical and beneficial. One of the subjects didn’t work out well for me, it’s the only one I have in English and I think the whole point of it was for it to be fun, when there are a lot of foreign students on Erasmus, because it’s about intercultural communication. But this semester I’m the only one here as an Erasmus student, and the rest are Spanish locals, so it’s not very international and the exercises we do are a bit meaningless. But overall, I rate the subjects very positively. I’m very happy that I had the courage to study in Spanish, I don’t regret it at all.
I haven’t really been in contact with foreign students, I went to a few events organised by the Buddy System, but those were intended more as a party getting to know each other, so I didn’t really get the chance to find the students I would actually get along with (I’d probably meet those in a library rather than at an illegal party). Overall, it was probably because most of the students did not follow any measures at all and were meeting up in big groups and were often being fined, I think they were even in TV. I was sorry that the fun couldn’t be arranged with them in a more moderate and legal way. When I saw how careful everyone was regarding Covid and then students come and throw a party with a hundred people and have to be dispersed by the police, I found it really sad. But in the end, I managed pretty quickly. I started playing beach volleyball, where I met all my friends. They are mostly working and not students, but they come from all over the world and some are even locals.
There was no culture shock for me, I’ve been in Spain for some time now and I’ve been coming here since I was a child, so I had no problem adapting to the culture. 😊“
[May 2021]
Ema Poláková (FIS) – ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon / ISCTE Business School, Portugal
„I have to say that I’m very satisfied here and I’m very glad that I didn’t get scared and didn’t give up. Currently the lockdown here is still very strict, but it doesn’t really affect going on walks around the city. I think I know my way around here now, because I go out almost every day, we even started jogging. And it’s really amazing here! And all those desserts! If you haven’t been here before, I definitely recommend it. 😊 I got into contact with other international students mainly due to walks. We have a WhatsApp group with many of us there, so it’s no problem to find a partner.
However, due to the lockdown, everything is closed, we can’t even buy takeaway coffee, only food on TakeAway. We are not supposed to leave the surroundings of our apartments, but they don’t really check it, there’s not really way how to. One day we gathered our courage and went to look at the beach, hoping that no one would catch us and it was worth it 😊.
As for the university, I am more or less satisfied, we work mainly in groups. On the one hand, it’s great because I can meet more people but on the other hand, it’s almost impossible to harmonize our time schedules, when we need to do something outside of lectures 😃.
The biggest culture shock for me was how nice people here are and that cars always stop for you on crossings. Really always.“
[March 2021]
„There’s always something going on here. I am doing well, and even better with the relaxed restrictions, as I am getting to know the real Lisbon. However, exam season is just starting for us, so fun has to go to the side for a bit.
In each subject, we had to do presentations and projects in groups, which I have successfully completed and now we have final tests left. We even have to go for two of them to the university. I still have Accounting from VSE left, so I also have to pass the exam for that.
I got to know ISCTE a little better, they were finally able to give us a tour last month. It’s very pretty there, I liked the library the most. They even had special rooms that were isolated from all noises with a limit of people that could go there. I think it must be a great space for students who have difficulty concentrating. Normally it was possible to get to school with a student card at any time, but now because of Covid, they close at 11, which is still quite good.
A big match was played here yesterday. The Lisbon club Sporting won the title after 20 years and the whole city celebrated. I live near their stadium and fireworks were exploding long before the match started and long after it ended. There were people everywhere in the streets, after a year of isolating it was a bit of a shock. But in the end, the joy of their success also passed onto me and it was a great experience.
Some Erasmus organisations began organising trips to the surrounding areas. So far, I have gone to only one, Nazaré, the place with the biggest waves in the world. However, it is better to visit sometime in October, when the waves are the biggest, but I was amazed by the ones I saw as well.
Next, we are going to Porto with friends, and then somewhere South, but we have to finish our exams first.“
[May 2021]
Jana Štolcová (FIS) – Universidade Nova de Lisboa / NOVA Information Management School, Portugal
„Currently the restrictions are loosening a lot in Portugal, so it’s possible to do almost everything under limited conditions (including going to restaurants and bars). When I arrived, there was a lockdown, but there were still places to go to, where I was able to meet people. Warm weather plays a big role in being able to stay outside.
