Erasmus Experience in Oradea, Romania, by Marie Constance

Why did you choose to go to Oradea, Romania?

Actually I did not choose it, it was the only proposed city, and I do not regret it for a minute!

How long is the scholarship?

A year.

What is the student lifestyle like in Oradea?

Really great! The people are very friendly, the students are very open and welcoming, they talk to us and try to integrate us the best they can. On the evening, the bars of the city are great (the Gekko bar on Tuesday is a good deal, for a cheap drink and dancing all night! ), and there are many planned events which makes the student life even nicer!

Oradea does not have a very big city centre, nevertheless it is packed with charms, with lots of activities according to the time of year, for example around October/November there is the street food festival, very cool to get together and grab a bite at the town square, or around Christmas, a really nice Christmas market, with lots of lights.

In addition, everything is set up be comfortable here, the PR responsibles are very efficient, and extremely competent, not to mention that they are incredibly kind, always present to inform us and support us if necessary.

In short, the student life in Oradea resembles the student life that can be found everywhere, with the advantage of having affordable prices, perfect for students!

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

Of course, so far it is a city that I appreciate very much, it is very lively and even if after a while you can get bored a little, you always enjoy coming back after a little weekend out to visit the surroundings!

The University of Oradea is equally good, professors are competent and available, they are patient and close to the students, which is a plus when you arrive in a foreign country. In addition, the courses are very interesting and the topics are exciting. Nevertheless, this year it is a little hard for me to judge the quality of the courses for two reasons: first of all, the courses are held exclusively in Romanian, often the professors try to cut the course in two, half English half Romanian but it is always a little complicated.

Moreover, the students (at least this year) almost do not attend classes, so we do not have many hours of classes. It is both an advantage and a disadvantage, but you get used to it and once you get into the groove and you understand that you have to work a lot by yourself, it is fine.

So I strongly recommend the city and the University of Oradea to other students!

What is the food like there?

Excellent and not expensive at all, perfect for students! Personally, I do not eat meat and this has not been a problem at all and still at dumped prices.

Was it difficult to find accommodation in Oradea?

A little at first, but by dint of searching I evetually find it!

Finding accommodation in Oradea is not a big deal though, there are several options like the dorms of the faculty or maybe a shared flat, or even an apartment by oneself, like I do.

Rented houses are not difficult to find, if you cannot make it, uest seek help from the faculty, some teachers rent apartments or know people who rent it, there is always a way to work it out.

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How much does it cost to live in Oradea?

Life in Oradea is totally not expesive, the taxis are at rock bottom prices (around 10 lei), restaurants are inexpensive (a meal consisting of 2 glasses of wines, 2 Pizzas 2 coffees and a bottle of water costs around 12€), rents are relatively reasonable (this can range from 50 to 250 euros per month) and supermarkets are also very affordable.

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

We have the opportunity to take courses of Romanian (2h per week), these courses are useful to learn the basics, but personally Romanian remains a rather complicated language that it is not possible to master in 6 months or 1 year. Nevertheless, we are taught the basics to survive in Romania, we can shop and introduce ourselves, count to 100 and other rudiments!

With regard to English, there is no real language learning as there is no English course, however once you meet teachers, Romanian students or Erasmus students you have to speak English, which is definitely a plus, the fact of having to speak English helps us to progress significantly! Your grammar will not necessarily improve but your oral fluency will, and in a considerable way, after a few months, even if one is not excellent in English, you are able to have a conversation with people and express yourself with relative ease.

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What is the cheapest way to get to Oradea from your home city?

This is the only major problem that has been encountered up until this moment. The trip is very expensive and very complicated from my city to Oradea, there is no real "convenient" way unfortunately.

Where would you recommend for a night out in Oradea

Gekko Pub, Green Pub, Lord's, Bali club, Moskova... etc.

And to eat in Oradea? What are some of your favourite places to go?

Allegria, Spoon bar, Cyrano, ristretto... etc.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

No cultural visits in Oradea, apart from beautiful churches! Otherwise the surroundings of Oradea are very nice, there are beautiful forests etc.

Do you have any advice for students who will be in Oradea in the future?

Oradea is a great city, Romania is a striking country, unfortunately unknown because there are too many prejudices. So no, Romanians are not thieves, gypsies or horrible people whatsoever, on the contrary they are very friendly, there will always exist exceptions like elsewhere in the world, but generally they are very nice people, Oradea is a safe city where there are many Erasmus.

It is a perfect place to party and to discover new things. Do not be afraid to come to Oradea, it is a city that allows you to live an unique experience and you will honestly not regret it!

Just one word of advice will eventually be useful: open yourself to others, do not be afraid to talk or to engage in activities, live your Erasmus year to its fullest!