Preparation
The planning and organization by the Univeristy of Maribor was well done. The application process was fairly simple where we had to apply on the website and send them a motivation letter and our resume.
We were provided with information about the programme, accomodation well in advance. The programme was very nicely organised with lectures starting and ending on time and even the field trip to Lake Bled was nicely planned. We were provided with student discount coupons using which we could all have a full meal at restaurants at a very cheap price.
Accommodation
We were accomodated in the student dorm for a week , each room at 2 bedrooms so it was a shared space and the price was 100 euros.
Personally, I did not face any problems with the accomodation but my colleagues reported they had problems with the toilet or the door lock. I was satisfied by my experience with the accomodation.
Study at the Host University
Our programme was about implementing sustainable practices in the business world and we had professors as well as guest lecturers from different companies coming to the class to tell us how they implement sustainability in the business. The lectures from 9 am till 4 pm were hectic but we were provided snacks and refreshment in the morning and for lunch we all went to a restaurant using our student discount coupons and we didn’t pay anything. For the leisure activities we had a guided tour of Maribor, volleyball and cinema night.
Everyday Life and Leisure
It was raining most of the time so we utilised the sunny days exploring the city together going on walks around the lake and the museum.
After the walks, one of us always booked a reservation and we had dinner together using our student coupons. Since Maribor was a small city, we covered all of it in 2-3 days.
On my extra day, I travelled to the capital city, Ljubljana, and had a tour of the castles and the dragon bridge. Since Maribor was a small city, we didn’t have a party place so we had a mini-party at the student dorm to celebrate completing the Summer School.
Conclusion
I would definitely recommend this programme to other students. The opportunity to learn an important topic like sustainability, meeting people from all around the globe and having food and accommodation at a very economical price was fun for me.
I would also like to thank our programme coordinator Romana Korez who was dedicated to giving us a fullfilling experience and listened to any grievances we had and also tolerated us when we were too overwhelming at times.
Download Sidhant Gupta’s report