Karyna Landar, Matej Bel University, Banská Bystrica, Slovakia

I began studying in 2014 at Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia. I had no difficulties obtaining a visa.

I took entrance exams. I cannot say they were very difficult, but they require a particular approach because Slovak educational standards differ from Ukrainian ones. Ukrainians tend to study everything at once, while Slovaks focus on topics that are covered only briefly in Ukrainian schools. Some mathematical symbols also differ. When preparing for exams at a Slovak university, you should therefore use Slovak textbooks and practise Slovak tests. I study at Matej Bel University. If you understand the language of instruction, a Ukrainian student should not have problems, as the workload here in Slovakia is much lighter than at Ukrainian universities.

Students can choose additional courses and how many to take. Their choices depend mainly on personal preferences and the credits available for passing each subject. A student must earn 60 credits during an academic year.

The scenery is beautiful, and the town is small and cosy. Local people are friendly. There is a language and cultural barrier, so students who do not know the local language well may find it difficult to make friends. International students mostly try to find friends from their own country.

I live in dormitory No.4 at Trieda SNP 53. The rooms are in reasonable condition. Five people share a bathroom and toilet. There are two kitchens on each floor, although only one of the two on my floor works. You need your own cooking utensils. At present, the five-storey dormitory has one working washing machine, on the fifth floor. Slovak students go home from Friday to Sunday, so Ukrainian students can do a big wash whenever they want then. One drawback is that there is no refrigerator in the room; you have to buy one yourself. Staff are friendly and always willing to help with difficulties. Students can enter the dormitory at any time, and staff are relaxed about that. The language barrier is my own difficulty: I did not pay much attention to Slovak because I study in English.

We pay around €50 a month for the dormitory. On arrival, however, staff tell you to pay for six months in advance, up to the winter holidays, as well as a monthly charge for electrical appliances in the room. Prices vary, but within a week students adapt and learn where things are cheaper. Without economising, a student needs €100–150 for food.

I would give the organisation of admission and departure a solid five. During the paperwork process, we visited the office several times, discussed our concerns and asked questions over a cup of tea. We also kept in touch by phone throughout the year so we knew how to coordinate our actions. Any new information was immediately emailed to us. The whole admission process was very well organised, on a turnkey basis.