Claudia's Exchange to University of Zagreb | Croatia
Going on exchange was one of the best experiences I could have ever imagined. Everyone always asked why Croatia? But for me it was an easy answer; it was so central if you every wanted to travel for the weekend, and it was dirt-cheap. Apart from that, the city has a lot to offer and the people are really friendly!
The whole experience really changed me, I learnt so much about myself and about Europe in such a short amount of time. It was challenging at times, but so rewarding and I would recommend it to absolutely everyone. I was able to visit 21 countries in 7 months and nearly over 50 cities. Every weekend I would try go somewhere (even to Italy for the day). It is crazy to think how close everything is in Europe and how lucky they are to be able to travel to so many countries in a short amount of time.
I had already travelled for two months before heading to Croatia, so I was familiar with Europe and had already got a taste for the feeling of being independent and the love of travel. When I arrived in Zagreb, I was really nervous to find out who I would be sharing a room with, what the city would be like, and if they would even understand me. But all those worries disappeared. The student organisation (ESN) had organised a welcome week where I met so many amazing people from all over the world and my confidence slowly started to grow. They also organised so many sporting events (ice hockey matches, handball matches, and even football matches) all for free. They also organised trips to Budapest, Plitvlice Lakes, and Rijeka. All of these experiences opened up my eyes to a whole new perspective on the world and made so many amazing memories to look back on.
Croatians in general tend to lose track of time and are never in a rush. It was good unless you are waiting in a supermarket for 30 minutes because they take a minute to scan one item at a time. But for university, it was great because the professors were very chilled and would rock up 20 minutes late. The coffee culture is very big in Croatia too, you sit and have coffee for 3 hours while chatting, its really not a bad life.
Zagreb itself is an amazing city to live in. The food is great, and the prices are even better. If you ever visit, you must go to a restaurant called Nokturno. I probably ate their atleast once a week. The bakeries are also amazing (especially Dubravica), and you must must must try rakija. It is a type of alcohol that comes from Eastern Europe. There is a rakija bar, which sells all different flavours, and if you want to get drunk it’s the place to go. I could recommend so many other places but the list would never end. If you do end up choosing Zagreb, I can promise you that you will not regret it. I made best friends from all over the world.
I never would have imagined that the hardest part was saying goodbye to the most amazing people I became friends with. I had the best 7 months of my entire life and if I could do it again I would in a heartbeat. I would recommend Zagreb to any person, as it is an amazing city with so much to offer, you will not be disappointed.
- Claudia studied abroad at the University of Zagreb in Croatia
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