Mobility specification

Country:Switzerland

Institution:University of Fribourg

City:Fribourg

Program:Erasmus+ for study

Activity type:Study

Academic year:2024/2025

MU faculty/department:Faculty of Law

Study level abroad:Master

🎓Hit the books! How do you rate the university experience?

Can you enroll in a course where you can learn the local language?yes

Does the university offer enough courses in English?it's alright

Are your credits converted?no

Was there anything in the teaching methods that surprised you?Teaching was mainly in a frontal lecture form. The law subjects lasted 2h 45min and the teacher determined when and if there would be a break.

Does the university offer international students' programs and activities outside of lectures and seminars to help them integrate more quickly?At the beginning (14. 2.) there was an orientation day (they repeated the information on the website https://www.unifr.ch/studies/en/mobility/incoming/europe/semp.html) and then a common walk through the city led by students. In the evening there was a party at the club.
ESN is running there - mostly it was board/pub nights, but they also organised a barbecue and marshmallows roast in the park or a trip to Mount Moléson. Interestingly, the university cultural centre, Fries (https://student.unifr.ch/centrefries/fr/), is run by students and has interesting events.

In which areas does the university offer support for students with special needs and strive to be inclusive?Psychological counseling
Barrier-free access to classrooms and dormitories
Crisis intervention
Support for LGBTQ+ students (e.g., safe spaces, counseling services)

💸Did you have to rob the bank?

Try to take a guess at what your monthly expenditures were:30000 CZK/month

Did you stay in dorms?yes

What about unexpected expenses? Did anything surprise you?Registration for the SPOMI (Service of Immigration) - CHF 102,70
Registration with your municipality of residence - CHF 20

Do you have any tips on how to save money?Lidl and Aldi pretty good prices, restaurants are very expensive (about 700 kc per meal), canteen from 10 CHF. Regarding travel, I recommend buying a Half Fare Travelcard for Youth (https://www.sbb.ch/en/tickets-offers/travelcards/half-fare-travelcard.html) in advance - for students under 25 for 120 CHF per year.

🗺 Learn the ropes in a new city

How well did you manage to communicate in English?neutral

How does public transport work in the city?runs like clockwork

And what about transport outside the city?runs like clockwork

Where to find connections? How to buy a ticket?Download the SBB Mobile app - there you can easily buy tickets for all trains, buses, cable cars and boats throughout Switzerland. And buy a Half fare travelcard.

Did you deal with any health issues during your stay?no

🤠Help create the perfect bucket list

What is a must-see in the city?The cathedral, a walk around the river, a stroll through the streets of the old town.

What are the must-visit trip destinations?Schwarszee (1hr by bus, lake and mountains), La Berra (mountain, skiing and snowshoe trails there), Lake Brienz, Murten, Ballenberg open-air museum (huge, very interesting), Gruyère cheese factory...
There is a great website for planning trips https://schweizmobil.ch/en/winter.

💅A nugget of wisdom to make the life easier

Did you need to handle a visa?no

How did you get to the place?Train
Bus

Is there anything to watch out for before the trip?Have your papers in order, the police stop in Germany and check at the border too.

Can you pay by card?in most places

What not to forget when packing?An umbrella, good shoes, good coffee (it's expensive in cafes and not good), marmalade... There was a lawyers' ball in April (Bal des juristes), so a formal suit might be useful too.

🥳Summary

Whew, what a ride! 😮‍💨 Thanks so much for taking the time to complete our survey and for sharing your unique experience. Just one last thing. 🙏 How would you summarize your trip in one or two sentences?Fribourg's location makes it an ideal base for excursions. The law courses were interesting but frontal, the exams were ok.