My name is Erfan and I am 25 years old, enrolled in International Relations and European Politics Bachelor’s degree program at Masaryk University. As you might guess from my age, it is not my first bachelor’s degree that I am studying, and I should say, it was a long path until I reached this point.
When I was in Iran, I was studying Cinematography at Tehran University of Art for three years, but I did not finish the program in the end. Although my field of study was completely irrelevant to what I am studying now, I have always been curious about international relations and global politics. Thus, I was mostly involved with photojournalism and political documentary filmmaking during those years.
My enthusiasm to study in a related field to what I was working was further increased when I realized that there are many challenging and exciting career paths open to graduates of International Relations while they have dozens of research opportunities in thinks-thanks or academic institutions. In order to achieve this, I have realized that I need a more academic, comprehensive, and deeper insight in this field.
Thus, I started searching for a suitable English program that not only meets my educational and career goals but also my budget which is a critical factor for an international student. After a couple of weeks of searching, I found the one and only perfect match, International Relations and European Politics Bachelor’s degree program at Masaryk University, an English bachelor’s degree program with an affordable price in one of the most prestigious universities in Central Europe.
I did not doubt my choice, so I applied for it immediately and now I am here finishing my third semester. I strongly believe studying at Masaryk University, and specifically, this program, combined my curiosity, career plan, higher educational goals with an affordable price.
Once I received my acceptance letter, I started to prepare for moving to Brno. To be honest, it was a huge change for me, and it was my first studying abroad experience, and I had mixed feelings about it although I have been to the Czech Republic before.
In Iran, I was living in Tehran, the capital city with more than ten million population. So, coming to Brno was a huge relief from my crowded and polluted city. So, the first thing I loved about Brno was the calmness and size of the city. You have almost everything you need just a few minutes walking distances or a few tram/bus stops away.
However, if you are a fan of living in metropolitans, Brno would not disappoint you since it is truly an international student city and you get to meet a lot of people your age and always something interesting is happening somewhere in the city. Meanwhile, the geographical location of the city gives you the opportunity to travel cheaply and easily.
The other point that amazed me when I arrived in Brno was the great facilities and infrastructure of Masaryk University. Each faculty has its own unique library, and they are open to all Masaryk University students. This means wherever you live in the city, there is a nice and comfortable library close to you so you do not have to be stuck in your room all day.
And finally, the last but not least good point about Brno, the cost of living. In my experience, Brno offers a high quality of life for a great price. The cost of living in Brno is very low in comparison to other Czech or EU cities, which allows students to live comfortably if they have limited resources. Besides that, if you are a student under 26 years old, you are entitled to a lot of discounts on public transport, trains, busses restaurants and more.
Briefly, if you are considering studying in an English program somewhere in Europe with an affordable price, I highly recommend you to check Masaryk University’s English programs before anything else.