Trying to Go to Riga Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Compared to my American university, I did not feel that the courses that I took in Estonia were academically rigorous. However, from my understanding, that is more characteristic of European education in general and not something particular to the University of Tartu. Despite not feeling challenged in class, I feel that I still learned a great deal as I had never studied (or even had the chance to study) many of the courses that I took in Estonia.

On-site administration of your program

The International Education office was extremely efficient and kept us well-informed on everything that we needed to do. I never had a problem.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in a large dorm that was mostly international students. I liked this because it created a strong sense of community and I got to meet lots of different people. However, it could be very loud on weekends and I did not get to meet many Estonian students.

The food is great and cheap- 3-6 euro per meal depending on where you go. Food in the grocery stores is also comparable to food in US grocery stores in both price and variety.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Because I was living in a "college town" in an international dorm, I did not feel very integrated with the local Estonian community. Most of my activities in Tartu revolved around school functions or international student activities. I still feel that experienced some Estonian culture just by going into shops and restaurants and movie theaters etc.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I never had a health problem, but I thought the university did a great job of informing us on where to go and how our insurance would work if we would need medical assistance. There are apothecaries everywhere, but they don't have all the types of medicines that Americans might be used to (more of an emphasis on vitamins).

I never felt uncomfortable in Tartu and I walked everywhere all the time, even in neighborhoods quite far from my dorm. Even walking back home alone at midnight, I did not feel scared. I also never heard of any safety incidents once I was there. One interesting thing about Estonia is that you have to wear a reflector at night starting in October (don't worry, the school gives you a couple).

The University of Tartu was the perfect place for me to study for many different reasons. It's large enough that I had a variety of course options, but not so large that I got lost in the crowd. I also had a wide range of classes taught in English that I could choose from which was great for me because I don't speak another language. The city of Tartu was the perfect size for me. It felt cozy and not big and scary like a large European city. It was a good mix of city life and close-knit community. Estonia was the perfect country because it is quite cheap compared to more Western European countries. I also got to take weekend trips to 9 countries due to the close proximity and cheap travel options from Estonia.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

I didn't really keep track of how much I spent per week, but I had a 195 euro stipend every month as a part of my program. This was more than enough to pay for my food and things that I wanted to do around Tartu. I spent quite a bit more though because I traveled a lot.

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• Dorm

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• International Students

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• Local Students
• International Students

• large selection of courses taught in English
• fantastic international community

• nothing

The Avid Adventurer