UniApp Sheds a Light on Studying in Estonia for International Students!

If you’re thinking about studying abroad, you should consider studying in Estonia for international students. This country has become a popular study destination for international students due to its high quality of life, low cost of living, and excellent educational system.

Estonia is located between Russia and Scandinavia and is bordered by Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Poland, Germany, Finland, Sweden, and Russia. The country was once part of the Soviet Union until 1991, and now boasts a population of 1.3 million people.

Studying in Estonia will offer a wide range of study options for international students, from undergraduate programs to graduate degrees. Students can choose from over 100 universities and colleges across the country.

The UniApp team will share with you today its insights and experiences and answer all FAQs you long to know about studying in Estonia for international students. Read on!

What should you do in your first year of study in Estonia?

When you come to Estonia as an international student, you should be prepared to embark on a new adventure. Among the first things you should do is purchase a new SIM card and join a student organization.

There are other things you should do and steps you should take to make your study trip easier and more beneficial. When international students arrive in a new country for the first time, they always feel strange.

As an international student, you should become acquainted with the new community in which you are involved. The following lines outline the steps you should take as a first-year student in Estonia.

1) Don’t miss the orientation week

Orientation week appears to be different at each university in Estonia. It could include an opening session in which you meet new Estonian and international students in a hall, such as ours at Estonian Business School.

It may also offer a variety of fun events and welcome parties. Nevertheless, Orientation Week activities are determined by your university, so sign up for as many as you can.

This is how you make friends, get to know your city, and gain knowledge more about how things work while studying Estonia for international students.

2) Join the student associations

As an international student, you must make new friends and learn about student possibilities in Estonia. Joining university student clubs is an effective way to meet new people.

You are free to select from a wide range of student clubs based on your interests and hobbies. Student clubs can also help you recharge after lectures and exams by organizing events, activities, and student gatherings.

Getting involved in student clubs is also an investment in the future, as they are an excellent way to broaden your network and establish useful connections. You don’t want to miss out on the opportunity to join a student club, so act quickly and sign up.

3) Find your helpful mate

Everything seems more difficult when you initially start university in a foreign country. But you shouldn’t be concerned. Almost every university in Estonia can connect you with a student buddy who has already faced university life and can assist you with minor university difficulties.

All you have to do is contact your study counselor about your student buddy and wait for him/her to contact you. Fortunately, you may find the sweetest student buddy who could help you with library registration, university facilities, bookshops in Tallinn, and all sorts of education-related questions.

4) Don’t forget your travel card

The travel card may look slightly different depending on where you live. If you choose Tallinn for studying in Estonia for international students, your travel card allows you to use buses, trolleys, and trams.

If you reside in Tartu, the bus is your preferred mode of transportation. The advantage is that public transport in Tallinn is completely free for locals! You must first go to the website Pilet.ee and personalize your Tallinn travel card before you can enjoy the free ride.

5) Operate your SIM card

When you arrive in Estonia as a freshman, your first priority will be to communicate with your loved ones, so getting an Estonian sim card is the first thing you should do.

Your home country’s sim card may not operate for studying in Estonia for international students. If you were lucky, you might have received the Study in Estonia Welcome Bag, which contained valuable products for international students as well as a sim card.

The sim card was even loaded with 3 euros. Of course, if you do not receive a Welcome Bag containing a sim card, you can go to the nearest supermarket and purchase a bucket-friendly sim card.

6) It’s very cold there dear

Temperatures have been known to drop to -20 degrees Celsius in the dead of winter, so dress warmly! Because you live in the northern hemisphere, the days can be very dark over several months, so you’ll need to adapt to enjoying winter sports and/or maintain a positive attitude!

On the bright side, when you finally make it to summer, the sun just hardly sets before rising again.

7) Estonian language is difficult, and you don’t need it

You are not required to study and understand Estonian to move around the country, but it’s always appreciated when you do. It is, however, a difficult language to master, with the Foreign Service Institute ranking it as the fifth most difficult language for English speakers to learn.

This is due in part to the fact that it has fourteen noun cases and 25 diphthongs (i.e. two adjacent vowel sounds occur within the same syllable). There is help, and if you can get a spot. There are free courses for adults to learn the language from A1 to C1.

