Generales

Kreete Jarv and Indrek Luiste, two 23-year-old students from Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia, came to Universidad de Antioquia to live and study abroad and learn more about Latin American culture.

Kreete and Indrek met in high school. Over the next six months they plan to live new experiences outside his native Tallinn, Estonia’s capital city.  

“We want to see the world, learn about other countries and cultures and make new friends,” says Indrek Luiste, an Estonian electrical engineering graduate student who is currently pursuing his master’s degree in mechanical engineering at UdeA. “I know how people communicate by how they speak to me. I want to know about their religion, their rituals, and how they greet each other. I also want to learn about the technologies used on the other side of the world,” he added.

The students chose Colombia as the destination for their trip because they think that Colombian people speak English better than people from other Latin American countries. Initially they wanted to go to Santa Marta, a coastal city north of Colombia located along the Caribbean Sea but they couldn’t find a graduate program that fit their needs.  After searching the Internet they learned that Universidad de Antioquia offers the graduate programs they were looking for.

As Tallinn University, UdeA is an accredited public university that meets their educational needs and has extensive experience with the exchange of students and international collaborations. Additionally, they knew they could communicate in Spanish despite not being fluent in the language.

“I’d certainly recommend UdeA to my compatriots, everyone is friendly, supportive and ready to help. There is no reason to not come to Colombia,” said Kreete Jarv, an Estonian food science student currently pursuing her master’s in pharmaceutical sciences at Universidad de Antioquia.

Two weeks before their trip the two students took Spanish courses at their home university. They are currently taking online Spanish classes and also take private lessons with a Colombian tutor.  Although they don’t speak Spanish fluently, they hope that their Spanish will continue to improve.

“All courses are taught entirely in Spanish but if you don’t understand something the teachers explain it in English. They speak clearly and slowly and have a perfect pronunciation. They are also very helpful and friendly, and the classroom atmosphere is positive and engaging,” Kreete said.

The students say that the relationship between teachers and students at their university is pretty formal and there are few opportunities for building real friendships. “It is mostly a teacher-centered classroom,” Indrek said.

On the other hand, Tallinn also has strict class schedules and inflexible deadlines for submission of materials. “Classes at UdeA are quite different, if you don’t understand something the teacher helps you. In Tallinn, teachers plan an agenda of activities and if you fall behind in class then you have to learn on your own at home,” says Kreete.

However, the students stress that their university offers totally free higher education. “You learn for free,” they said. To access to free higher education, students must earn at least 30 credits as required by the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS).

In Estonia you have more opportunities to make new friends with your classmates, while at UdeA I have only three classmates. The good thing about smaller classes is that teachers can offer one-on-one assistance at times. “It’s like having a personal tutor,” Kreete said.

The students also like UdeA’s learning methodology, which combines theory and practice so that students remember better what they have learned.

Regarding food, they say that although Colombia has a wide variety of foods, Estonians eat healthier and foods don’t require long cooking times. They are also surprised by the large amounts of white bread that Colombians eat since Estonians prefer dark-colored rye bread, which is more nutritious, as well as potatoes and pork.

All in all, they say they are happy to study at UdeA as this experience provides them with the opportunity to better understand Latino culture and how Hispanics study and make friends.

For now, the two Estonian students want to continue their graduate education and travel a lot, and especially, meet friendly people as their teachers at UdeA and the Colombian guy who helped them find accommodation in Medellín.