“The country and its people surprised us in a very positive way. Bucharest is a city full of contrasts that has found a place in our hearts.”
In the fourth semester, we spent a semester abroad in the Romanian capital – supported by the Erasmus+ program and our partner company Bertelsmann.
The International Office gave the go-ahead
Shortly after the International Office’s call for possible stays abroad, we applied for a semester at the Romanian American University (RAU). To apply for Erasmus+, we had to submit a CV, a letter of motivation, a transcript of records and an application form. At the beginning of April, we were accepted by the International Office and at the end of April, they invited us to several online events where they provided information about the application process at the foreign university and topics such as insurance.
With WizzAir to Bucharest
On 01.10.2022 we made our way to Bucharest together. We flew from Dortmund to Bucharest with WizzAir. I (Johanna) signed up for the WizzAir Discount Club, where you pay €30 for a year and save €10 per flight and €5 per suitcase. If you book early, there are often very cheap flights and it’s worth comparing the prices of different days for the flight and luggage. The 783 bus line runs directly from the airport to the center of Bucharest.
The Romanian American University
The first few days of lectures were a little disorganized. The lecture plan with the courses taking place was only uploaded at very short notice. If it turns out that one of the selected courses is not suitable, there is no need to panic, as a solution can be found quickly together with the FHDW International Office.
Our modules were: Operational Research, International Investments, Statistics, Advanced Software Programming, Management as well as specializations in either Information Systems Design (Cyber Security) or Software Packages for Statistics (Data Science).
The semester is generally divided into two modules, each lasting seven weeks. We were lucky enough to have three modules and exams in the first part, and also three modules and exams in the second part.
Outside the lectures
… you could get to know many other Erasmus students very quickly through various events organized by the Erasmus Student Network (ESN). For example, ESN offered activities such as laser tag, city tours and parties. Shortly before Halloween, there was a trip to Transylvania, where all ESN sections from Romania met up. To stay informed about upcoming events, it is particularly advisable to set up a Facebook account and join the ESN Bucharest WhatsApp group. Especially in the first few weeks, we can recommend that you take part in all the events, as well as the trip to Transylvania, to make lots of contacts with people from different countries.
Tips: Student ID, Mobile ...
It is possible to apply for a student card. With this card, you can get a 50% discount on trains and buses. A monthly ticket then only costs 40 lei (approx. 8 euros), which includes buses, electric buses and streetcars. A one-way ticket in Romania normally costs 3 lei (approx. 70 cents). There are separate tickets for the subway. If we didn’t use public transport, we used Uber or Bolt, as cabs are comparatively very expensive. You can also get discounts on museums and other sights with your student card.
In terms of mobile phone contracts, we each got a prepaid card from Telekom. This gave us unlimited data volume and 100 free minutes per month for €6. Thanks to EU roaming, you can also simply use the German SIM card. In the RAU, the Wi-Fi often didn’t work for us, which is why we were very happy to have the Romanian contract.
Travel in Romania
It is also worth visiting some of the beautiful places in Romania. The list of sights is long and ranges from the impressive Transfăgărășan High Mountain Road and the famous Dracula Castle to places such as Brasov, Cluj, Timişoara and the Salina Turda salt mine. But there are also worthwhile destinations outside the country, such as Budapest, Belgrade and Sofia. Thanks to the inexpensive FlixBus, train or flight connections, there are many opportunities to discover new places.
Conclusion
The semester abroad in Bucharest was a valuable experience for us, as we were not only able to improve our English skills, but we also grew personally. Overall, we look back on our unforgettable time in Bucharest with pleasure and recommend everyone to take advantage of the opportunity to spend a semester abroad.
Have our prejudices been confirmed? Yes and no. Romania may be the land of Dracula, but it’s different than you might think. The country and its people surprised us in a very positive way. Bucharest is a city full of contrasts that has found a place in our hearts and is associated with many wonderful memories. Through the Erasmus program, we were also able to get to know many students from other European countries and learn new words, gestures and customs that we can now also use in Germany.