8) Studying in Estonia without ILETS

Without IELTS or TOEFL, you could indeed study in Estonia. What you must do is enroll in an English Preparatory course. After completing the English Language Preparatory course, you will be able to begin a bachelor’s degree program at a specific university.

Before applying for an English preparatory course, you must first mention a bachelor’s degree course. The length of the English language preparatory course varies depending on the applicant’s English language fluency.

What are the Requirements for Applying to Estonian Universities?

Keep in mind these requirements and official documents before even thinking about applying for studying in Estonia for international students:

1. English proficiency tests, such as IELT or TOEFL results.
2. A copy of your passport.
3. High school grade transcripts.
4. Motivation Letter.
5. One or more recommendation letters.
6. Proof of payment of the application fee (it varies from school to school).

How much does it cost to study in Estonia?

• A family of 4 estimated monthly cost: is 2,485.63€ without rent.
• A single person estimated monthly cost: is 742.32€ without rent.
• The cost of living in Estonia: is 23.10% lower than in the Netherlands (On Average).
• Rent in Estonia: 54.53% lower than in the Netherlands (On Average).

Transportation Costs in Estonia

• Local transport (One-way Ticket): 1.50€.
• Monthly pass costs: 27.75€. (Regular Price)
• Taxi start: 2.50€.
• 1 liter of Gasoline: 1.81€.
• Taxi waiting (1 hour): 15€.

Utility Costs

• Basics, such as Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, and Garbage for 85m2 Apartment: 257.70 €.
• 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local without Discounts or Plans: 0.05 €.
• Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL): 25.19 €.

Accommodation Costs

• Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre: 519.66 €.
• Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre: 402.46 €.
• Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre: 923.20 €.
• Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre: 650.53 €.

Top FAQs about Studying in Estonia for International Students we Received!

1) How to be an international student in Estonia

Preparation is one of the most important things that you have to keep in mind, so there are basically 3 things that you have to consider in terms of preparation:

Mentally and financially as well as emotionally prepared to become a successful international student. You have to mentally know that you’re ready for a new challenge and going to embark on a different journey.

As well as, you have to consider the financial aspect and make sure that you are capable to pay the tuition fees or that you have already secured a form of scholarship.

Once you go here, you have to be independent enough to support yourself and know how much you’re going to spend to sustain your living here.

The emotional aspects which are also crucial when it comes to moving to a foreign country are something that you have to be prepared for. It means that you’re going to not see most of your family.

2) Is the interview difficult in Estonia?

Most of the schools are going to have decided that you are eligible for the next step.

Schools were going to have their specific deadline and usually, it’s between so and so dates. Once they receive the application, through the portal, they will go into review and assess whether or not you’re going to proceed with the next step.

And once they have made their decision that you’re accepted, they are going to set up an interview date for you.

Based on some experiences, there’s a panel interview, and they throw questions to all, but these questions are not so difficult because they’re related to the motivation letter that students have written and the materials that students have to read beforehand.

3) TOEFL, IELTS, or English Proficiency Test?

It depends on what your program required and you can find out these details on the official website of the program you have already chosen.

Generally, TOEFL is an accepted test for studying in Estonia for international students, but as we mentioned earlier, you have to make sure and check the specific information based on the program that you’re going to apply for.

Note: Consider the band score grade your program requires, and nowadays Estonian Universities have increased the required grade.

4) What is the next step after receiving the acceptance letter?

After getting the acceptance letter from the university, they were going to guide you through the next step. The application process usually starts with applying for a student visa. So you have to apply for a visa to the nearest Estonian embassy. Then you have to spend 7-10 days, on average, waiting for the visa.

Final Thoughts

The preceding lines were a summary of the steps you should take and tips you should keep in mind for studying in Estonia for international students and getting a better educational experience there.

Getting a SIM card, and a bank card, joining a student organization, learning English or Russian, and taking other steps will help you get off to a good start in Estonia.

You should also be aware of the courses that will be most beneficial to you during your studies. The more you participate in society, the less strange you will feel there.

You should also become acquainted with the country’s culture, customs, and the attitudes that its people exhibit toward you. Every journey you embark on may present a challenge, but if you are astute enough, you can turn it into an enjoyable challenge.