Hello, I'm Mehdi the first Moroccan to study at Silesian University, School of Business Administration in Karviná, for a master’s degree in Business Economics and Management. To be sincere the first night that I arrived in Karviná wasn't clearly joyful, because at 22:30 everything was closed and no one was on the street only me and my buddy going from the train station to the dorms, but as the days goes on, things are getting better, as the quote says: “don't judge a book by its cover”. 

As any student coming from another country to the Czech Republic, you will always have some fear within you, but don't worry the more you stay the more you discover new things. I discovered a lot of beautiful places, as in the first trip of all the students to Český Těšín, I was astonished by how the architecture is beautiful in that city, and that day I discovered how one of the most famous beers in Czech is made, on our visit of the “Castle Brewery Cieszyn”. I also was amazed by my visit to Ostrava, Brno, and especially Prague, it's my favorite city, I recommend you to definitely go there, there are a lot of things to see. Of course, these trips won't be beautiful if I didn't meet a lot of great people, here you can find people from different nationalities, for me I met Greek, Spanish, Turkish, Moldovian, Italian, Slovakian, and a lot of Indians peoples. Also, there are a lot of activities that you can do, thanks to the Czech buddies and our coordinator, we did some hiking trips, played laser games, Volleyball games, Karaoke nights, and a lot of parties that I enjoyed a lot. 

If you are a person that doesn't like drinking alcohol like me or have anything special, you will always find your place here, so don't worry, staying here is a really good experience, 100% you will enjoy all your moments!!

I am Sampras F Robert, a Master's student at Silesian University in Opava School of Business Administration in Karvina, studying Business Economics and Management. Telling about my experience in Karvina as an international business student. I suffered in Karvina in my initial days because of the linguistic and cultural differences; I am from India, so everything about European culture is foreign to me. However, we had welcome days, where we went to see sights and I had the opportunity to make friends from many countries, including Czechia, who helped me greatly in overcoming these challenges, and Czech people are really kind and nice. They made me fall in love with the city. Karvina is a serene town. A little town with a lot to offer. I am here for two months and I enjoy being here in the dorm with all my friends.

Hello everyone，I’m Jinnuo, coming from China. Like most of Chinese students, I was also confused about my future after completing my four years of undergraduate studies. It was at this particular time that I had the opportunity to come to the Silesian University in the Czech Republic to participate in the Master's program. As a foreigner who has been here for 18 months, I am happy to share my feelings about this university and this city.

First of all, Karvina is really a quiet, peaceful and beautiful city. If you ask me what I would like to have in a city where a university is located, a peaceful and stable urban ecology and a pleasant climate are definitely the top priorities, and Karvina has all of them. Karvina has a unique charm in every season: The vibrancy of spring, the exuberance of summer, the sluggishness of autumn, the quietness of winter.(You can insert photos here) In addition to this, the feeling of human interaction is particularly important. I still remember when I first came to Karvina to have a test at the local hospital, the smiling security guard and the funny and chatty nurse aunt, who were excited to share with me what they had seen and heard during their trip to China. The big Christmas tree with the sleigh chairs in front of the Christmas mall, the grandmother smiling like a child sitting on it for her grandfather to take pictures of her. When i forget take money on the bus and a kind person offers to pay for me. When i can't find what i want in the supermarket, even if we don't speak the same language, the staff will do their best to communicate with me and then contact his colleague to retrieve the last item from the stockroom. All of these are small events in life, but they fill my life with the warmth of the Karvina people.

Secondly, the people you meet at the University are really important. Here you can meet warm and talkative students, conscientious faculty and staff, funny and elegant but equally academic professors. No one will laugh at you when your English grammar is wrong, and your friends will do their best to understand your meaning if you don't use the right words. The liaison staff in the International Office will carefully help you with a range of issues that you find tricky and may never have experienced before, including and not limited to visas, Erasmus programs, internships, etc. They really are like family member to you and often make me feel ashamed of my abilities. The professor will praise you with all her might for any little bit of excellence you do, and even when you get stuck and need help, the professor will call you into her office to go over your assignments part by part and explain them patiently, and will lend you her own books to read back and tell you which chapters are the ones you need to focus on ...... All of this has given me I was shocked and thoughtful, and I saw that there is another way to get along between teachers and students, and between staff and students.

