eramus- estonia

[Nightshade]

I know Ive been gone a bit recently :( But I have exciting news, well sort of.
but more on that in my Blog. No what I want to ask is any info on estonia and in particular Tallinn University and the erasmus scheme would be amazing! thanks.
Im hoping ( this is a hont for EVERYONR to send me good thoughts and wishes btw) that I can get on both the erasmus and the Leanardo Davinci schemes next year. move all over europe and learn alot more than what is taught in the class rooms at the same time.

Whats estonia like? how hard is the languge to learn? Do they teach in english ( pleeeeeeeease say yes) etc etc etc:D:D:D

[Virgil]

I can't answer any of your questions and I'm not sure what your great news is, but I always wish the best for our lady of smiles. Good luck at whatever it is. :) :)

[Madhuri]

Isnt Tal from Estonia? He must be knowing about the schemes. Good Luck, Night. :)

[SleepyWitch]

Hey Nighty, what's this DaVince scheme?
Erasmus is cool coz you don't pay study fees in your host country but the draw back is that the scholarship/allowances they give you is lousy and you'll get the money only AFTER you're year abroad. *beggars can't be choosers*, but on the other hand it means you need to have money saved up or your parents will have to give you some money to pay your rent and cost of living while you're abroad.

[papayahed]

Good Luck Nightie!

[Taliesin]

Oooh. We find this quite interesting.
We don't know much about the Erasmus or DaVinci schemes, alas.

It appears that it is possible to study in English a bit, though.

http://www.tlu.ee/?LangID=2&CatID=2362

About your other questions:
Estonian is considered to be a language that is very hard to learn.

Estonia, in general, is said to be quite cold, although the climate is milder in Tallinn, which is besides the sea. The people are often said to seem emotionally cold and distant too, but this should pass after befriending people a bit. Also, when you come here in winter/autumn, there is the danger of seasonal depression, because there is so little sun. In the summer, however, there is very much sun and in the midsummer, night only lasts a few hours.(no pun intended)
On the plus side, there really are quite large areas of untouched nature. About half the area is covered in forest and a fifth in marsh.
Hmmmm.... there must be something else positive here too, right...hmmmm...HIV?:p (actually, we are not a very good expert at Tallinn, since we live in the second largest town, Tartu which is a quite a bit different, a slower pace of life and stuff. But we think that Tallinn might be an interesting town/city too, never mind of our ignorance of it. )
But it isn't actually as black as we painted. We hope.

But good luck anyway.

[Demona]

Taliesin, tervist, ei teadnud et siin võiks kedagi Eestist "kohtuda" %)

Nightshade, good luck to you! As to studying in English--it surely depends on your field. As i was a major in English (at TU i mean), 85% of the courses were in English. and the staff of the chair is terrific :)

I agree with Taliesin that Estonia is no fun in winter, however, it's a nice place to be. I hope you like it.
here is a little pic of Old Tallinn :)

[Nightshade]

:D:D well If I come it wont be for the whole year just the winter term, as I chose this course for the davnici sceheme and I really dont want to miss it.
Sleepy, the davinci is where you get EU funding to go off for 13 weeks on work placement in European countries, in my case Prague.
:D
Well Ill find out today if I can go in theory and lost of other things......

[SleepyWitch]

:D:D well If I come it wont be for the whole year just the winter term, as I chose this course for the davnici sceheme and I really dont want to miss it.
Sleepy, the davinci is where you get EU funding to go off for 13 weeks on work placement in European countries, in my case Prague.
:D


wow that sounds cool :) Prague is lovely :) they've even got a Lush there :) and some nice little bookshops plus a big one with loads of English books in the basement at cheaper prices than in the UK!!!! i think it's on that famous square. whatsname???

hehe, I'll visit you there ;) *threatening* :) naw, don't worry :)

[Nightshade]

I dont mind Ill be going by train anyway you never know I might get off at berlin and visit you enroute as it were :p :D

[SleepyWitch]

that's great :) bf and me have just moved into a big flat together. got lots of space and a spare mattress for guests :) i will lock my books up somewhere so you can't nick them ;) :D

[Pensive]

Good luck! :D This seems wonderful. Estonia must be a beautiful country, I read somewhere (well at many places) that it is full of lush green trees. :)

Hey, I hope you get to do what you want to do, and what would be better for you to do.

[Jay]

i think it's on that famous square. whatsname??<
I think you're referring to the Vaclav square but then there's got to be dozens of bookshops in the centre itself ;)

[SleepyWitch]

I think you're referring to the Vaclav square but then there's got to be dozens of bookshops in the centre itself ;)

is that the one with the statue commemorating something horrible.. the plague or something?

