Student life in Ukraine
Study in Ukraine. This is a place where studying goes beyond classrooms. Enjoy your multicultural life and get new experience every day! Learn from the best specialists and prosper as a globally demanded professional. Ukraine gives you this chance.
Student life in Ukraine does not differ a lot from that in other European countries. Students study, meet new people, hang out, learn new things, travel around Europe, etc. Most students live on campus (some rent apartments). Hostel fee usually doesn't go higher than €35 ($50) per month. Campuses have all the facilities for safe and comfort stay: libraries, hospitals, gyms, conference and concert halls, laboratories and other training facilities, security, etc.
Universities provide students with books and relevant studying materials. Libraries with computer rooms are also available. Almost every university has sports teams, which compete in various disciplines with their peers from other institutions. The most popular sport is no doubt football. Many students are also involved in KVN games (a humorous contest between faculties, universities). Participating in this kind of activity usually takes a lot of time, but if your team performs well, the university administration will offer you some flexibility in attendance.
Student life in Ukraine is noticeably cheaper than life in other European countries. Depending on a city and lifestyle, average monthly budget may vary from € 150 to € 300 ($200 -400). To get an idea of the costs for various things, here are some examples. Jeans of a good quality will cost € 15-40 ($ 20-60), entrance to the night club €3-10 ($ 5-13), a cinema ticket € 2-5 ($ 3-7), meal at a fast food restaurant € 3-5 ($ 4–7), vegetables and fruits € 0.7-2 ($1- 3) per kilo, train ticket inside the country €5-12 ($10 - $25). Right after admission to the university, the student is issued an international student card, which gives a discount of up to 30% for airfare and train tickets.
Studies usually take 80% - 85% of the students’ time. The rest is spent on fun activities and socializing. If you are a “social butterfly” type of individual, it will be better to look for a university in a big city (Kyiv, Kharkov, Dnipropetrovs’k, etc.), with lots of pubs, night clubs, theatres, cinemas, shopping malls, etc. Those who want to combine studying and exploring of the country with its culture and traditions may apply to a University in Kyiv or Lviv. These cities are among the oldest in the country. Kyiv is the capital of Ukraine. It is a center of economical, political and cultural development. Students who come to study in Ukraine and settle down have best job prospects among all. Lviv is a “western capital” of Ukraine, influenced a lot by Western European culture and lifestyle.
Apart from education, Ukraine offers great entertainment opportunities. During the past years the country was visited by major world artists: A-Ha, Depeche Mode, Rammstein, Limp Bizkit, Anastasia, Christina Aguilera, Placebo, to name a few. Our nightlife offers various options for an unforgettable time. Starting from night long discos, led by top DJs; and finishing with mountain climbing, sky and scuba diving, laser gun fighting, 3d movies and auto quests. Traditional entertainment is also available. Boys can learn to ride a horse in a traditional Cossacks manner, ladies try weaving; learn how to make clothes from straw and master traditional dancing.
Foreign students coming to study in Ukraine, experience language difficulties right after arrival in the country.To help newcomers overcome such challenges, each university has special “welcome team”. This group of international students who already study in Ukraine. They spend few weeks together with the newcomer, giving him an introduction into students’ life at their particular university.
At the same time the most effective tool in avoiding complications is mastering of Ukrainian or Russian language. This can be done at the preparation courses during the first year of staying in the country, as well as with the help of Ukrainian peers, who are usually very eager to help students from abroad to learn the language.