Erasmus Experience in Kosice, Slovakia by Pauline

Why did you choose to go to Kosice, Slovakia?

I choose to go to Kosice because I was able to study medicine in english there. Also because Kosice is a very central city in central Europe which allows you to visit all the countries around by fast and cheap travels (flights and trains).

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How long is the scholarship? How much money do you receive to help you with living costs?

I have a 1 year scholarship from my french university and region. I'm receiving about 500 euros/month. But it depends a lot on which country you come from and in France it also depends on which city you come from.

What is the student lifestyle like in Kosice?

Going to class a little (for med students, lectures are not mandatory only the practicals), going out for coffee, at night going out to eat (quite cheap) or to party (alcohol very cheap) in bars and clubs. Lots of things to do depending on your interests (sport, theater... ).

Would you recommend the city and the University of Kosice to other students?

Totally! The UPJS medical school is great! 4th is pretty easy and you don't have too much work or obligations. So you have lots of time to travel!

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Also Kosice is a cheap city, well located (Budapest is so close which is great for the low cost flights! ), it has lots of nice cafes and the Opera tickets are so cheap (4-5euros for the best seats with ISIC card).

What is the food like?

Traditional slovak food is okay. Not my favorite though (but I'm french so... ). But you should still give it a try and anyway you can get pretty much any kind of food there. Especially italian food.

I totally advise you to eat at Slavia!

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Kosice?

I got my accomodation from the faculty. It's called MEI Hostel. It's clearly not the best but it's cheap (100 euros/ month) and it's very close to the med school (5 min walk). You could find a very nice appartment but it's gonna be more expensive... I'd rather spend my money on travels I guess.

How much does it cost to live in Kosice?

Hard to tell... It depends on the kind of life you want I guess. If you eat out a lot or not... For me I'd say 400 euros/month allows you to have a cheap accomodation and go out as much as you want (travel, food, entertainment... ).

Is the language easy to get to grips with? Are there language courses available at the University?

Slovak is quite hard and almost no one (from the older generations) speaks english and they don't even try to understand. But that's not a big problem. You just need the basics and if you need help for a specific thing (like if you need to go to the hospital) your nice ESN buddy may help you.

What's the easiest or most economical way to travel to Kosice from your city?

From France (north east) it would be the cheapest to go by bus (Eurolines around 55 euros) but it's a 22 hours travel... Otherwise you can use low cost flights. Kosice has a low cost flight to Milan (Italy) and Milan has one to Bordeaux. But you have to pay for the luggage.

Where would you recommend to go on a night out in Kosice?

I personally don't like the clubs here but you could go to Jazz, Retro, Noise... So I'd say go for drinks in bars like Smelly cat, Teatro, Bernard, Jekyll & Hyde Pub, Tabačka...

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And for eating? Can you recommend some good restaurants in Kosice?

Slavia, Piano Caffe, Bamboo, Ristorante Italiano XXIV, Primi...

And for coffee: Slavia, Café de Paris, HalmiCaffee, Republika Východu (Republic of the East), Schalkház...

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

The cathedral and its tower for sure, the opera house (very nice ballet and operas), Košice Gold Treasure at the National Museum...

Is there any other advice that you could give to students going to Kosice in the future?

Kosice really is a great place for people who want to travel all over Europe!

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