Nicholas Andrade Muller da Silva is a Game Development student at Algebra University. Nicholas moved to Croatia from Brazil to pursue his Master’s degree. Find out how, although not his first option, Croatia became his home.
To be honest, Croatia was never my first option, not because I didn’t think the country was good enough, but because when we think about exchange programmes we always think about the big countries like USA, France, UK etc. But I’ve always had an adventurous spirit and I really wanted to go to a place that not everyone knew. I was researching more about the countries in Europe and I came across Croatia in one of my searches, I had already heard about the country when it had the World Cup in Brazil in 2014 and the checkered shirts of the Croatian soccer team had caught my attention. I started researching more about the country, the culture, the cities, the cost of living, and it ended up being very interesting to me. What was decisive for me were the safety of the country, the possibility to study and work, the chance to get to know the Adriatic coast and all the benefits of being in the European Union as well.
My experience so far has been fantastic. I really like everything that happens here, the cosiness of being a small country but at the same time seeking to internationalize itself. The climate is very diverse and for me this is good, I have already had negative temperatures and in spring we have had days of 30 degrees Celsius, not everyone likes it, but it is very good for me. The possibility of being on the coast in less than 4 hours by car is very good, to be able to escape from routine on a weekend to take a dip in the sea and recharge the batteries. The people are very receptive and curious about outsiders, I have made great friends here and feel at home already. The cost of living, although it has increased a little recently, is still much better compared to other places in Europe. The food is very good and there is so much gastronomic richness that every day you can eat something totally new if you want.
I study my Masters in Game Development at Algebra College University and have a very good experience studying. But what struck me the most is that the teacher-student relationship is totally direct and close, the teachers are very easy to contact and are very accessible to help you with projects and questions. The relationship with the other departments of the college is also very easy, it’s like you know everyone and everyone knows who you are there, it seems that everyone is aligned to the same goals. The study relationship is very focused on the employability of their students, so their main metric is how many students are employed during and after their studies, so it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll have a good job after graduating and the many possible student job opportunities in Croatia.
I have good life here and I believe if I can stay to pay back what I receive from this awesome country I would very much like to do it. But for now, I will focus on my studies and work, after that, I will see what are my possibilities.
