Olena Tereshchenko tells about studying in Kielce University of Technology (Poland) within Erasmus+ Program.

My name is Tereshchenko Olena, I am the 5th year student of the Faculty of Technical Systems and Energy Efficient Technologies, majoring in Applied Material Science.

At the beginning of the previous semester, my lecturer Nadiia Anatoliivna Kharchenko held a presentation of the Erasmus + academic mobility program in our group. This program provided the opportunity to study abroad in my specialty for a period of 3 to 12 months and receive a scholarship (800-850-900 euros per month, depending on the country of the host university).

I was interested in this offer, and I decided to apply for the program. The set of documents I had to provide was not very large and consisted of a copy of a foreign passport and a cover letter in English. The interview in English was also passed by me. After reviewing all documents, I was informed of passing the contest and had to prepare a set of documents for the Polytechnic University of Kielce, Poland. I was helped by International Activity Manager of the Applied Material Science and Technology of Constructional

Materials Department, the Dean's office of The Faculty of Technical Systems and Energy Efficient Technologies and the staff of the international department of SSU. That's how I ended up in Poland.

The city of Kielce is not large, but very beautiful. It is the capital of Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship. The University of Kielce is located almost in the city center, and I live in a dormitory near the university. That’s why I don't spend money to move around the city and to get studying. The territory of the university is quite large, there are 5 educational buildings, a library, a laser technology center, a sports complex and a club. Everything is adapted for comfortable learning in the educational buildings, the latest equipment is in the laboratories, there is Wi-Fi. I chose three subjects with English as the language of instruction, and since Polish is very similar to Ukrainian, I chose five more subjects with Polish as the language of instruction. So now I have the opportunity to learn second foreign language.

My schedule is usually one to three double classes a day and there are days off, so I have time for rest and even for travelling.

During my stay in Poland, I have already managed to travel to Europe (Budapest, Vienna, Prague) and of course to Poland (Krakow, Wroclaw).

Valentyna Pererva tells about participation in the National Scholarship Program of the Slovak Republic.

You can learn in different ways. You can study at your university or you can skip classes (but I do not recommend this method!). And you can be a part of various academic mobility programmes!

I am a first-year Master's student of the Faculty of Technical Systems and Energy Efficient Technologies, the Department of Applied Material Science and Technology of Constructional Materials. I am currently studying at the Technical University in Košice under the National Scholarship Program of the Slovak Republic. I would like to share my experience of studying abroad through academic mobility.

Arriving to this wonderful city, I met friendly and benevolent people. Older people understand Russian, and younger people know English. Over time, you will realize that Slovak is easy compared to English, and you will learn it quickly. You will meet many first-year Ukrainian students at the university. So if you have any difficulties, they will always help you, whether you are Ukrainian or Slovak.

Studying at the Technical University in Košice has meaningful and significant advantages over studying at SSU.

Lecturers use their time and students' time very rationally by putting a lecture and practice in one day (one lesson lasts 1 hour and 20 minutes), they explain everything very clearly and if there is time left, lecturers release earlier. They also give additional literature, which you can order in the library and pick it up the next day, or give additional material in scanned form. Lectures and practices are very interesting, so you will learn a lot. There is a lot of practical material (installations and the material itself for these installations, on which students work, contributing to science). The student assessment system is the same, but the studying period lasts thirteen weeks, during this time lecturers give independent works, essays or the tasks to make a report on a topic, then there are exams. A student ticket is given for each student (hereinafter – ISIC card), which allows you to travel by train around the country for free, and there is a discount in the university canteen (if you ate on € 2.60, you get a refund (the next day on ISIC card) € 1.20, on € 4.80 - € 2.20). The students have an introductory diploma practice in the curriculum and I had the opportunity to go on a tour of the factories in Slovakia, as for me it is a great trip to find out what opportunities are there for an engineer.

Studying abroad provides an opportunity not just to gain academic knowledge, it broadens the horizons in general. You will learn how your specialty is studied in other countries. In the future, thanks to participation in academic mobility programmes and acquired knowledge, you will be able to stand out in the labor market. You will be able to find new points of view on familiar things, learn the culture of another country and, of course, make new acquaintances!

In general, I can say that this is a good opportunity for self-development. Studying under the National Scholarship Program of the Slovak Republic and participating in similar programs is a valuable life experience and an opportunity to travel, so don't miss your chance!