University: Riga Stradins University

City: Riga

Country: Latvia

Continent: Europe

Field of study: human medicine

Hello,

My name is Susanne, I’m 21 years old and I’ve been studying medicine in Riga since January 2016.

I became aware of the university and MicroEdu through my desperate research on the Internet to find a way to study medicine. Check toppharmacyschools.org to see University of New South Wales study abroad opportunities.

I sent my documents to the RSU at the beginning of the application period and received my acceptance around mid-November. Before Christmas, I flew to Riga with my parents for a few days to look for an apartment. I had previously contacted a few people on Facebook through a certain group who were still looking for roommates or new tenants. I can only recommend everyone to go to Riga before starting your studies, so that you don’t end up flying completely into the “unknown”. It helped me a lot back then to know where and with whom I was going to live. Most of them, however, first looked for an apartment on the spot or founded a new flat share together and lived temporarily in a hostel or hotel.

MicroEdu was a great help to me during the application period and was always available to give me advice. At the beginning you are faced with a huge mountain of questions and wonder how the others did it all and mastered the complicated application process, but it is actually doable!

The support in the first week of our studies by the RSU was very good and we received all sorts of useful information and precise instructions regarding some formalities. After the orientation week, I lay in bed with a fever of more than forty degrees and had to see a doctor, so I missed the first days of the first semester.

In general, the course is structured differently than in Germany. In the first semester, the subjects are anatomy, molecular biology, chemistry, physics, first aid, history of medicine, and Latin, Latvian, Bioethics and another course of your choice. As in Germany, the lectures are usually voluntary and vary in quality. Some professors speak English very well, others not so much. It should not be forgotten that very few people here speak English as their mother tongue. The understanding Then there are so-called practices/classes that you have together with your group. A group usually consists of around 10-14 students. The practices are mandatory and most teachers take that very seriously. Anyone who is absent (even if they are ill and can show a certificate) must make up for the lesson at a different time or will be listened to about the lesson’s material. In addition to the actual exams at the end of the semester, there are also colloquia (written) every few weeks, which put a lot of pressure on you at the beginning, especially in anatomy and molecular biology. From time to time you despair of the amount of material that you have to get your head around in the shortest possible time, but you learn to deal with it. Anyone who is toying with the idea of ​​studying medicine should be aware that it is a very time-consuming and learning-intensive course and that you don’t get anything for free in Riga either. In retrospect, however, I have to say that the first semester is definitely doable and I would like to that it is a very time-consuming and learning-intensive course and that you don’t get anything for free in Riga either. In retrospect, however, I have to say that the first semester is definitely doable and I would like to that it is a very time-consuming and learning-intensive course and that you don’t get anything for free in Riga either. In retrospect, however, I have to say that the first semester is definitely doable and I would like toI can only recommend Riga so far !

Personally, I think Riga is super beautiful and you can really have a great student life here. Don’t worry, there is civilization here: running water, electricity and even internet! There is the old town and the center, both overflowing with cozy cafes and restaurants. There are very nice apartments, many old Art Nouveau houses that are gradually being renovated. Most are huge, yet affordable (it’s worth comparing prices and not getting ripped off, as many landlords are happy to charge foreign students more). You can find shops everywhere, the prices are actually comparable to those in Germany. There is a lot to do and should (if you have time) explore Riga and the surrounding area.

The step of moving abroad was not easy for me, leaving friends and family behind and starting a new life all by myself. But I can only say that if it is medicine that you really want to study, then you should take this step. With Ryanair and other low cost airlines, weekend visits are definitely affordable too and help a lot! Ultimately, the distance is not decisive, but the time you need to fly home.