Online teaching is well managed at my university, now it’s even possible to go to uni for some lessons. The lessons are beneficial, but they are time consuming, I have a lot of projects this semester that all require a lot of preparation.
I met a lot of great people here, especially people on Erasmus from Italy, with whom we went to the Azores and do various things together in Lisbon. I even started learning Italian instead of Portuguese. Other than that, I’ve met various kinds of people, for example foreigners living here, a few locals and also some Czechs, so once in a while I like to talk Czech to someone.
Lisbon is a beautiful city and it has a lot to offer. However, one has to get used to the Portuguese lifestyle, where there’s enough time for everything and public transport isn’t as timely as in the Czech Republic. On the other hand, the people here are very nice. In terms of price comparison, prices in shops are almost the same and restaurants are more expensive.“
[April 2021]
Mai Trang Tao (FIR) – Sabanci University, Turkey
„I’m having a great time here. After approx. 3 weeks after my arrival, restrictions had been loosened but those restrictions apply only to Turks anyway. There is a curfew after 9 PM and on Sundays for the whole day. Those restrictions don’t apply to us and we don’t have to eat “on the pavement” anymore as even restaurants have been opened.
The delivery “Yemek Sepeti” runs excellent here. The food is delivered all the way to the door and the payment is on delivery.
There was a snowstorm at my arrival on the 14th of February 2021 so we even got to experience snow in Istanbul but at the moment, the weather is already beautiful.
I have classes from Monday to Wednesday. I enjoy the most the Turkish class with Mrs Güniz. 🙂
We go out with other Erasmus students and we have trips planned for every weekend, either around Istanbul or outside of Istanbul.
I’m really happy here. Concerning the Sabanci University, it is one of the more prestigious universities, so the instruction is a bit more demanding, however, as I have four courses, it is totally manageable.“
[March 2021]
Barbora Javůrková (FIR) – Sabanci University, Turkey
„I’m/we are doing great! I still haven’t lost the conviction that despite online teaching, one can enjoy Erasmus.
Concerning restrictions, first of all, they apply only to Turks. At the moment, there is a curfew on Sundays. In the beginning of March, restaurants were opened at 50% of their capacity. However, as the Ramadán (and worsening situation) is approaching, restaurants are going to close again and only take-away is going to be possible. Also, the weekends-lockdown is going to be put in place again – for us it only means the closure of shops and the impossibility to go for example to Grand Bazaar. Supermarkets are opened and we can also go out provided that we have our passports on us.
Every weekend, we try to go on a trip. Not only around Istanbul, where we already, besides the city itself, went on a trip to Princes’ Islands, but we had also been to the city of Bursa + skiing in Uludağ, later we rented a car for one more time and went to the coast for a shorter trail and to the city of Şile. We had also been to Cappadocia (before the high season, so there weren’t many people) which was my first domestic flight ever. 🙂
But now we are already in the middle of the semester, so the midterms begin to pile up + we begin to write semestral papers.
The teaching is without problems and it’s very beneficial. During the add/drop period I even added the course Diplomatic History from bachelor’s programme, which requires a complicated process of approval, but everyone was very helpful, and it worked out.
We met other exchange students through the school Whatsapp group. There is a group of Argentinians, two guys from France, one girl from Spain and one from Poland. We do trips with them as well, but it’s much more complicated with that many people. So far, I have two local friends, one is my buddy and the other is my classmate from the French class. Only for the contact with locals I sometimes feel sorry that we cannot meet in the school.
