What student life is like in Ljubljana

Nowadays many students strive to study and experience life abroad. The majority choose the better-known countries and universities in the hope of gaining quality education and meaningful experience.

Everyone wants to make the right choice, especially as it concerns their future. Nevertheless, there are also alternatives worth exploring, and more often than not, smaller and less-known countries get overlooked – and one example is Slovenia.

So, why should students consider Slovenia for their studies?

Slovenia is a relatively small country, located in Central Europe, and is known for being situated by the Adriatic Sea and the Julian Alps.

Ljubljana, its capital, holds the oldest and biggest national university with about 40,000 students.

The University of Ljubljana is public, meaning it is free of fees for EU citizens. Currently, it offers tutoring to about 2,000 international students.

There are a wide range of subjects to study in Ljubljana, with everything from natural to social sciences – and students can undertake bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programmes.

As the university is growing stronger international bonds, there are a number of projects and extracurricular activities to choose from, such as the Erasmus programme, exchanges, internship and summer schools (and most are also credit-evaluated).

The university also takes care of international students by supporting them via different courses (Year Plus, Slovenian language courses, tutoring, etc.). Students can also enrol in various sports activities, additional courses, and training.

Ljubljana itself is a pleasant city to stay in with its beautiful old city centre, lots of cultural activities, musical events and festivals.

The city has an interesting history and architecture that indicates it. As a smaller and more intimate city, Ljubljana quickly feels cosy and it’s a safe city to live in.

Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia is located in the centre of the country and is only an hour-long drive from the mountains, or two hours’ drive to the seaside. As the city is close to the Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport, travelling abroad is easy. The city itself is very green and close to nature, hills, and forests which makes the offerings of different outdoor sport activities even more possible.

Foreigners feel welcome in Ljubljana as it is a very tourist-friendly city, and the majority of residents also speak English. There are lots of cosy cafes and bars with great coffee and drinks located by the banks of the river Ljubljanica. Coffee shops offer a great alternative to working and studying from home with their nice environment. Restaurants offer food from all around the world, as well as authentic cuisine. When it comes to eating out for students, the prices are lower with special student vouchers.

Instead of constantly revising at home (except for when it is required to, due to COVID-19 outbreak and the restrictions following it), Ljubljana has a lot of libraries to study at. The biggest of them is the National and University Library of Slovenia. Apart from the activities associated with life at the university, there are various free-time activities offered, such as dancing classes, language courses, exercise and yoga classes, handcrafts and other skills, etc.

Ljubljana is an extremely vibrant city where many different events take place throughout the entire year. Every student can find something for his or her own taste.

During the summer it is home to the Ljubljana Festival with musical and cultural happenings, numerous concerts and other festivals also take place. The culture is very active, especially through theatres. Young people also tend to enjoy the nightlife the city has to offer and visit lots of different nightclubs, which are situated all over the city.

It is necessary to mention that at this time, you're required to obtain the EU Covid Certificate when visiting many places and events. Apart from that, it is advised to keep informed and follow the news, since conditions change rapidly.

The University of Ljubljana is a great unconventional choice to study abroad for many students, especially those who appreciate quality education, the outdoors and enjoy staying in a small but lively city. Its popularity is growing with more and more people appreciating everything that Ljubljana has to offer.