[Jay]

Vaclav square has this statue (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9a/Prag_Wenzelsplatz_Wenzelsdenkmal_Nationalmuseum_be i_Nacht.jpg/800px-Prag_Wenzelsplatz_Wenzelsdenkmal_Nationalmuseum_be i_Nacht.jpg) (National Museum in the background)

edit:
Just did some research (you mentioning the plague columns) and I think you might mean the 'Old town' square, the one with the orolog (http://priyainmilan.tripod.com/astro2.jpg)?

[Nightshade]

waaaaaaaaa:bawling: departmental erasmus coordinator is driving me nuts, he cant give me any of the information I want:( Apparantly theve never had anyone go to estonia which is why they keep promting it so they have no idea what kind of support Id get. The thing is I think Id have to study in estonian.... On the other hand he is very enthusiatic about Gratz in Austria but Im having problems with their website. .... And di have to make a decision by the end of the week they dont half rush you do they....

[SleepyWitch]

Vaclav square has this statue (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9a/Prag_Wenzelsplatz_Wenzelsdenkmal_Nationalmuseum_be i_Nacht.jpg/800px-Prag_Wenzelsplatz_Wenzelsdenkmal_Nationalmuseum_be i_Nacht.jpg) (National Museum in the background)

edit:
Just did some research (you mentioning the plague columns) and I think you might mean the 'Old town' square, the one with the orolog (http://priyainmilan.tripod.com/astro2.jpg)?

nope i think i did mean Vaclav :) it's across the street from the national museum and is like a long broad street?

Nighty, I heard Gratz is nice. do they offer courses in English?

[Jay]

Yep, that'll be Vaclav square just ok ;) clicky (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/Wenzelsplatz-00.jpg)

[Nightshade]

nope i think i did mean Vaclav :) it's across the street from the national museum and is like a long broad street?

Nighty, I heard Gratz is nice. do they offer courses in English?

nope I just think John likes going on holiday to Austria and he has to visit the students who are on the Erasmus, ok thats not fair... Because of the dyslexia he knows that Gratz offer alot of support.
But Ive made up my mind its Estonia or nowhere. Did I mention it would be the second semster? Which basically means I have to work my socks off and get amazing marks in the first term to make up for the absaloute hash Ill make with studying in a foriegn languge.

But another tutor is off to Tallinn next week and he said hed email me info on the support etc that would be available...hes the organiser of the Lenardo Da vinci scheme and the Dyslexia support officer-- so a great person to have made friends with :D:D

[Koa]

Nighty
I've been on Erasmus, I've been to Estonia, I know a girl who's been Erasmus in Estonia, I have a coursemate from Estonia, I worked at the International Relations office at my Uni in Italy... :D But I'm too tired to type a lot today, email me or meet me* and I can tell you some things BUT keep in mind that Erasmus rules are slightly different from Uni to Uni and from country to country so you can't find all your answers this way.

As for teaching in English: if a Uni from a country with a language that virtually no one learns, they obviously must offer courses in English to Erasmus students: remember I've been to Hungary that way, and my Hungarian is still to this day very very basic.
The Estonian language is supposed ti be difficult, like Finnish and Hungarian.

* btw, are you around during the Easter holidays or will you go home? I'll be here - next week I'm rather busy but late afternoons/evenings should be fine

[Koa]

Nighty, I heard Gratz is nice. do they offer courses in English?

Gratz as in Graz (I believe this is the spelling), the Austrian city???:sick: Personally, it's the lousiest place I've ever been to... even though having been there on the way from amazing Budapest might have made it look worse than it is. But really, I wouldn't like to be stuck there. I'm also not a fan of Austria but oh well, that's a matter of taste...

[Nightshade]

Nighty
I've been on Erasmus, I've been to Estonia, I know a girl who's been Erasmus in Estonia, I have a coursemate from Estonia, I worked at the International Relations office at my Uni in Italy... :D But I'm too tired to type a lot today, email me or meet me* and I can tell you some things BUT keep in mind that Erasmus rules are slightly different from Uni to Uni and from country to country so you can't find all your answers this way.

As for teaching in English: if a Uni from a country with a language that virtually no one learns, they obviously must offer courses in English to Erasmus students: remember I've been to Hungary that way, and my Hungarian is still to this day very very basic.
The Estonian language is supposed ti be difficult, like Finnish and Hungarian.

* btw, are you around during the Easter holidays or will you go home? I'll be here - next week I'm rather busy but late afternoons/evenings should be fine

online now :p :D