Study abroad

Pascale Schäkel is a young German PhD scholar based in Denmark who came to do some research on 'exnovation', at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Maribor. Despite arriving before the official start of the semester, when the university was still largely empty, she found plenty of new experiences waiting for her, both in Slovenia and abroad. In addition to being charmed by the surrounding hills and the small scale of the city, she discovered an unusual new hobby: sampling different ice cream flavors.

Pascale chose to play the song "We were here" by Boy.

Adriennah is from New York studying in Slovenia. She studies political science at the University of Ljubljana. She says she wanted the challenge of living in a foreign country.

Adriennah says she's happy and that she's already written three novels while in Slovenia, but admits that finding your way around in a new country can be stressful.

Adriennah chose to play the song "Born to run" by Bruce Springsteen.

Francesco admits that settling into Maribor wasn't easy at first, but by the end of his exchange, he says leaving the Styrian capital will be even harder.

He also breaks down Italy's unusual university grading system. While Slovenian students are used to a 1–10 scale, Francesco says the Italian system has a range of 1 to 30, and the very best students can earn a "30 e lode" (30 with honours). Can you guess what grade you need just to pass an exam in Italy? It's not 15.

He chose to play the song L'italiano by Toto Cutugno.

Meet Sofija Stebletsova from Russia! Sofija came to Slovenia to study at University of Primorska – Turistica in Portorož. But unlike many international students who come for just one semester, Sofija decided to make Slovenia her home for her full university studies. Living and studying abroad has changed her in ways she didn't expect.

Meet Jafar Ondiegi Oyugi from Kenya. After studying in Maribor as part of the Erasmus program, he spoke to us about the differences between Slovenia and Kenya, and shared his thoughts with us about the city, country and people.

24-year old Masuda Moutushi came all the way from Dhaka, Bangladesh, to study Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in Maribor. Living here inspired this incredibly ambitious student who loves gaming to embrace personal growth by balancing her studies with community involvement and new experiences.

She picked Counting Stars by OneRepublic, a song that will always remind her of the good times here, especially the music jams with fellow Erasmus students.

This week we talk to not one, but two students from the Czech Republic! Meet Veronika and Anežka :) They study at the Faculty of Tourism Studies in Portorož. So, what's it like to study in Slovenia's seaside resort, what do they miss from back home, and what are their plans for the future?

Veronika and Anežka chose to play the song "Dancing in the Moonlight" by Toploader.

Trajche says around 3,000 students from North Macedonia are currently studying in Slovenia.

Many young people are moving abroad, leaving some schools and kindergartens back home empty.

He came to Maribor to complete his studies —and maybe even stay long-term.

He chose to play the song LD Pistolero i Dj Goce S.A.F. - Eden Den.

Ismail admires the way people in Slovenia live in harmony with nature

Ismail Myrseli from Kosovo is a cultural studies student at the University of Ljubljana. Coming from a diverse background, Ismail has always been drawn to discovering new cultures—and his journey in Slovenia has become exactly that.

Zuzanna Bal from Poland studied for a time in both Maribor and Ljubljana and plans to make the country her home in the future.