I made the decision to spend my quarter abroad at Turiba University in Latvia after an information event at the FHDW. The call for applications was sent by e-mail. I submitted a letter of motivation and a CV. After applying, I took out international insurance with the DAAD, as this was the easiest and best option for me. Communication with the person responsible at Turiba was mostly by email and my questions were usually answered quickly. No visa or similar is required.

We arrived just a few days before the start of university, but it is advisable to arrive at least a week in advance in order to take part in the games and events that take place during this week. We flew from Cologne to Riga, where we were then taken to our apartment in a cab paid for by Turiba.

The information event at Turiba was important to get initial information and make first contacts. Most of the courses we attended took place as planned, we only had to make changes to two, but this was straightforward. The lectures were hybrid, where you could choose between online and face-to-face teaching and decide this individually for each lecture. The Latvian students mainly preferred online lectures.

I deliberately chose central accommodation in the old town to make it easier to go out and because most of the other students were also staying there. For a group trip, Airbnb is a good option, which is what we opted for. Alternatively, there are also various student apartments available, whereby Facebook can be used as a source of information, but caution is advised to avoid fake offers. Our accommodation via Airbnb in the central city location was a little more expensive, but the experience and shared cooking evenings definitely made it worthwhile.

The cost of living is roughly the same as in Germany. For purchases, it is advisable to set up a Rimi or Maxima card to save money. For leisure events, it is worth following ESN Riga or Latvia on Instagram, as many free or cheap events are offered there. You should apply for an ESN card beforehand, e.g. from ESN Dortmund, to avoid queuing at the ESN office in Riga.

The Bolt app is ideal for local transportation, as the prices are significantly cheaper than cabs and the ordering process is simple and straightforward. Local public transport can be used for 15 euros per month, the details of which will be explained on the first day at the university.

The Finnish travel company Timetravels offers interesting offers to explore the surrounding countries and meet new people. We went to Lapland with Timetravels and it was an incredible experience! We also explored the surrounding cities by bus (Flixbus or Luxexpress).