The Philology College/University of Belgrade (college review)

Imaginethatyouwereborninalittlecountry,almostforgottenbytherestofthe

world.Imaginethatyouareagirlwhoonceuponatime,asakid,fellinlovewithSpain,bullfighters,Barcelona,withthebeatofflamencoguitarandcastanets.Basically,witheverythingthathastodowithSpain.Butalso,shefellinlovewithletters,poemsandbooks.

However,therealitycandisappoint.Youknow,whenyougrowupinalittlecountry,withonlyfiveorsixuniversitytowns,whereitsveryhardtogetthewellpayedjobafterfinishingtheuniversityrelatedtolanguagesandtakingalicentiate,whilebeginningyoureducationaltripto(maybe)bettertomorrow...well,itcanbereallytoughtoachievewhatyouwantandfindmotivationtochangesomething.IgnoringthefactthatmaybeonedayIwontbeabletofindsomethingtodoexceptifIdontapplyforsomeinstitutionsthateducatestudentsinsphereswhichareprettyperspective,IchosetofollowmyheartandgoforwhatIlovetodo,andchosetodedicatemyselftostudyinglanguages.

ThemostimportantthingrelatedtoSerbianeducationsystem,isthattherearenocollegesseparatedfromuniversities.Thosetwoaremergedintoone,so,ifyougetintoacollege,yougotintotheuniversitytoo,andafterfirsttwoorthreeyears,yourunoneortwoyearsmore,toimproveyourknowledgeinthesphereinwhichyouarestudying.IntheSpanishlanguage,literatureandculturedepartment,whichpartIardentlywantedtobe,therewere44placesforstudentswhoweresupposedtobefinancedfromthebudgetofthestate,whichmeansthattheydontpaycostsofbeingastudent,and27placesforstudentswhohadtopaytheystudyingcostsbythemselves,so,whenIsawmynameatnumber28,Iwasjumpingforjoy,becauseitmeanttheworldtomenottopay1200

eurosforthetuitionfee,whichisusuallytheamountofthemoneywhichyouneedtoputasideiftheconditionsforbudgetarentsatisfied.

ThefirstdayImetmyprofessors,myfuturetutors,Irealizedthat,onthiscollege,Iwillbetaughtbyprofessional,highlyeducatedpeople.Astheyfirstintroducedusoursubjectsandinformedusaboutthingstowhichwearegoingtodedicateourselvesduringthebothsemestersofthefirstgrade,Ifellinlovewiththechosenlanguageevenmore.Thethingthatenthusedmethemostwasthefactthatwewerentsupposedtodedicateonlytothelanguagethatwevechosen.Ourfutureprofessioniscalledgraduatedphilologist(Hispanist),soitwasdecidedthatweshouldacquireabundantknowledgeinalmosteverythingthathastodowithSpainandprepareourselveswiththehelpofourinstructorstobecomeanexpertinthementionedarea,andnotonlytoachievetheperfectknowledgeofgrammarandvocabulary,so,besidesthecourseofmodernSpanishlanguage,startingfromzero(yes,westartedwithwordslikehi!andwhatsyourname?,learninghowtotellitinotherlanguage),amongtherestofoursubjectswereSpanishliterature(finally,IllreadOnehundredyearsofsolitude!),theSpanishculture,whichincludedallcustomsandtraditionsofthatnation,andalsothingslikeart,music,architecture,thehistoryofthestateandimportantpoliticalfacts,plustranslationsandthreeelectivecourses.Accordingtothat,allofthesecoursesallowustospreadoureducationandallowscompletepermeationwithallrelevantthingsthatwillhelpussomedaydoourjobbetter.

Besidemanylectorsthatcamefromdifferentcountries,ourprofessorsstandoutasthebiggestprofessionalsintheBalcansandwider,andtheyarewellknownfortheirexcellenttranslationsofthemostfamousSpanishandLatinAmericanliterature.WheneverIwasconfusedandstartledbyallthethingsthathitmeallatonceasastudent,theyweretheretohelpmeandtoclarifyanythingthatwasntclear,andthatswhywe,thestudentsofLanguagecollege,owethemalotofgratitude.

Exceptofbeingoneofthemostfamouscolleges/universitiesinthetownandinthestate,onemoreinterestingcharacteristicofthisplaceisthat,althoughSerbiaisalittlestate,youcanseemanypeopleofdifferentracesandnationalitieswalkingdownthehallandbeingfriendswithSerbianstudents.Theycomefromdifferentsidesoftheworld,fromdifferentcountries,andyetthereisnoeventheleasthintofbigotryandracismaSerbian,ChineseandAfricanstudentsspendtheirtimetogetherandenjoyeachotherscompanyanddelightsofthestudentlife,suchashittingpartiesinstudentdorms,traveling,obtainingscholarshipsandgoingtostudentexchanges.Thecollegeissituatedinverycenterofthecity,andstudentsfromanypartofthetowneasilyfindtheappropriatebuslinetocometoclasses,becausethatareaofthetownislogicallywellconnectedwiththesuburb.Onbreaks,cafes,gardensandabigparkjustrightacrossthestreetarefullofyoung,shiny,happypeople.

AlthoughSerbiahasonlyfiveorsixuniversitytowns,theyarewellknownintherestoftheworldasinstitutionswhichprovidequalityandcompleteeducationineverysphere,andmanyofSerbiancitizenshavemuchsuccessusingthegainedknowledgeinothercountries,too.TheLanguagecollegeinBelgradeisonefrommanyofthem,which,inspiteoflackofworkplaces,goesfarbeyondthebordersandbecomesmorefamouseverydaybyitsusefulmethodsofimprovementandadvancementanditsreallyanhonortobethepartofitsprojects.So,ifyoueverthoughtaboutstudyingsomewherefar,

indifferentdestinationandsurroundings,withalotofseriouswork,butwithalotoffreedomandfun,too,maybethiscollegeisaperfectchoiceforyou!