KTU student from Spain: Lithuania – among the best countries in Europe

“From a very young age, I was interested in understanding how things work and ‘the why’ was very important to me,” says Nieves Ganghe Pedros Chamorro, a KTU chemical technology and engineering student. Coming from Seville in the South of Spain, she enjoys the cooler Lithuanian climate, four seasons and greenery of Kaunas in summer.

Nieves Ganghe, who has been living in Kaunas for three years now, says that the changes in the city are noticeable – the streets and the bus stops are renovated, and there are more and more places to spend time after classes.

“Kaunas is a very comfortable city, small enough to move freely around with public transportation, but sufficiently big to have all types of places that students need or enjoy, such as malls, restaurants, museums and party places,” says a Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) student from Spain.

She believes that soon, Lithuania will become one of the most attractive countries in Europe.

Loves the practicality of her studies

Before coming to KTU, Nieves Ganghe was studying chemical engineering at the University of Seville. However, she did not appreciate the study environment there – classes were too crowded and the curricula too theory-based.

Now, after studying at KTU for three years, she says that the move to another country for studies was 100 per cent worth it. Nieves Ganghe enjoys not only the grading system – where all the class work contributes to the final grade – but also the practicality of her studies.

Chemistry, she says, is not only about chemical reactions. Her current studies provide her with knowledge of other scientific fields such as physics or electricity, as well as more “social” fields, for example, healthy lifestyle.

The academically-minded student says that from a very young age, she was interested not only in “how” but also in the “why” things work.

“I believe, science in general is based on proving how nature works and chemistry is one of the bases of life itself. When I’m studying, for me it is very important to understand the reasons and the conclusions of the topic discussed,” explains the curious student.

She is happy that at KTU teachers always provide information when questions are asked.

Studies at KTU tuition-free

The third-year KTU student from Spain says that she wanted to experience studying in English and found KTU on study.eu, a website providing information on studies in Europe. Among many other opportunities in different countries, she chose Lithuania.

“I like the cold weather, and the life expenses are manageable. Also, the references of KTU were quite good compared to other universities,” says Nieves Ganghe.

Being a European citizen, she studies tuition-free and would like more students to find out about this opportunity: “Economically this is very beneficial. Also, the university provides many other scholarships helping students and their families through their educational journey.”

At KTU, she likes the passionate teachers, who are willing to help in any way they can, and is impressed by the facilities, provided by the university – laboratories, classrooms, and library, according to the student from Spain, are “top-notch”. Nieves Ganghe also appreciates student services for personal and professional development.

“At KTU one can also find psychological help, which, I believe, is quite important when you are living far away from home,” says a KTU student from Seville, Spain.

She attends KTU gym daily (it is free for the students and staff), and says that she prefers having a walk to watching TV or music shows any time.

“I love physical exercise, the amount of green areas around Kaunas is amazing and I use them as a way to disconnect and relax. I also quite enjoy cooking and baking, which I do in the cold winters,” says Nieves Ganghe.

Surprised by the cleanliness and nature in the city

Lithuania took her by surprise – the four different seasons, each with its beauty, the amount of greenery in urban areas.

“In 10 minutes, you can find yourself in the middle of nature. This, I believe, improves the happiness of people and makes the city way more beautiful,” says Nieves Ganghe.

Although she comes from the South of Spain, where the summers are very hot and winters – almost non-existent, the girl was not scared by the Lithuanian winter, which may have a lot of snow and very cold weather.

Another thing that impressed her here is the cleanliness of the streets – the Kaunas residents to Nieves Ganghe seem very civil, they collect after their dogs and tend to put the rubbish in the dust bins.

Coming from a culture with a very social lifestyle involving lots of gatherings with family and friends outside of the home, with food, she misses these activities. In Lithuania, mostly because of the weather, she thinks, people tend to spend time indoors, and the streets become crowded only in summer.

“Sometimes, I miss busy streets with lots of noise. However, the thing that I miss the most is food, not all specific ingredients for certain dishes can be found here. I believe that maybe in Lithuania they are simply not used,” says a future chemical engineer, studying at KTU.

Recommendations for future students

All in all, Nieves Ganghe from Seville, Spain recommends KTU to everyone – even if it is only for a short time, say as an Erasmus student: “The university is top notch and the country offers many different activities for all types of students.”

Below, you will find specific aspects that she wanted to mention to the future students:

• The university provides dormitories, which are fully equipped with everything in terms of furniture. Depending on the dormitory, rooms are shared or private. Kitchens and bathrooms are usually shared.
• Public transportation for students is very economical and it works very well.
• Many different activities and services are provided by KTU, making possible a faster introduction and adaptation to the country.

Are you from Europe? Study at Kaunas University of Technology tuition-free. Choose your study programme and apply by June 30, 2024.