Finally, the college prepares various activities throughout the year to enrich the students' life after school, including and not limited to: weekend hiking and climbing, group spring trips to Prague, visits to abandoned coal plants, skiing, and events at Easter, Christmas, and St. Martin's Day and so on. If you are not satisfied with these, you can also organize your own outings during the holidays. Karvina's train station is linked to the entire European rail transportation network, and it is undoubtedly the top enjoyment of life to ride on a slow train on a sunny afternoon, watching the scenery outside the window being covered by the clouds and the mood running unbridled with the boundless Field，and then ordering a cup of coffee and a cupcake.

Since the time I arrived at Silesian University, Karvina has been my second home. It is essential that I include the very nice people of Karvina/ Czech Republic, who always welcomed us with a warm welcome and their beautiful smiles, spreading joy to those who come over from a foreign land. It has always been a dream of mine since my sister moved to Europe for work, so I began looking for a good university and, more importantly, a good place to live to ease my transition. I had to shortlist a few countries before deciding to be a part of the Silesian University. The regular guidance we received from our coordinators and the international affairs office made the admissions process go more smoothly. They made themselves available despite the fact that I was in a different time zone.

Even before I moved to Karvina, I was contacted by my buddy (which was either the main idea of the buddy program) to assist me with organizing the travel plan, arranging the accommodation, and understanding the transportation systems and how to use them. After arriving in Karvina, my buddy met me at the station and drove me to the dormitory, where she assisted me with the accommodation process. She also showed me around Karvina and explained various locations where I could shop for necessary goods and products. On our first day at university, our coordinator guided us through the orientation programs, assigned our courses, and gives us a tour of the campus facilities; the same was later organized for us regarding the dormitory and library. At the dormitory, there were a few other Indian students and a couple of European students participating in the ERASMUS student exchange program. We used to have dinner together on the weekends, sharing food from a different culture to which we belonged. Sharing food at a large table always reminds me of my family, where we used to meet all of the family members once or twice a year.

We also had our occasional weekend trips for hiking or sightseeing organized by our buddies and coordinators from our university's international affairs office, and in addition to our regular college activities, we were able to participate in other community programs organized by local organizations. Some time ago, I had the opportunity to introduce local school students to Indian weddings and cultural festivals. Another opportunity I had was to serve Indian food to an elderly community and a few local school students. It warmed my heart to see them enjoy our food and desserts. The worst and best parts of being a student are that as you move forward to the next semester, it is heart-breaking to say goodbye to some friends who came for a semester in an exchange program, and the best part is being able to meet new exchange students, new friendships, new community, understanding another culture, and sharing a new food.

The most important thing about studying anywhere would be to have a good relationship and communication with the teaching and non-teaching staff, which is made easier through the official university website, e-learning system, and its own student mailing system, through which we are always connected to our staff. Though most of my studies was done during the pandemic period, we had 99.9% of classes online through MS teams, I should appreciate the efforts taken by our staff members even though the pandemic they gave their 100% in teaching as with the best materials and examples, courses are structured in a way that we could easily adapt and learn. Coming from a third country, I was always curious about education in Europe, but my studies at Silesian University changed my entire perspective on studying abroad. Each member of our teaching staff placed a high value on interacting with students and allowing them to gain a better understanding of the subject.

My Erasmus experience was even better, and it changed my personal life significantly; I was able to do an Erasmus internship in Italy and then in Kaunas, Lithuania. While my internship in Italy was primarily focused on tourism management, Lithuania provided experience in the education industry and international relations. I would strongly advise our prospective students to apply for Erasmus, which was also the key to my travel. Being in the Czech Republic already gives me access to nearly 26 European countries; as an Indian, I've always enjoyed travelling to different places and experiencing different cultures. My European experience was one of the best memories I have, and I hope to return to Europe in the near future. 

Going away always causes heartache because it means leaving loved ones and friends behind; now it's almost time for me to leave my second home as well; the difference here is that everyone back home will be waiting for me to find my way back, gaining more knowledge, improving my personality, and remaining open to the world as it is, all of these good and bad memories and experiences I gained from my second home. Those who plan to attend Silesian University should consider it a safe haven that will provide the best of everything. I wish you the best of luck!