EN: University of Ljubljana: "My courses were all interesting, I met many new international friends, was able to make professional connections and explore the beautiful country of Slovenia and surrounding countries too."

The link to the full experience report.

In this report I will discuss my experience at the School of Economics and Business at the University of Ljubljana during the spring semester.

Preparation

My preparation for this exchange started early in the previous year because as a non-EU student I had a couple of extra things to worry about. Firstly, you will need to apply for a separate Slovenian residence permit valid for the duration of your exchange even if you already hold an EU residence permit from the Schengen area. This includes things like sufficient financial means, certificate of criminal record, personal photos etc. which had to be prepared prior to coming to Slovenia. Once there I received help from the special university department that handles all problems with the Administrative Unit. In terms of insurance, the European Health Insurance Card I have in Germany is also valid in Slovenia but luckily I did not have to use it.

The application process was smooth and easy with everything taking place online. Once your application from Viadrina is processed by SEB (School of Economics and Business) you will get your log in details by email and can continue your application on their portal where you can enter your details and upload your documents like your transcript of records, language certificates and copy of passport etc.  The learning agreement is also online and any changes can be easily made and approved online. You also get your acceptance letter on the portal once your application is accepted and early in January you already have to apply for the courses outlined in your Learning Agreement through a separate student portal you gain access to after they activate your account. In my experience, some classes fill up quick, so it is best to apply for your courses the day the enrollment period opens.

There was a two-day introduction event prior to the start of the lectures. Here we were first introduced to the faculty, the documents needed, who we can contact from the International Office if we need help and how to change courses if we wanted to, how to contact a doctor if needed, daily student life on campus, Slovenian culture, tour of the campus and of course ESN events. The second day was mostly focused on student bonding and socializing with a city tour of Ljubljana and a team treasure hunt.  This really helped me feel settled in and confident about starting lectures as all the information we needed was readily provided. Both days were obligatory. What I really liked is that we were assigned a buddy prior to our arrival. My buddy was very nice and helpful when I had questions about transport or course applications and even helped me with my residence permit application and the Slovene language.

Accommodation

I found my accommodation though the ESN WhatsApp group where a tutor sent a list of trusted landlords that previous students had good experiences with. I paid €350 per month plus up to €80 for utility costs for a room in a shared apartment in the Rožna Dolina area right next to Tivoli Park. It is a beautiful area especially in the warmer months, but it is further from Economics faculty so my commute took 30+ minutes by bus. However, this was not a problem for me since Ljubljana is a small city and you can still get everywhere easily by bus, walking or cycling. If you want to be closer to the faculty it would be better to search for apartments in the Bežigrad area. Renting a 1-bedroom or studio is of course the most expensive option and can be €800+ per month. The cheapest option is getting a place in the student dorms, however, it is difficult to get a place as they have limited availability. During my application period I did not get a place as I was told they have less than 200 rooms available and had over 400 applications. During my initial search I was looking at options on the online platform HousingAnywhere as they seemed to have many things in place for tenant protection, however, it seemed to me that many prices were inflated here but it can still give you a good overview of the kinds of apartments available in Ljubljana. We were warned not to trust Facebook ads as many times they were scams. It is also recommended that you ask the landlord for a tour of the place before signing any contract.

Studying at the University Abroad

During my exchange I decided to take four different courses worth 28 ECTS. I was mostly interested in their marketing classes, so I took Digital Marketing, Sales and Business Management Marketing, Sustainable Marketing on Regional Markets and one FINE course Corporate Social Responsibility. I really enjoyed all the courses because I was able to gain a deeper insight into the theories of marketing for both the online and the B2B space. I will say however that the workload for these classes was much more than the classes at Viadrina. Instead of just attending lectures and having a final exam at the end, it is also combined with weekly quizzes, midterms and group projects worth a good chunk of your grade. However, I had a good experience with my team members and was able to interact with and learn from other Erasmus students as well as the Slovenian students which helped me develop my communication, teamwork and other soft skills. We would also often get guest lecturers that are leaders in their industry in Slovenia, so we were able to get a deeper understanding of the practical use of the theory we were learning, ask them questions and given opportunities to build valuable connections.

For courses attendance was mandatory and you had to have 70-75% attendance in all classes throughout the semester. My lecturers were very pleasant and you could see that they were experts in their fields who were passionate about sharing their knowledge. They also made an effort to make sure Erasmus students were comfortable in the class and wanted to get to know more about our backgrounds. The support for exchange students was also great. The coordinator at the International Office was always readily available when you had questions or problems and I was able to change one of my courses in my Learning Agreement without hassle. Overall, my opinion of the university is very positive. 

Day To Day Life and Free Time

In terms of the cost of living, I would say prices are pretty comparable to Germany. However, one major advantage for students in Slovenia is the subsidized meal system called “Boni”. With this you have an app with your personal identifier that you show at participating restaurants (which you have a huge choice from throughout the whole country) and the most you will pay is €3.95 for a meal. You can use it twice a day with at least 4 hours in between uses, but it really helps keep your food expenses lower. If you find a cheaper accommodation, I would say that the amount you receive with the Erasmus grant is enough to get by but if you would like to travel more around Slovenia and surrounding countries you should have some extra money saved too. In terms of transport, you can register for the student card which you then pay €20 each month to renew or €35 to travel within the whole of Slovenia (comparable to the Semesterticket in Germany). Only buses are available as public transport within Ljubljana but you can also use trains and busses to travel to other cities in Slovenia with the €35 ticket. Alternatively, you can pay €3 for the year to use the bicycle system called Bicikelj and use any bikes from stations throughout the city.

In terms of entertainment, there are many ESN events organized throughout the semester ranging from themed parties to bar crawls and game nights. Ljubljana is a small but beautiful city where you can enjoy sitting at restaurants along the river during summer nights or have a picnic at Tivoli park. I was more interested in the trips organized by ESN that happened during the weekends. They would organize buses and guided tours with a few hours of free time at the end of the day and then bring us all back to Ljubljana at the end of the day. This way I was able to see Lake Bled and Bohinj and explore Bled castle, visit the famous Postojna Caves, explore Maribor, Graz and Trieste as well as my favorite trip Venice. I also organized private trips with friends to other cities in Slovenia like Skofja Loka and Kranj and as well as the coastal towns like Koper and Portoroz where you can also get seafood with Boni. Slovenia has beautiful nature where you can enjoy hiking, my favorite being Vintgar Gorge.

Conclusion

Overall, I am happy that I chose to do my exchange semester at the University of Ljubljana. My courses were all interesting, I met many new international friends, was able to make professional connections and explore the beautiful country of Slovenia and surrounding countries too. I was glad to be able to step outside my comfort zone to gain a new experience that I will cherish from my time as a student. Ljubljana is a small city so I didn’t feel overwhelmed trying to navigate my way in a foreign environment and the people are generally very friendly and willing to help. I can honestly say that I did not have a single negative experience during my months there. I can definitely recommend it for all people considering this destination for their semester abroad!