Hello,
I am Rafaela Gonçalves, from Brazil and I had the great experience to study in the Czech Republic in the year of 2020 at Univerzita Hradec Králové.
First of all, let me start with the question that everyone asks me: Why the Czech Republic? Well, I normally say that I didn’t choose the Czech Republic – it chose me! I always dreamed of moving abroad to study, but it was only possible with a scholarship. UHK appeared in my life at the right time, through the partnership that it has with my home university.
As soon as I got accepted, I received incredible support from Tomáš, my International Coordinator. All my questions and issues were successfully answered on time. When I arrived in Hradec Králové, there was a buddy system, a group of students that helps the new ones with everything– from how to move around the city anduniversity facilities,to where to find public information and the best places to eat and have fun.
As I am from South America, being in Europe was a totally different and new experience for me. What delighted me the most was the seasonal changes . In my home city, Rio de Janeiro, there’s basically summer all year. In the Czech Republic, I saw nature chane 4 times a year, and exerienced the unique beauty of every season. Moreover, it was the very first time that I saw snow.
One thing that really surprised me was how welcoming people are. Everywhere I went there was a very friendly Czech person willing to help me. Indeed, I made friendships with a lot of Czechs. I would also dare to say that with some I have actually built an everlasting relationship and I keep in touch with them. I don’t know exactly why, but I believe that learning to say a few greetings in Czech the language somehow “unblocks” the relationships and make things flow better. Every time I went to the supermarket, I kept the phrases “Dobrý den”, “Kartou, prosím”, “Dekuji, na shledanou” and “Hezký den” in mind. People like to hear a foreigner making some effort to learn their native language.
Another thing that I loved is how easy it is to travel. The public transport works pretty well. Sometimes you may face some delays, but you can always find information in the apps for public transportation.
I could go on for a long time describing how amazing my experience was, but instead, I will 100% encourage you to get a chance to go to this amazing country There is an extremely rich culture and amazing experiences waiting for you on every corner. Trust me, you won’t regret it.
