Elizabeth Borysiuk, Ukrainian student at Algebra University shares here experience while pursuing her Master’s degree in Creative Market Communications Management in Croatia and reveals her plans for the future.
When I was choosing a direction for my Master’s degree, the 2 winning points for Croatia were: location and international programmes. This country is well-known among students in the western world for great parties and beautiful views, but I was also impressed by the range of international connections and experiences that local universities are offering. It works both ways and the diversity is growing every new year. I thought it would be a great opportunity to study the same subjects from different perspectives, creating a diverse network while having a chance to discover the most beautiful country in the Balkan region.
Right now, being at the stage of graduation I must admit that the third winning point about studying in Croatia is the educational system and how strong it is. It is not a secret that many Croatian students are getting jobs in the most prestigious fields around Europe, and the key to success lies in the school base. Being a student of design and communications management in Algebra University, I am studying among colleagues who are leading complex projects in design agencies and our professors are CEOs or creative directors with a full range of real-life award-winning cases. This is not what I expected coming here but can’t be happier about such an open-minded approach.
Croatia is definitely not the cheapest country in Europe. I must admit – prices are quite high compared with other south-eastern countries. The most expensive turns out to be groceries and market food. Costs are like in Austria, however, the quality of products is much higher, I must admit. After comes spending on car gas and service, but this is essential in Croatia if you need to travel. One point that I like: there are rarely any problems in finding accommodation within your budget. Cities like Zagreb, Rijeka and Split have all facilities for students, starting from dormitories to big apartments for 5-8 persons. In Zagreb people are quite open when it comes to offering accommodation to foreigners, most of the apartments in the central area are well-equipped and restored, and you can rarely find fraud cases.
Speaking long-term I would love to stay in Croatia and call this place my home, while contributing to the development of the country. Me and my twin sister were planning to open an art cafe to attract the creative youth of Zagreb and let them collaborate. Coming from a rich background of coffee & breakfast culture in Kyiv, we want to bring it up here, while giving enough space for designers and artists to present their works. We believe that the Croatian service market still has where to grow, what to discover and offer and it is a great segment to invest into.
I would say that there is no heaven on Earth and don’t expect that your everyday life will look like your last summer trip to Split. However, if you are ready to stay humble, open, learn how to take things easy and slow – this is the country for you. Croatia is full of surprises, and I am not even speaking about the islands and the sea. Be ready to get things done your way while being innovative and daring to study a lot. And finally, be ready to have sleepless nights and long midday coffees – it is a must here.
