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author
Wannes Leirs
Wannes
Leirs
faculty
Přírodovědecká fakulta
academic year of the stay
2021/2022
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author
Wannes
faculty
Přírodovědecká fakulta
academic year of the stay
2021/2022
traineeship
study stay
short-term mobility
other
Osnabrück University / UFZ Leipzig
How does Wannes 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?
Osnabrück University: Nice and flexible
UFZ Leipzig: Great working environment with a lot of talented people
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?
There were a many students coming and going. Some were from Germany, some from different countries. Some were PhD students, some were master or even bachelor students. Some were there long-term, some were there only for a few months.
What is student life like at university?
Honestly, I didn't really bother looking into that. I had some friends in the office in Leipzig which was enough.
Languagewise, English was more than enough to get by. And as someone who has lived in Belgium, Denmark and Czechia, the German culture wasn't very surprising. The local history was of course interesting but I got all of that by visiting the various museums around the city.
Did you study in English or in the language of the host country? What language requirements does the university have?
My English is excellent and so is the English of all people working in the academic sector over there. When interacting with people outside of the University, English sometimes was slightly harder for them but I have a basic understanding of German so I could get by.
about the city
What was your impression of the city? How would you describe it? What is interesting to see here?
I loved being able to go to work by bicycle once again, something I really miss here in Prague. The city itself felt very vibrant and, lacking a better word, young, with a lot of children around. It was clear to see that the city was growing and restoring, while not all of the scars from the past were completely healed yet.
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?
I spend about 3/5 of my scholarship each month on accomodation, and the remaining 2/5 was enough to compensate for the slightly increased prices of food and general living over there compared to in Prague.
Please advise your classmates on how to save money—Where to shop? What services can be used to save money?
Put in the work to find a good but cheap appartment. Seriously. That is by far the biggest cost.
Food you have to buy anyway, whether you are in Czechia or in another country, so don't be bothered by that cost too much.
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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 two different cohoused appartments. At first at a place I had found online, and after that I moved in with a friend from the institution.
For me that was perfect, but I can imagine that someone who goes on Erasmus with the express purpose of being social and meeting a lot of people might prefer to go for a dormitory instead.
about experiences
Did you use Erasmus stay to travel around your country/Europe? What are your best travel experiences? What would you not recommend?
I was there in the period of the 9 euro ticket, whereby you could buy a month long ticket for the regional transport for just 9 euros. This really gave you a lot of freedom regarding public transport, making it practically free after a single very cheap payment at the start of the month. My favorite experience with that was a random Sunday afternoon where I just wanted to sit and read a bit, but also wanted to do something. So I decided to hop on the train from Leipzig to Berlin, spend 3 nice hours reading a book after which I took a look through the capital and past all big landmarks. Then I hopped back on the train and spent another 3 hours engrossed in my book. My only expenses that day were the 15 euros I spent on lunch and a coffee.
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?
Everything was in English, except for the things that weren't in English (mainly shops and some smaller museums). My German is enough to get by if it is just reading and i can look up the words that I don't recognise so I didn't have any trouble getting by. In academic circles everything was English, and I wasn't the only international person around.
As for language shift... well... I am a Belgian doing a PhD in Prague... I am doing my entire study in English anyway, so whether that was in Germany or Czechia didn't really make any difference for me.
final rating
Why here? What makes this location special? Why would you send your friends to your country/city?
Getting to work with the right people.
live-saving tips
If I went again, I would definitely remember to pack...
Before leaving, I would like to know that...
What surprised me most was that...
The amount of paperwork and administration.
The hardest thing for me was...
Getting through all the administration without a clear path to follow, different sources telling me different things, different offices requiring different (or the same) documents.
And then when trying to prolong my Erasmus they asked me to come into the office at Prague to sign the required paperwork... While I was trying to prolong my Erasmus... While I was living in another country... Only after I myself suggested doing it over email it was suddenly an option. This should definitely be the first option suggested by the office.
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