What used to come to mind when thinking about Switzerland? A few years ago, I would have only thought about chocolate and cheese. But then I had the possibility for an exchange semester. Although I considered party and having fun as essential features, just as any other student would have done, I knew that should not be the main point of my stay.
But who am I, actually? My name is Pedro Dias and right now, I am studying economics at Nova Lisbon, Bachelor level. As you may have already guessed, I am currently in St. Gallen for an exchange semester and so far, I am enjoying my time here.
Why St. Gallen?
When looking for possible exchange universities in a first approach, I cannot lie, I mainly searched for the most prestigious institutions in the field of economics – and obviously the University of St. Gallen perfectly fulfils this demand for academic excellence. You will hear thousands of theories to choosing a university, but in the end, the recognition of the campus will always be taken into account. Apart from a certain standard of education in your subject of choice, in the modern world, also every language you are able to learn never seems sufficient. Therefore, taking on the challenge of a Spanish friend, I decided to prove I am able to learn German – and St. Gallen fit again!
The heart of Europe
At this stage, only few Universities in the German-speaking countries remained as a possibility. So, as last criteria, I started to ponder about the location. Tired of Lisbon’s «Stau» and eager to do some sports, studying in a calm and green town with a free gym is a dream come true. Being located right in the middle of Central Europe, St. Gallen as a place of residence also offers the opportunity to visit Germany, Austria, Italy and France by train. In simple words, it is the heart of Europe and also a culture quite different from mine.
The people here are amazing!
But apart from these «hard facts», I by now learned that people here are amazing; they really know how to receive an exchange student well and succeed in making me feel home. They also made my life easier by providing support just when I needed it. Furthermore, the exchange community is quite big as well, so you will never walk alone.
Despite the fact that the university of St. Gallen has a huge amount of students studying business and economics, it does not feel like living in a «monoculture», as it does at Nova. Here, some students are studying law and international affairs, so there’s a relatively large diversity concerning subjects (and also concerning nationalities, by the way). That allows me to make contact with people that think in very different ways, have different ambitions and backgrounds. In my opinion, that is wonderful, didactic and unique.
A final advice
What’s more, I am undecided about my Master program and the University of St. Gallen offers the possibility of choosing Master courses for Bachelor Exchange Student like me. Hence, it may help me to decide on my future. Finally, an advice, especially for all those who are from southern countries: prepare yourselves to experience real effects of inflation and don’t forget your winter jacket!
About Pedro Dias:
Home University: Nova Lisbon
Degree seeking: Bachelor in Economics
Why St. Gallen: The University of St. Gallen is well known for its academic excellence and acknowledged to be one of the best schools for economics in German-speaking Europe. Furthermore I like the town situated in the heart of the continent.