Erasmus Experience in Skopje, Macedonia by Greet

Why did you choose to go to Skopje, Macedonia?

I was studying Slavic languages in Ghent, Belgium and I got the opportunity to get a scholarship for Macedonia to study the local language. I didn't know anything about the country so I thought why not and took the chance. It became the best choice I've ever made as I learned a lot and today, 4, 5 years later I stil live and work in Skopje.

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

The scholarship I received was one academic year (10 months). The scholarship was part of the Erasmus mundus/ Basileus program, so I received a quite high scholarship (1000 euros a month), which is more then sufficient in Macedonia.

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What is the student lifestyle like in Skopje?

Students are quite easy-going and to be honest, my classes weren't that hard and the professors were quite relaxed with me. My main task was writing my masters thesis so I spend more time on reading and finding materials than at classes. In between classes students gather at the coffeehouses inside faculty. Students are either from Skopje and live with their parents or live in the studenthouses. There are parties organised in the studenthouses, but as I lived in private accommodation I didn't go there very often. But there are plenty of opportunities to go out in the center, and your classmates can surely tell you which places are hot at that time.

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

The city definitely yes! At the university there is a big language barrier if you don't speak any of the language or a similar Slavic language (everyone understands Serbian/Croatian). It's ideal for students who study Slavic languages/ Macedonian at their home university. At Law, Economic and more Technical faculties there might be some more classes in English available.

What is the food like?

The food is super tasty, they have a lot of tasty vegetables and fruits and going to a restaurant is not expensive at all compared to for example Belgium. Also cooking at home is economical if you buy fruits and vegetables at local markets or supermarkets. I wouldn't recommend the student restaurants as the food is not that good.

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Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Skopje?

I took me about 10 days to find the perfect apartment together with two other Erasmus students. There are a lot of ads on several advertising websites or in newspapers. A bit help from locals would be useful though because not all people know english + the ads are mostly in Macedonian. The more expensive option is to go to an agency and let them find you an apartment (you most often pay a one-time fee of half of the monthly rent). I wouldn't recommend the accommodation offered by university because it's not good (dirty, old, cold, no internet, a room with 1-3 other people, no own sanitary) and not cheaper then sharing an apartment with other students.

How much does it cost to live in Skopje?

I rented an apartment of three bedrooms for 330 euros per month, so we paid like max. 130 each with all costs included (electricity, water, internet, cable TV). So accommodation is not that expensive. Food (especially groceries) is cheaper than in Belgium too. I think you can survive as a foreigner with 300 euros per month (except the first month where you often have to buy some basis stuff), with 500 euros per month you have more than enough for everything (travelling, going out, buying some extra stuff). It's also good to keep in mind that the average wage is about 250 euros per month.

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

Well, I wouldn't say easy. It depends on your native language as well. If you're from a country with a Slavic language it will be much easier to learn at least the basic. There is a language course organized for foreign students, although for me the level was too low and in the middle of the year new students joined so we had to start all over again. If you're planning to go and study in Macedonia, it would be good to learn the Cyrillic alphabet on beforehand.

Most foreigners I know learned some basis but still communicated mainly in English. Most youngsters know English and although they might be a bit shy in the beginning, they won't have any problem to socialize with you.

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

I literally tried everything to get to Skopje cheap and fast. Since last year there are some Wizzair flights to Skopje, I also flew several times to Belgrade and Sofia and then continued by bus or by train. In general it's not that cheap to get there, but off course it depends on where you're travelling from. From Greece and Bulgaria there are no train connections.

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

Stara carsija (the old part of town) is nice, especially in summer, because there is a lot of music and there is a good atmosphere. In summer there are open air discos in the city park, in winter you can try one of the clubs with live music. My favourite pubs are Custom Pub (close to Norwegian/Swedish embassy) and Planina (in Kapisthec, close to 'Mlechen').

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

Here it depends on your budget, if you want cheap food, all small restaurants in Stara Carsija with traditional food are a good option. I also like Gino, Aladin (with eastern vegetarian cuisine, just next to Gino, in the GTC shopping mall), Pelister (on the city square), but they are a bit more expensive.

In Debar Maalo (another part of town), there are a lot of kafanas (restaurants with Macedonian food) which are in general also not expensive. One of my favourites is Nadzhak (close to the City park).

Vegetarians often don't have a lot of choice (I gave up being a vegetarian after two years in Skopje), but the salads are really tasty :) They sell good veggy macrobiotic burgers just outside the GTC shopping center and in Harmonija (Bunjakovec).

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

Skopje has a lot to see, there are a lot of new statues and museums. Outsife of Skopje it's nice to visit Bitola, Ohrid, the archaeological site of Stobi. Macedonia also offers a lot of opportunities for hiking, cycling, outdooring, skiing, rock climbing... Closeby Skopje, the canyon Matka is a must-see, you can't miss a hike up to Mount Vodno (or you can go by cable lift if you're not that into hiking) because from there you get a good view on Skopje.

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

Expect the worse concerning administration, residence permit and stuff like that. It's best to inform you well on beforehand, but almost impossible to get trough the administration before you leave. University didn't give me good advice, we had to figure it out by ourselves. If someone needs advice, just ask Erasmusu for my contact details because it's hard to figure it all out by yourselves.

And for the rest: just take Skopje as it comes and enjoy!