I won’t condemn people who believe the worst about Eastern Europe. According to popular belief, all of them speak Russian or a very Russian-esque accented English, have gloomy attitudes towards life and a very strict diet of Borsch, cabbage and potatoes. On top of that, one of the countries has vampires.
Ok, I will condemn a little, truth be told, because people in Eastern Europe are nothing like that. Romania hardly has any more vampires left, since they contracted Hugh Jackman and Buffy.
Back on track: international students shouldn’t ignore Eastern Europe when researching their international study destination. After all, how many did you know that in Eastern Europe:
1. Everybody speaks English. And I mean everybody!
Due to the fact that their cartoons were never dubbed, almost all of the Eastern European youth speaks English. Indeed, you will hear one or two thick accents, but that’s available all over the world, so you shouldn’t hold that against them.
Seeing how English is such a big part of their culture, there’s no wonder there are so many degrees available in this language. Some of the most popular are at the:
- National Research University - Higher School of Economics (HSE), in Russia;
- Adam Mickiewicz University Poznan, in Poland;
- Technical University of Ostrava, in the Czech Republic;
- Samara National Research University, in Russia;
- Charles University, in the Czech Republic.
2. The countries of Eastern Europe are awesome
Let’s get it straight: Eastern Europe, as defined by the United Nations Statistics Division, is formed by 10 countries. Each and every one is a brilliant destination, and they all have personal quirks and fun trivia. For instance:
- In Bulgaria, nodding means “No”, and shaking your head means “Yes”;
- Czech Republic invented the sugar cube;
- Poland, is, basically, responsible for Europe: out of the nine children of Polish King Kazimierz Jagiello´nczyk, one became a cardinal, four became kings, one was canonized, and the three daughters were married off to become mothers of the heirs of the greatest dynasties in Western Europe.
- Romania is Dracula’s place of birth;
- In Hungary, one of the most famous toys in the world was invented: the Rubik’s cube;
- In Russia, the word “vodka” is derived from “voda”, meaning water, because of course it is;
- Slovakia has the most castles per capita in the world;
- Belarus is one of the flattest countries in the world, with its greatest mountain having an adorable 346 meters.
- Moldova holds second place, in the world, for the drunkest people.
- Ukraine gave us “O Sole Mio”.
If you haven’t heard about the beauty, history and landscapes of these countries, I will simply advise you to, literally, expand your map.
Check out Eastern European Bachelors
3. Eastern Europe covers all fields of study
Putting all the countries back to back, there is no field left uncovered by the Eastern European countries. Still, looking at our data, we managed to narrow the most popular fields in the most popular countries, for international students.
- Computer Sciences in Russia;
- Economics in Poland;
- Business Administration in Czech Republic;
- Management, Organisation & Leadership in Hungary.
Don’t worry if your choice Bachelor’s or Master’s degree isn’t on the list. With a simple search, you can find your field instantly and be the one who stands out in a crowd of students.
4. Low living costs and affordable tuition fees
You might remember a light comedy from 2004, where a group of students find themselves broke, with only one dollar and a few cents in their collective wallets, in Eastern Europe. After a quick cut, they’re seen living in a luxurious hotel, giving one of the butlers a dime, to buy his own hotel.
It may not be that blatant, but it has a basis in reality: Eastern European countries are incredibly inexpensive, compared to other degrees in Europe. From the general living costs, to expenses related to housing and tuitions, everything is only a fraction to the prices in the West.
Shared housing in the university-provided buildings range from 50 EUR in Prague (Czech Republic) to even 30 EUR in Brasov (Romania) per month.
As well, universities provide cheap Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, some even being free for students who fulfil certain criteria, like being an EU/EEA citizen.
You can always check out more countries with an affordable tuition fee, but keep in mind that Eastern Europe offers an overall inexpensive international experience.
Also, Eastern European countries offer a lot of scholarships for foreign students or students who perform well in their studies. Some of the scholarships for the most popular countries are:
You can look through them and choose one that is the perfect fit for you and your field of choice.
5. The student life is insane(ly cool)
Say what you want, but Eastern Europeans know how to party. Vodka and beer are never absent from a meal or a night out, clubs don’t close until dawn and each capital has the “old city” quarter, where the majority of pubs, bars and clubs are located, and where a beer costs around 1,5 EUR / bottle.
As a student, you will find a lot of cool concerts and festivals, as well as discounts in restaurants and museums, so you won’t have any excuses to take that lazy Saturday and not go out and party.
Also, Eastern Europe is the choice destination for a lot of Erasmus students, so the chance of finding and mingling with different peoples and cultures is extremely probable.
Still not enough? Read more about great Eastern European countries with English-taught degrees.
Check out Eastern European Masters
Seeing how most Eastern European countries experienced rapid development in all sectors, especially in their educational systems, as the collaboration between EU member states became tighter, Eastern universities reached Western standards and quality. So, as far as we can tell, choosing a degree here could be one of the best decisions you can make. So, good luck and go get them, tiger!
