“Doing a semester abroad was one of the best decisions I have made. My advice for other students would be: Be courageous. Just do it and go on an adventure. Meet new people and make new friends. I found an incredible friend group with people all over Europe, from Lithuania to France”, says Magdalena Heeg, a student from Germany who spent a semester studying at the Faculty of Informatics of Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) in Kaunas as a participant of Erasmus study exchange.
Magdalena is a student of computer science: she earned her BA degree in the field at Goethe University Frankfurt in Germany and is currently working on MA in the same area at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH).
“I started studying Computer Science as I have been interested in mathematics and logic, and throughout my study program, I started to love working with technical devices”, the student explains.
Outside of her interest in computer science, Magdalena has been actively involved in various extracurricular activities, such as volunteering, organizing events, mentoring international students and others. She also prioritizes opportunities to study or do internships abroad: her experiences include not just Erasmus at VMU but also a research internship at the University of Waterloo in Canada.
Impressed by Rich Lithuanian Culture and a Beautiful City
Magdalena notes that she was very excited to go to Lithuania for her semester abroad, as she had never visited the country before and did not know anyone who had been there.
“I liked the rich Lithuanian culture. I went to a dance session to learn Lithuanian dances and started learning the language. The language was particularly exciting, as it provided so much insight into language development. One of my favourite events has been the pink soup festival. I love Šaltibarščiai (Lithuanian cold beet soup) and have made it back at home, too”, the student shares some of her favourite experiences in Lithuania.
“Kaunas is a beautiful city. I liked that I was able to reach everything in just a few minutes’ walk. And if I couldn’t walk, public transport was there to take me. Living in a city with such a rich culture that you can experience everywhere, whether going to museums, the theatre, or just joining an event, was great”, Magdalena notes.
Studies at VMU Were Really Rewarding
The studies at VMU had also left a great impression and were really rewarding, she notes. “In some classes, we were provided with hardware to test the concepts that we had learned theoretically before, for instance, we learned about distributed systems: the lecturers gave us switches and routers. This gave me hands-on experience”, Magdalena says, adding that the university is very modern.
The ETH student admits that while studying at VMU she had the opportunity to explore its university system and gained some insight into how different or similar it is compared to the Zurich and Frankfurt universities she has studied in. For example, in terms of scale, VMU offers smaller size classes, which enabled a more personalized and deeper meaning experience as well as better interactivity.
“I really enjoyed the smaller classes and having the ability to ask all the questions I had. It was also the first time for me to be graded not just on my final exam, but also on midterm exams and semester projects. It enhanced continuous learning and practical understanding of the content”, Magdalena notes.
She also complimented VMU for its liberal arts study system, which allows students to combine their specialization with courses of other fields and to choose from a wide variety of foreign languages: no less than 30 language courses are offered every year.
“Being able to enrich the study experience by learning foreign languages or participating in events of student clubs allowed me to have a good balance between studying and social life. Learning new languages can be very important for future careers and broadens our horizons. It allows us to experience cultures in a different and more intensive way”, ETH student explains, noting that she is continuing to learn languages at her home university.
A Stunning Experience
Apart from studying, Magdalena also did not miss out on exploring Lithuania and various activities available in Kaunas and other places, some of which were provided by the Erasmus Student Network.
“I did several trips around Lithuania. Vilnius is beautiful, it’s a must-see for everyone traveling to this country. I also went on an incredible trip to Šiauliai and the Hill of Crosses. This was a stunning experience and such a unique place. This memory still lives in my heart. I also travelled to the coast and have spent beautiful days relaxing at the beach”, the student notes some highlights from her visit, adding that she also enjoyed her trips to the other Baltic states as well.
“The Erasmus experience has been very helpful. I gained insight into another culture and was able to work on my intercultural skills. I also stepped out of my comfort zone and had to meet lots of new people and settle in a different environment”, Magdalena says.
Sharing her advice for other students who are thinking of trying exchange studies, Magdalena emphasizes that it is important to see this as a chance to explore a culture which is different from your own and expand one’s horizons.
“Choose a country that is not too similar to something you already know. Learn the language, eat national dishes, go to festivals, celebrate national holidays, and have a great time. It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and you get the chance to just live in another country for half a year. When are you going to have this opportunity again?”, says the student.
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