Pravin Ganesanandamoorthy

Pravin took the opportunity to do a double degree in Prague and spent one additional semester at the University of Chemistry and Technology

Field of study: MSc in Life Sciences, specialisation Environmental Technologies
Stay abroad: Double Degree
Host institution: University of Chemistry and Technology
Semester: Autumn 2023

What made you decide, what motivated you to go abroad?
I wanted to discover a new country and have the opportunity to study and live in another country. It's a great way to meet new people from other countries and make new friends and connections. I also wanted to participate in the double degree programme to gain a Master's degree at a university, which would make it much easier for me to do a PhD.

Why did you choose your host institution/country?
As far as the Environmental Technologies specialisation was concerned, there were only two institutions to choose from (University of Bologna or UCT Prague), but I opted for the university in Prague as the subjects were more in line with my interests and I had always wanted to travel to Central Europe. I'm also a big beer fan and Prague, or rather the Czech Republic, is known for its good beer.

What is your everyday life like?
You wake up and go to university for lectures, as is usual in Switzerland. After the lectures, you either meet up at the university or somewhere else to do sports, have a beer or do something else. As we had many events organised by the Erasmus Student Network (ESN), we went to these events and enjoyed our time together. There isn't really a typical day as there is always something going on.

What surprised you the most about your stay abroad?
I wouldn't say I was surprised, but I think it was incredible how quickly we had a nice group of friends who went on lots of trips and parties together. Our group was called "Pay your taxes" and initially consisted of about 20 people, which grew as the semester went on. In the end, we all went out together and had a great time.

What tips would you give to future exchange students?
I lived in the centre in a shared flat. Most Erasmus students at UCT lived in the dormitories. The dorms have their positive and negative sides. The most positive thing is that you are like a big family in the dorms, you spend a lot of time together. As most of my friends lived in the dorms, it would have been nice to live there too, because then you would have spent more time together. On the other hand, the dormitories are far away from the city centre, so it takes a long time to get to the university and the city centre. I think it depends on what you prefer: being close to the city centre and city life in Prague or being with your friends in a place that is far away from the centre of Prague. Personally, I would probably have opted for a room in the dorms.

Is there anything else you would like to share?
Well, I can only say that the exchange semester was the best decision I could have made during my studies. It really is an incredible experience with lots of great memories. You get to meet a lot of great new friends and will have many unforgettable memories with them. The great thing is that Prague is in Central Europe, so you can travel to and visit many other cities from here. To anyone considering an exchange, I can only say: just do it!

Unsere Studierenden profitieren von der internationalen Vernetzung der Hochschule für Life Sciences. Ein Auslandsaufenthalt bei unseren Partnerschulen ist bei Bachelor- wie auch Master-Studierenden sehr begehrt. Nicht nur, um den persönlichen Horizont zu erweitern, sondern auch, um neue soziale und kulturelle Kompetenzen zu erwerben.

Im Rahmen unseres Masterprogramms können ausgewählte Studierende durch ein zusätzliches Semester an einer unserer Partnerschulen, zwei Diplome erhalten. Das Double-Degree Programm ist besonders attraktiv für Masterstudierende, die anschliessend eine Promotion anstreben. Weitere Details zum Double-Degree-Programm finden Sie hier.