Peter Franik is currently studying International Business in KTU School of Economics and Business. He came here from Czech Republic, and his decision was not made carelessly. And this is what he recommends to his fellow students: always carefully weigh your options, do not choose randomly, act responsibly and have fun!
Why did you decide to take up the ERASMUS+ programme?
I chose ERASMUS+ programme because it is a unique opportunity to study abroad, away from your home country, with financial support from the EU and awesome activity support from ESN. Before I decided to go, I was wondering how to improve my English language skills in my academic field, while not skipping school duties. And ERASMUS+ programme is the best answer! With the addition of learning about new cultures and meeting people from all over the world, it became the best option!
Why did you choose Lithuania and KTU?
Lithuania is in one those parts of the world, which I still did not explore, so this decision was pretty quick. Also, a friend of mine supported me in this decision, because she is really into Baltic countries. She offered me tons of arguments to go here.
KTU is structurally very similar to my home university BUT (Brno University of Technology, Czech Republic) and is well-known for its great reputation, so it was an obvious choice for me. Personally, I would rather live in the second biggest city of the country, where people are used to international students, than in the capital, with loads of tourists.
What part of that decision was based on pursuit of academic knowledge?
I was looking for similar courses to those which we have in my home university, so I could get my credits transferred after my arrival back home. But also I chose some of the courses, which are completely new for me – such as Economic Evaluation of Innovation – to gain experience in something different. So basically, majority of my decision was based on pursuit of academic knowledge.
Could you differentiate one thing that was new or surprising to you about KTU as a university, compared to your Alma Mater?
Amount of sport activities held in the beginning of my stay here organised by KTU or its sections was pretty surprising for me.
What advice could you give to students, who don’t know how to pick the country and university for their ERASMUS+ studies?
Have your eyes open! Find out what you like, make a list of priorities. Take the opportunity to discover places where you would not usually go for your regular holiday. That is the main reason, why I did not choose any of the southern countries. Also, take your time to find out more about courses your potential hosting university provides and in which language they are delivered.
EU programme ERASMUS+ aims to promote the quality of higher education throught study, teacher and staff mobility. Students, willing to spend the academic year of 2016/2017 at a university abroad through ERASMUS+ programme, are invited to take part in the competition. For more information please visit http://ktu.edu/en/erasmus.
