e v i t c A l e v e l
Living environment of a student in Estonia
Estonia is a country well worth discovering and despite its small size, it provides positive surprises for years. It is comfortable and safe here. Universities and student organizations help the students and make a joint effort to have all of your everyday problems solved by the time you get here. Estonia is worth discovering
It is comfortable and safe in Estonia
Student life in Estonia is full of surprises because a society full of exciting contrasts on every possible level is everything but boring. Estonia as a small country can be discovered in days instead of years. However, it takes decades to discover everything worth seeing. The people here are sincere and hospitable. Your adventures in Estonia are also made easier by the good foreign language skills of the locals.
Estonia is a fast-developing international study location and Estonian universities and student organizations are therefore very much motivated to deal with international students and take care of them. This means that once you get to Estonia, practically all of your everyday problems have been taken care of. You just need to kick back and enjoy.
The Old Town of Tallinn is the only town in the world where a medieval cobbled street network has been preserved almost to its original extent. Here, medieval times intertwine with trendy boutiques, cafes, offices and night clubs. The Times voted the Christmas market of the Tallinn Town Hall Square as the most special one in Europe. Some of the largest universities in Estonia are also situated near the unique Old Town.
Estonia has the best student support structures in the entire Europe – almost all exchange students have their own personal tutor who is just a phone call away 24/7. If you happen to get lost in the streets of the Old Town or have trouble buying cinema tickets just make the call and your problem will be solved!
An Estonian would rather break an arm than a promise and a friend made here will stay for a lifetime. As introverted Northerners, Estonians might not be the first to say hello but once warmed up, they are kind and warm-hearted. They are willing to invite you to their home on the day you meet but they won’t take offence if you refuse.
Estonia and Finland are only 80 kilometres apart across the Gulf of Finland but both living and study expenses are times cheaper in Estonia. The exchange students here spend about 300–500 euros a month on living, food and entertainment, which is remarkably less than in Finland and other Scandinavian countries.
If you know Europe, you also know Estonia. Estonia belongs to the EU and NATO, its currency is euro and you can use all methods of payment, from credit cards to computers and mobile phones. Personal security in Estonia is on the same level with the Scandinavian countries. Social security is guaranteed by high-quality healthcare system and other attributes of a state based on the rule of law.
Tallinn Old Town
The second-largest town in Estonia is the home to the University of Tartu, the oldest university in Estonia that was opened in 1632, and many other institutions of higher education. The large number of students makes Tartu a town with a unique atmosphere and from autumn to summer, this cosy town never sleeps. The best parties and the wildest pranks happen nowhere else but in Tartu.
University town Tartu
There are more than one thousand islands in Estonia. The two largest of them, Saaremaa and Hiiumaa, are large enough to be called lands of their own. Both offer plenty worth discovering and the islanders themselves are convinced that it was them, not the Dutchmen, who invented windmills. In Saaremaa, there is also Kaali meteorite crater that is more than two thousand years old; its birth influenced the emergence of ancient Scandinavian religions.
1 Estonia = 3 lands
The alternative music clubs of Tallinn and Tartu are a match to those of London and Berlin: the music and also the musicians are often the same. The only difference is that in Estonia, you can see everything more closely and for a cheaper price. Local Estonian musicians are also valued guests in venues from Barcelona to Tokyo. Estonian clubs, lounge bars, and the people visiting them are a must-have experience.
Busy club scene
There are four completely different official seasons plus one that can only be found in Soomaa – that is the springtime flood. Estonia has snowy winters, warm summers and thanks to our climate, the nature changes four times a year. All it takes to experience it is a short bus drive to the countryside. Adventure and camping trails, field trips and sporting events – all these are elementary and available all year round.
Five seasons
Estonian local transportation is operative and cheap for students as international ISIC and Euro<26 cards provide discounts every where. Also hitchhiking is common and relatively safe. It is also very easy to visit Finland, Latvia, Lithuania or Sweden – just get a ferry, plane or bus ticket and get going!
Getting around is easy
Tutors, your shadows
Hospitable prices
In Estonia, internet access is called a human right. Here you can access the internet even in the thickest forest. Most cafes, hotels, student homes, parks, clubs, travel terminals, ships and even buses consider free fast internet access to be elementary. There are far more free Wi-Fi hotspots in Tallinn than in Singapore, which is the second city in the world by its free internet access.
Internet Republic
Honest and sincere people
Familiar and safe