What really surprised me is that locals don’t speak English not only at the regular places, but also at the touristy places. And I don’t mean some academic debates, they can’t say hello or don’t understand when we ask in a restaurant if we could pay. So the only thing for us left to do is to get down to learning Turkish even more eagerly and to try to express ourselves in their language. By the way, Turkish is a really demanding language – even the word order is completely the other way around. 😄“
[March 2021]
„We are doing well, but discovering Turkey was slightly interrupted by the nationwide lockdown that started at the end of April. It is not allowed to travel between cities, in fact, almost nothing is allowed – one can only go to the nearest grocery store. Now this is supposed to end on May 17, but there are speculations about a possible extension. It’s a pity, because until then my exchange was great, even during Covid times. Now it’s a little worse, after such a long time in an apartment, one starts to feel down. I flew from restricted Turkey to Dubai for a short stay, where the situation is much better, but I am going back tomorrow and I hope that Turkey will return to normal (as possible). 🙂
Exams are approaching, actually there’s only two weeks of school left (this week was off due to the end of Ramadan 🙂), it flew by relatively quickly! I’m finishing two seminar papers and will slowly start studying.“
[May 2021]
Uliana Ovsiannikova (FIR) – Istanbul Bilgi University, Turkey
„We are all really having a great time in Turkey, from Monday to Saturday everything is opened. The restaurants until 7 PM, the shopping centres until 9 PM. On Sundays, there is a quarantine for Turks, but it doesn’t apply to us.
The teaching is okay, the only downside is that I couldn’t enrol in all the courses I wanted due to technical issues from the side of Bilgi. We have quite a lot of academic articles to read (around 100-150 pages per week in total), which is a substantial difference from VSE.
I really experienced the culture shock here because of an unpleasant attention from Turks and I even rented an apartment in a not so safe district. That’s why in the beginning I was afraid to even walk alone but I got used to it. But in the night, I try not to walk alone anyway.
In my opinion, the main benefit is that I have the opportunity to get to know not only the European culture, but I have a lot of friends from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria and other countries. I didn’t have the opportunity to meet people from those countries until Erasmus.“
[March 2021]
Konstantin Sidorenko (FFA) – Istanbul Bilgi University, Turkey
„I’m doing well in Istanbul. I wrote midterm exams and I’m waiting for the second half of the semester to start. The coronavirus situation in Turkey is not very good. During the week, there is a curfew from 9 PM. The weekends are even more strict except for necessary trips to the closest shop. So most of the time I spend studying or working.
The teaching is delivered online, classes are of benefit to me. I stay in touch with other exchange students, but we don’t meet as often because of the coronavirus situation.
It really is a culture shock. I understood that I couldn’t live in Turkey permanently. It all seems like a bit organized chaos. But everyone is very friendly. First time in three years of living abroad I lost my passport, but people found it and returned it to me.“
[April 2021]
Natálie Bartošová (FIR) & Vojtěch Procházka (FBA) – ESADE Business School, Spain
„The situation in Barcelona is improving, the Covid numbers are decreasing and things are opening. Shops and shopping malls are open, museums / exhibitions / galleries are open all the time we are here, restaurants are open 3 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the afternoon. So you can at least go for a lunch, which is great. Travelling is completely limited, and we cannot leave the Barcelona city, so we cannot travel around the region. So far, we don’t mind, because there is still something to discover in Barcelona. Unfortunately, they do not plan to loosen these restrictions, so we do not expect to be able to leave Barcelona.
The teaching is online, I had face-to-face classes for the first two weeks. Now we have classes online, but we go to school for tests and then we have a normal class. After the holidays, which last until Easter, the professors expect us to return to school for face-to-face classes. As for the teaching itself, the classes are well presented. The online teaching works great in this regard.
We are in contact with the foreign students, we organize various events, sometimes we go for a lunch in smaller groups. Meetings are limited up to 6 people, so it is not a problem. We meet with them several times a week. As for the locals, we live in a residence inhabited mainly by the Spanish, so we spend every night with them. We are extremely satisfied with our accommodation.
If something here surprised us both in a positive way, it is the responsibility of the Spanish towards the regulations against Covid. Everyone follows the rules, you can’t see people with a face mask under their noses here. They are reliable here – maybe that is why the Covid numbers are decreasing and restrictions are being loosened.
