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Tom Todtenhaupt is studying mechanical engineering at Clausthal University of Technology and is currently writing his Master's thesis. In the 2019/20 winter semester, he was drawn to Novi Sad, the second largest city in Serbia after Belgrade. The country borders Hungary, Romania and Croatia, among others, and has around seven million inhabitants. Tom attended the University of Novi Sad during his semester.
How did you decide to study in Serbia?
I'd been to Novi Sad before and I really liked the city. Novi Sad is a big city, but it's not too big. I already knew a few people there from my visit and then decided to study in Serbia for a semester. So I went to the Clausthal International Center and spoke to Ms Sekler, who is an Erasmus advisor. The whole thing wasn't that easy: a semester abroad in Novi Sad is a very special request, and the University of Novi Sad is not a partner university of Clausthal University of Technology. In such a case, there are two options. Either organize everything yourself and pay the tuition fees in full or negotiate a partnership agreement. And that's what Ms. Sekler did for me. A contract was signed for me and I was then able to go to Novi Sad as part of the Erasmus program. I received financial support and didn't have to pay the semester fees, which were already several thousand euros.
What was the housing situation like on site?
In the first few weeks, I stayed with friends who also helped me find an apartment. They spoke Serbian and then arranged accommodation for me, as the older generations there hardly speak any English. Unfortunately, I didn't get a place in a hall of residence as they are very popular and are rarely allocated for just one semester. I eventually found an apartment where I lived with two Serbs and an Italian. I paid 150 euros a month, which sounds very little for us, but is a lot of money for the Serbs. But I lived in a good location and only needed five minutes to get to the city center. The landlord lived in the house with me and took care of everything.
How did the courses go?
They were in Serbian and unfortunately I wasn't quite sure beforehand. That's because mechanical engineering is a very small degree program there and there is therefore no extra course in English. The advantage of the courses I chose was that they were very mathematical and I was therefore able to follow the lessons quite well. I sat on the course with another Erasmus student. The professor also came up to us a few times and explained to us in English what he was doing. Of course, we were also able to ask questions. The classes were small, so it wasn't so unpleasant that the lessons were briefly interrupted from time to time. We didn't have to attend the Serbian classes either, but we always went anyway.
I also learned some of the basics of the Serbian language. I was surprised at how many Erasmus students there were who started their semester abroad with knowledge of Serbian. After all, it's not a very common language.
What did you do in your free time?
I did a lot with my flatmates in the city. Erasmus organized lots of events such as pub crawls, international dinners, scavenger hunts and excursions. For example, we went to Belgrade or went hiking in the national park. Novi Sad also has a party street with lots of bars. Novi Sad isn't that big, but you can actually do anything you want there. I grew up in the village and then went straight to Clausthal to study. For me, city life was a very good experience because I didn't know it like that before.
What are your plans for the future?
That's not quite clear yet. I've been in Clausthal since the end of 2014 and would now like to go somewhere else. The trip to Serbia made me want to go somewhere else. I will probably end up in industry in southern Germany. That's why I'm studying general mechanical engineering, just to have more opportunities. But after my Master's thesis, I'm going to relax a bit and take a vacation.
And the last question: what would you like to say to students who are also considering a semester abroad?
I would always recommend a semester abroad. I had a lot of doubts about whether it was worth it and whether I should really do it, especially as I could only get credit for three subjects. But what you learn and experience on site makes up for it all. You meet like-minded people and quickly make friends, if only through the Erasmus network. I'm still in contact with some of the people I met in Serbia. And another plus point: many companies are looking for people who have already gained experience abroad. So a semester abroad also looks good on your CV later on.
