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author
Sofia Smoliankina
Sofia
Smoliankina
faculty
Fakulta sociálních věd
academic year of the stay
2020/2021
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author
Sofia
faculty
Fakulta sociálních věd
academic year of the stay
2020/2021
University of Birmingham
traineeship
study stay
short-term mobility
other
How does Sofia 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?
I really liked the university building. The classrooms were adapted for learning, the rooms were spacious and bright. What I liked the most was modern technology for learning, such as interactive whiteboards.
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?
The learning process itself is slightly different from the Charles University, for example, the grading system, points are calculated differently, but the passing score is lower. Lectures and seminars are quite similar. On the administrative side, the attitude towards me was no different from other students, the professors and the administration were always ready and happy to help.
What is student life like at university?
The university offered a lot of different opportunities for students to get closer - themed fairs (Halloween, Christmas); various courses for language practice; the student council, which also organized numerous recreational activities, such as parties or excursions, and much more.
Did you study in English or in the language of the host country? What language requirements does the university have?
Yes, the language of instruction was English, all subjects were taught in it, and I used this language in everyday life all the time. Initially, it was difficult to get used to speaking it everywhere and every day, since I had almost no practice before that. It was also difficult due to various accents, but after a few weeks it became much better. The recommended level of English was B2.
about the city
What was your impression of the city? How would you describe it? What is interesting to see here?
I really liked the city for its atmosphere. Behind the center it is a very quiet, calm and hasteless city, where there is a lot of greenery, which, due to the climate, remained green even in December. However, I did not like the city center itself, where there are many different buildings that often did not match in style; very noisy and dirty, lots of people. Also, for lovers of the writer Tolkien, I highly recommend visiting the places where he was inspired and took images for writing his novels „The Lord of the Rings“ and „The Hobbit“, such as Sarehole Mill, Moseley Bog, Shire Country Park, The Oratory and many others.
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 scholarship helped me a lot in covering the costs of the accommodation, but I still had to add my savings to this amount. Therefore, the rest of the expenses, for example food, entertainment, travel and more, I covered at my own expense. However, compared to Prague, food prices did not differ much, however, for example, food delivery, restaurants, transport and entertainment were much more expensive.
Please advise your classmates on how to save money—Where to shop? What services can be used to save money?
I highly recommend the Aldi grocery store, the quality of the products is almost the same as Tesco or Salisbury, but cheaper. I also highly recommend cooking your own as it is much cheaper than ordering food or going to a cafe. I also tried to walk more often, since there were all the necessary shops, various parks near the campus, and about 30-40 minutes to the city center by walk.
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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 lived in a dormitory on campus, but it was not the kind of accommodation I originally wanted. The system generates "randomly" a dormitory for each student, given his/her list of priorities, but, unfortunately, the accommodation that you chose as "first preference" does not promised, which was my case. However, the dormitory in which I lived was also very good, although more expensive than originally planned. I lived alone in a room in an apartment for five people, in the “house” for six flats, we had two toilets and a shower, a spacious kitchen-studio, where there were almost all the appliances except a kettle. Living there was very comfortable. However, it was difficult to have separate hot and cold water taps in the bathtub sink, but you get used to it quickly.
about experiences
Did you use Erasmus stay to travel around your country/Europe? What are your best travel experiences? What would you not recommend?
Almost every weekend I tried to travel outside of Birmingham - on a tour or just to another city. Most of all I liked going to London for the weekend, and the trip to Stonehenge was my favourite. I strongly advise you to travel to different parts of the country as much as possible.
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 didn't notice certain cultural differences. Initially, it was difficult to understand the different accents of the English language, but after a couple of weeks I adapted better. All lectures were held in English, as well as most of the students were British. Of course, thanks to practice, I began to understand English better and speak more confidently.
final rating
Why here? What makes this location special? Why would you send your friends to your country/city?
Birmingham is unique in its atmosphere. It combines thousands of years of history and modern realities. Also, this city is unique in its accent, if by the end of your stay you can easily understand it, then you can consider it a personal achievement 😊
The university is very convenient for its location, there is a railway station near the campuses, about 15 minutes by bus to the center, all the necessary shops are nearby, and inside the territory there is a real campus atmosphere.
live-saving tips
If I went again, I would definitely remember to pack...
Socket adapter!
Before leaving, I would like to know that...
Very changeable weather, it is better to take as many waterproof clothes as possible
What surprised me most was that...
The grass was very green even in December 😊
The hardest thing for me was...
Get used to the different accents of the language
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University of Birmingham
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