Then it is the typical time inaccuracy of the Spanish. Yesterday (after 8 weeks of staying here), I was assigned a buddy. But that’s a detail. 😃“
[March 2021]
„We both love the time in Barcelona and we are sad that it is coming to an end – we really enjoy Erasmus to the fullest. It looks like we will stay here even for May, i.e. that we will extend our stay for a month.“
[April 2021]
Lenka Husová (FFA) – Universidad de Navarra, Spain
„I am doing great, we have a group of awesome people here despite the restrictions and cancelling of the events for Erasmus students… 🙂
Unlike in the Czech Republic, everything is open here and the restrictions were even eased last week. They opened the inner areas of restaurants after a long time. Masks are worn everywhere, the distance is kept and only 4 people may be seated at one table in the restaurants. But compared to the Czech Republic, we are doing really amazing.
There are some other details like you cannot eat popcorn in cinemas, but who cares? I can walk outside, drink beer and attend the university! (All the shops/restaurants close at 9pm, and there is a curfew from 11pm, but it is only a little thing, it is just without the parties this year, but it means almost nothing …)
The measures are being observed at the university, the distancing is being adhered to, too. That’s why in most courses, I have one lesson per week at campus and one lesson online, because we wouldn’t all fit in the lecture hall. Everyone was tested before the beginning of the semester and I think that the University handled it well.
They really tried a lot, there is disinfection everywhere and also other cleaning agents. There is a microphone and camera in every class in case someone is quarantined, so they can attend via Zoom. The university must have invested a fortune, but it works well and I am very happy about that.
Pamplona is a small, calm and beautiful town. It is possible to walk anywhere, some Erasmus students got a bike, but I don’t think it is necessary. I live in a further part of Pamplona and it takes me like 20 minutes walking to the campus, that’s really awesome.
Regarding the travelling, it is possible only in Navarra. I am a little sad about that, because I wished to visit Bilbao, which is very close, but it is a different region. Fortunately, Navarra has a lot to offer! It is not very easy without a car, the public transport is limited now, so the planning is also an adventure, but it is worth it.
Culture shock: Siesta time! It took me like a month to get used to the fact that all stores are closed between 2 and 5pm. Even the coffee shops! That threw me off.
I live with two Spanish girls, they are messy, but that’s what I expected. However, everyone outside uses the disinfection every time they entry or leave a shop, keep the distance and follow the measures.“
[March 2021]
Lucie Štefanová (FIS) – Universidad del País Vasco, Spain
„Hopefully, the situation in Bilbao is getting better. It was difficult in the beginning as the bars and restaurants were closed few days after my arrival and it was forbidden to leave Bilbao without a reason (school, doctor…). Also, the gatherings were limited to 4 people. Those restrictions were not very helpful in meeting new people, exploring new places and becoming part of the local life. Fortunately, the WhatsApp groups for Erasmus students work well and there was still a way to meet others. One of the ESN ideas was the Bubble program, when there was a group of 4 people based on a questionnaire and the group could meet. As Bilbao is surrounded by mountains, there are many options for short or long hikes with great views. Now the bars are open again and we can travel within the province (Biscay).
Teaching is very different form VŠE. My courses are not strictly divided to lectures and seminars, but it depends on the topic and it is adapted to the needs. They also write more tests, which I hope will be helpful especially during the exam period as I have to study continuously. Most of the classes are in-person, because I chose to study some statistical courses, which are not very popular (as they are not at VŠE either), so there is no need to make it online.
The culture shock is not a big think for me as I spend most of the time with other foreign students. What surprised us a lot, was the importance of at least basic knowledge of Spanish language, as most of the local people do not speak English. Fortunately, they are patient and understand our “sign language”, if necessary. Also, it is very interesting to hear how Basque Country is perceived in the rest of Spain and how proud the locals are of their Basque origin. I hope I will manage to visit also other places as I was told I should go to the south to know the “real Spain”.“
[March 2021]
„I’m doing fine, I already have done exams, so I have some time to travel around Spain. Fortunately, after the end of the state of emergency, it is possible to travel throughout Spain and not just the Basque Country. Now I am experiencing a bit of a thermal shock, as the difference between Bilbao and Madrid (from tomorrow also Sevilla) is striking. Restrictions are not very tight, so I can enjoy at least the final part of my Erasmus properly.
In the end, all the tests took place in person. Now, I just must wait for the results. For some courses, the waiting is a bit long. 😀
Luckily, during my stay I did not have any major problems that would complicate my life, so I hope that my return home will go smoothly as well.“
[June 2021]