A Month in Pilsen is Like a Year of Travel

I am an exchange student who currently lives in Pilsen, a town you probably haven’t heard of before. It is okay because before I came here I had no idea about this place. Pilsen is the fourth largest city in the Czech Republic. If tourists come here, they do it for the sake of beer and beer factories.

Together with me 100 students from all over Europe and Asia came to Pilsen. Our Erasmus team is a unique mix of cultures for which the small Czech town was a meeting place. The first question we asked each other was "How did you end up in Pilsen?"

Honestly, the Czech Republic is not the country where I was dreaming to live. However, life brought me here. When I talked about my plans to study in the Czech Republic, everyone was skeptical. Some even treated me leniently. Many ITMO students go to so-called more prestigious countries: France, Finland, Spain, South Korea, etc. I listened to it and started to believe that the Czech Republic was going to be a boring place to live. Fortunately, I changed my mind when I became a part of our international squad in Pilsen. We started our Czech adventure a month ago and altogether proved that it isn't the place that graces the man, but man — the place.

Erasmus is a fantastic experience. Local representatives of Erasmus try to create such a perfect atmosphere that what the students who came did wasn’t superfluous. At the beginning of our semester they told us how not to feel out of place, where the most delicious food is and, of course, they showed us where the best beer is. It is worth noting that drinking beer is not shamed here, as it can be in Russia. You can buy beer for lunch in the university cafeteria. Along with this we have a special event where we were given free beer brewed by the rector. By the way, a beer here is cheaper than bottled water.

More importantly with the help of our Erasmus buddies, we have cultural evenings where we take turns preparing national dishes and tell about our countries. This helps us to break down many stereotypes and erase borders.

Every Wednesday night we have a dance party. Erasmus students never miss a chance to dance. Still every Thursday we start classes at 8.20, for this reason we control each other, and no one misses classes. "Study hard -dance hard" is our international golden rule.

Nevertheless, the Europeans are getting an education without fanaticism. When I say that I am studying for a master's degree, there is always the question of how old I am. (I am 22) The average age of a master's degree in Europe is 25−27, moreover. they only start taking a Master’s after they get a job.

For many Europeans, classes are a place for discussion, they are not used to a simple slideshow from the teacher, they want to actively participate in the dialogue with them. Sometimes they ask, in my opinion, easy questions, the answers to which they already know. I guess that's their way to start a discussion.

In general, all Europeans like to chat. They do not like to be silent and they always try to strike up a conversation with others. Understandably, such sociability is unusual for a Russian, and it sometimes confuses.

Speaking of communication, I was sure that if you know English, you can live wherever you want. But here in Pilsen, few people speak English. It is even easier to use Russian if you want to explain something.

Furthermore, the Czech Republic is a bit like Russia, taking into account its past. Imagine the Soviet Union with castles — it’s how it feels in most towns. But Pilsen is more steeped in American culture. It should be understood that during the war, Pilsen was liberated by the American army. Everywhere you can see advertisements about various work and educational programs in the United States. I've already been targeted on Instagram by an ad offering to move to the US.

Besides, it's easy to forget what country you're in. People around you speak Spanish, Polish, Serbian, dance Sirtaki, bake pizza and cook bolognese, make Turkish coffee, sing serenades in French and many other things, which is hard to imagine if you have never been an exchange student.

I can say with confidence that this month in Pilsen is like a year of travel and this experience is worth it!