Studying at Vilnius Tech
In this blog, we’ve often focused on the most exciting aspects of our Erasmus experience, the ones that happen outside the classroom. And to be fair, that’s where a lot of the magic happens: the travels, the parties, the new friendships, and the countless discoveries. However, Erasmus isn’t just a long vacation, there’s also university life to consider, and that part comes with its own set of challenges.
Our first weeks at Vilnius Tech, especially for Nolan and me, were far from easy. We faced a number of complications with our academic schedule. In fact, almost all of our chosen subjects had to be changed. Some of them overlapped with others, while a few weren’t really related to our studies back in France. After attending the first lectures of several classes, we quickly realised that some topics, like electronics, were way too advanced or completely unfamiliar to us. We honestly didn’t understand a thing.
We had to do quite a bit of research to find courses that suited our background and interests. This meant attending the first sessions of multiple classes before settling on a final timetable. Just when we thought everything was finally in place, one of our professors informed us that his course required prior knowledge of a design software we had never used before. In the end, we managed to arrange a relatively light schedule, only three days of classes, but two of our subjects are designed for master’s level students, so they demand a significant amount of independent work.
Our school days usually involve moving between two different campuses, about a 15-minute walk apart. We definitely prefer one of them, as it’s newer and has better facilities, especially the ping-pong tables. During breaks or free periods, Nolan, a few classmates, and I often spend hours playing table tennis. I’m probably one of the worst players, while Paul, who used to play tennis competitively, tends to beat all of us.
One of the biggest academic challenges here is the language barrier. Some professors speak English with a very strong accent or use incorrect vocabulary, which makes it hard to follow the lectures. We now fully understand why a solid level of English was recommended before coming to Vilnius!