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author
Fiammetta Mondini
Fiammetta
Mondini
faculty
Faculty of Social Sciences
academic year of the stay
2022/2023
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author
Fiammetta
faculty
Faculty of Social Sciences
academic year of the stay
2022/2023
traineeship
study stay
short-term mobility
other
Mateja Bela
How does Fiammetta rate their stay?
university
city
accommodation
financial demands
about university
What made your university special? What were the facilities where you studied and the university equipment like?
It is a really good university with a separate department called "Institute of Democracy" where I have done my collaborative placement. It was unique for three things: the team with which I worked; the research they were developing, which was multidisciplinary and deeply fascinating; and lastly the equipment given that included a laptop, charger, student support, and access to all the other studies done.
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about your "adoptive" university? What made it special? What were the premises where you studied and the university facilities like?
I was an intern at the Institute of Democracy, working as a helper in the BRIDGE project, which was a research in development with the aim of studying correlations between democracy, disinformation, and demographic data. My main tasks were doing literature reviews, working on my final dissertation, joining the meetings, and providing executive summaries of articles.
What is student life like at university?
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Did you study in English or in the language of the host country? What language requirements does the university have?
I communicated in English. The university required a B2 English level.
about the city
What was your impression of the city? How would you describe it? What is interesting to see here?
The city was a small town, called Banska Bystrica, it was really well connected with different cities (such as Bratislava, Budapest, Krakow, and Vienna). It was surrounded by stunning landscapes and nature-oriented activities to do, ranging from skiing to hiking, to swimming. I found the environment mostly student-oriented, not very crowded, and overall calm. I believe it was a really suitable context in which to work and focus, and the opportunity to experience first-hand Slovakian culture was really fascinating.
about finances
In your experience, how far does the scholarship go? What percentage of your expenses did it cover? What is your opinion on prices in the country in general?
The country was not too expensive, especially since I stayed in a student accommodation that had a really accessible price. Therefore, considering transport costs and living costs, I would say the scholarship covers most of the expenses.
Please advise your classmates on how to save money—Where to shop? What services can be used to save money?
Save money:
- sleep at a student accommodation
- eat mostly at home
- gym and transports are cheaper if you do subscriptions
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about accommodation
What type of accommodation did you choose? Would you recommend it to others? If not, what type of accommodation do you think is best based on your experience (dormitory, private apartment, private dormitory, shared room, etc.)?
I stayed in a student dormitory and would recommend it. It has a good position yet I believe it would be better to take a single room since the space is not too big. The kitchen is shared with all the students on the same floor and it requires a key to be open and closed, that was a bit uncomfortable, especially since the receptionists that had the keys were working from 8 am to 9 pm, and after it was not possible to access it.
about experiences
Did you use Erasmus stay to travel around your country/Europe? What are your best travel experiences? What would you not recommend?
Yes, I do believe I took advantage of the position to travel. As I mentioned earlier, being close to different cities, such as Bratislava, Budapest, Krakow, and Vienna, I was able to travel with Flixbus to most of these cities, either daily or on the weekend, in a cheap way. I recommend all of these spots and I would suggest hiking in the town nearby, taxis are really cheap and there are skiing resorts 8-10 euro away with a cab.
Language and culture: what cultural differences did you notice? How did you cope with the national language? Was it also the language of your studies? Do you feel that your language skills improved during your stay?
I talked only English in the Institute, yet being a small town not everyone was bilingual and I have found it interesting to try to communicate with the national language (Czech). I think I have made progress with the language, although I would not say I am able to make a full conversation.
final rating
Why here? What makes this location special? Why would you send your friends to your country/city?
I believe the main pro is the internship itself and the project that you could work on. The team of colleagues was really welcoming and all fascinating people to meet. Also, the position is really comfortable for traveling and I believe it is a good opportunity to meet first-hand a culture that you may not encounter that deeply otherwise.
live-saving tips
If I went again, I would definitely remember to pack...
Hiking, skiing, swimming clothes.
Before leaving, I would like to know that...
I could have joined more student activities.
What surprised me most was that...
The culture.
The hardest thing for me was...
Getting into a new environment.
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