RSU Review

Hello dear readers!

My name is Mohamed and today I can proudly say that after a strenuous time I have completed my first semester in medicine in Riga. Probably you will too, after graduating from high school, I applied for a medical degree in Germany for the first time. However, this was not very successful. That’s why I considered studying abroad and after doing some research, I quickly came across liuxers. There I talked to Laura several times about studying in Riga, so that, after some discussion with my family, I finally came to the decision to apply there.

Today I can count myself really lucky to have used the help of RSU, because I was helped very quickly and extensively with every question about the application process, looking for an apartment or even establishing contact with other applicants. I sent my application in November and received my approval in mid-December, so that I still had some time to prepare for my studies.

Two weeks before the start of the semester, I flew to Riga with a friend who was also accepted in Riga to look for an apartment. Since there were many international students there and also a Facebook page for students to look for accommodation, we found a lot of offers on the second day that we liked, and then moved in on the third day. For this reason, I can really say that it is not absolutely necessary to fly over there a month or two before the start of the semester to look for an apartment. There are definitely enough offers!

Medical studies in Riga begin with an orientation week in which you are divided into your study groups, which normally consist of 10 to 15 students. Then there is a rally through the RSU in which you and your group have to solve various tasks. The next few days then consist of several activities, such as a pub crawl or an excursion to Rundale Palace, which essentially helps you get to know each other during your semester. At the end of the orientation week there is a big introductory party where you get to know students from higher semesters.

As for the actual student life in Riga, one can only say that it is very similar to that in Germany. There are lectures that are not compulsory, and there are fixed classes that you have to attend. In the first semester you have anatomy, cell biology and molecular biology as well as Latin, Latvian, first aid, chemistry, math / physics and an elective course that you choose yourself. Of these subjects, anatomy, molecular biology and chemistry will almost certainly give you the most trouble, as they provide most of the learning material and you always write colloquia at 4-week intervals to prepare you for the exams. I can emphasize very positively that the study groups, as I said, only consist of 10 to 15 students in the class, so that there is a very good learning climate and the lecturer has enough time to really answer every question,and can respond to you. So much should be said about learning. It is an English language course, so I would recommend that you work with English books. Of course, you can also work with German books, but in Riga you mostly work in an English environment, which is why I would not suggest this.

Apart from that, I can say about life in Riga that I enjoy it a lot. There are so many different students from different countries (although about 60% are German) that you learn a lot about other cultures and make new friends quickly. There are also a lot of restaurants, bars, etc. , where you can eat well and pass the time for little money. In addition, there is mostly free internet in Riga that is easy to use.

The food prices in Riga are largely comparable to those in Germany. However, there is also a great option there to go shopping in the central market, which is located directly on the river, as you can often buy cheaper there and there is a huge selection of fish and vegetables to snacks.

Ultimately, it can be said that Riga also offers many options for excursions, since it only takes about 40 minutes to get to the sea, for example, or to a very beautiful forest area only 30 minutes by train.

I can only recommend you to consider studying in Riga if you are looking for a study abroad, as it is a great complete package, with a good environment and a consistent learning strategy.

Good luck to you all and stay tuned!