The fourth story in the cycle of stories about the academic mobility of students at the Institute of Foreign Languages in the spring semester of 2021/22 takes us to Austria. The grand V Days of Austria in Drohobych in 2017 dedicated to the diversity of the federal state of Styria initiated an active cultural and educational dialogue between Drohobych University and the universities in Graz. At the same time, a bilateral cooperation agreement was signed with the Pedagogical Institute of Styria, which provided for foreign internships and studies within the framework of the Erasmus+ program.
Third-year students Iryna Lypak (AN-31B) and Sofia Haas (PAN-36B) shared their impressions of the semester study in Graz.
“Studying abroad has been our dream since childhood. And so, in the fall, when we were offered to spend a semester in Austria for our academic success, we agreed without hesitation. Until then, we had not known each other, but we immediately started planning what we would do in Austria, which cities we should visit and how we would have a great time. But first we had to go through a quest: get a visa, sign up for individual training, etc.
We decided on the date of departure back in January, we knew that it would be February 24. We will remember this morning forever, as will everyone in Ukraine. Waking up from the noise outside the window, the alarms… We immediately called each other. The question arose: should we go at all? Hours of thinking, despair, support of relatives – and the decision was made. We are on our way! Kilometer long queues. The driver refused to cross the border. Ten hours on foot walking… Cold… Night… Despair… What’s next? Constant checking of news. At the same time writing back to new group mates for words of support, concern and sympathy.
The next day upon arriving in Graz we went to a rally organized by Ukrainians to support Ukraine. The words of songs, poems, and speeches brought tears to my eyes, and my heart ached with longing for home. After the party, our new groupmates came to get to know each other and support us because the training had to start in a week’s time.
To get to know each other better, the institute organized a “Welcome Weekend” for exchange students in the Alps, in the town of Eisenerts. We had a great time with new friends: skiing, playing in snowballs, attending master classes. It turned out that we in the group are all so different, but we have so much in common.
The beginning of studies, communication with new classmates and teachers drove away negative thoughts from us. Everything was new: we got used to new friends, classrooms, academic disciplines and teaching methods. Learning became more and more interesting every day, we gladly discovered a lot of new things and most importantly, we realized the how important our future profession is.
In elective courses, we studied with Austrian students who told us a lot about their student life, about the possibilities of academic mobility, about various events that we should attend. Together, we created various projects, shared ideas and experience.
It probably goes without saying that we have improved our knowledge of foreign languages. The experience of communicating with students from different countries of the world allowed us to master English even better, and we learned some Spanish, French and even Thai phrases from our classmates. Thanks to the German language course, we feel much more confident in communication. It is impossible not to mention our internship at the Waltendorfer Schule, during which we taught children mathematics, writing and reading. During the breaks, the kids learned Ukrainian songs, which they loved so much and always wanted more. At one of the educational events, we talked about Ukraine, traditions, culture, architectural monuments, natural wonders…
In addition to teaching Austrian students, we volunteered helping the children who were forced to flee from Ukraine. Support, translation of tasks and lessons, motivation, conversations on different topics helped them to quickly join the team and overcome fear.
Graz is a historic city. One of our tasks was to study its history in the context of comparison with Ukrainian cities, so we visited museums, theatres and other places of interest. Besides, we traveled to other cities in Austria, both by a group and on our own, which significantly expanded our outlook and made it possible to see a lot of interesting things. On weekends we traveled to a new city: Vienna, Salzburg, Halshtatt, Rome, Maribor, Stockholm, Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Shverin, Mainz…We would walk to meet the sunset on the Schlosberg Castle Mount, go on picnics (the latter are very popular in Graz; it is a student city after all!), attend discos and various events.
And while in Austria, we celebrated International Embroidery Day and International Week, and students and professors from all over the world came to the university. We came to the classroom in vyshyvankas, and this caused a great interest towards Ukrainian national clothing. In memory of Ukraine and the difficult times, we gave each teacher a doll (motanka) that we had made ourselves. The teachers were deeply touched and pleasantly impressed with Ukrainian culture and traditions.
The semester was full of impressions that will warm our hearts for the rest of our lives. When we return we will definitely share our impressions and new experiences. This is something worth trying!
Great thanks to Drohobych University for the opportunity provided!
