STORIES

Before Erasmus, I almost never went outside the borders of my native city of Chernihiv, which is located in the north of Ukraine. In general, it was difficult for me to imagine myself in a foreign country, outside of home. But one day, unexpectedly for me, my eye was caught by an application on the website of my university – Chernihiv Polytechnic National University regarding exchange under the Erasmus program. Of course, I had already heard about it, but it seemed to me that I would not try myself. Alone on a long journey, in an unknown place – no, it’s not about me – I said to myself. But deep in my dreams, I only imagined: new trips, studying in other countries, foreign languages – all this really fascinated me. And when I saw that there is such a picturesque and unusual city as Maribor, I immediately became interested in studying there.

My acquaintance with the city began long before the trip. Before submitting the application, I looked carefully and studied what incredibly beautiful gifts the Creator has bestowed on this country: magnificent misty mountains, a picturesque river, lush forests – the whole city breathes greenery! It was really important for me that the country was full of natural life, and it was in Slovenia that I saw the harmony of the city with the surrounding beauty of nature. I liked such an organic combination of the architecture of Maribor with the majesty of the natural environment.
Since I study in a specialty closely related to architecture, my gaze could not resist the incredible and expressive buildings of the city. They create coziness, add zest to the city and inspire creativity. My next step was getting to know the University of Maribor. For me, an educational institution is a whole world. The leadership and professorial staff, faculty, department, activity and achievements of the department have always interested and attracted me. So I studied the history and traditions of the university in detail.

And finally – such a desirable for me and long-awaited invitation to study!

The first thing I had to face in my incredible journey was the road to my destination, the bright Maribor. Almost two days by train and 5 transfers. We arrived at Maribor, unfamiliar to us, at night, to the sound of rain, just like in adventure books. But the very next day, after a good night’s sleep, I was ready to get to know the city and discover new beauties. We arrived at the end of February – wet, cool, it would seem, not the best time for a tour of the city. But even under such conditions, the city was extremely interesting and fascinating, at some points even mysterious. I remember my first ascent to the Pyramid with my friends. It was not as easy as I thought at first, but the view of the city was really stunning, especially when it got dark and the city shone with new colors. And how we walked back to the hostel, crossing the bridge. Oh, it was so beautiful. Water, reflecting the light of lanterns and windows, created a continuation of the picture on the water. It is incredibly!

The learning process itself was a new experience for me, since in Ukraine, unfortunately, most of us studied online, and I did not have the opportunity to experience that interaction and life at the university. Maribor gave me such a chance, which I tried to use to the fullest. It was really very interesting, fun and energetic, when you come to the university, have the opportunity to communicate with classmates, attend a professor’s lecture, feel the constant care of Erasmus office workers – it really inspires and fills you with positive energy.

I was simply delighted that I finally had the opportunity to test my knowledge of the English language in a real situation, and also, unexpectedly for myself, I realized how similar and at the same time incomprehensible the Slovenian language is. Slovenian really managed to surprise and interest me that even now, after one semester of study, I continue to delve into it and study it.

Of course, at times it was difficult for me to study, especially in combination with the independent solution of household issues. But every day, passing over the bridge over the Drava River and looking at those small houses with bright tiled gable roofs, the city seemed more and more interesting to me. In these landscapes, in these buildings, I saw something new. In my imagination, a plot for a film even arose, and I seriously thought – has no one shot a film in this location with such architecture and such views?

I myself have always been quite closed, but this Erasmus project revealed to me how good it is to spend time with friends, learn something new and try myself in different fields. I was immersed in my studies for almost the entire semester. At the classes, I received not only theoretical material, but also practical skills. I also had drawing lessons – how amazing it was to draw those incredible mountains. For subjects related to architecture, we had trips that helped us understand how important it is to communicate directly with the people for whom you are making projects, buildings, and even chair designs. Architecture is primarily for people and about people, so as a future specialist, it is very important for me to understand what the client wants, what he lacks and how he feels in the created environment. I am very grateful to my professors for the knowledge they gave us every time in class. During my studies, I was even more surprised by the dedication of professors and teaching methods, as there was a lot of new and interesting things for me. During my studies, Thursday became a peak day for me – my classes started at eight in the morning, and I returned to the dormitory at almost seven in the evening. I had 4 classes in a row, I had to move from one department to another, and it was really exhausting. But, at the same time, I did not want to miss any of my classes, because I really discovered for myself how much I like it all and how much this University provides me.

I remembered the penultimate week of my stay in Maribor, when we started the summer school “Barrier-free, accessible, inclusive cross-border public transport”. Signing up for it, I had no idea how many positive and bright people I would meet, how much experience and knowledge just 5 days of intensive classes can give me and how much new things I will discover during these classes. In this school, I delved into the problems of accessibility of public places and transport for people with disabilities, we experienced for ourselves how people move around the city and what difficulties they face. I met professors from other departments and another university, found new friends and I felt how nice it is to spend time in the company of like-minded people doing good things.

Summing up, I can say that the Erasmus project opened the door to new opportunities for me, showed how a student’s days can pass, how rich and colorful studying can be. I am very glad that this project opened for me such an incredible pearl of Europe as Slovenia and its fabulous city of Maribor. What seemed foreign and unknown to me before the trip, became close and inspiring. I thought that one semester is a lot and that during this time I will get tired of being in another country, but I discovered that every day I fell more and more in love with this picturesque city and one semester is not enough, in order to immerse myself in all the caloristics of such an incredible city as Maribor, master the specialty of architecture that I chose, and delve into the culture that lives in the city.

This trip was a certain challenge for me, as I had many questions for myself: Will I be able to study in English? Can I cope with everyday problems? Is the curriculum suitable for me? But thanks to the high level of organization of studies under the Erasmus program in Maribor, the support of family and new friends, the help of professors in learning new skills, we went through this path together and each of us received a truly unique experience.

I am sincerely grateful to the University of Maribor and individually to each of the professors and employees of the university who were involved in this project, for giving me such an incredible opportunity to study under the Erasmus program in the beautiful city of Maribor. It really inspires and attracts me! So I hope that soon we will meet again and continue our acquaintances and new positive discoveries!

And most importantly, I am grateful to God that He opened me such a magical place with such gifts that He bestowed on Maribor. Since everyone has their own preferences, He has chosen for me exactly what I need.

Anastasiia Burmaka
Faculty of Civil Engineering, Transportation Engineering and Architecture

Student from: Chernihiv, Ukraine
Period of exchange: February 2024 – July 2024