I'm here to tell you something about my experience as an Erasmus student in Shtip, a small town in the north Macedonia.

First of all I would like to answer a question that I am sure many of you who are reading right now would like to ask me, namely the usual '' Why did you choose North Macedonia as an Erasmus destination? ''.

So, I want to be honest, I chose North Macedonia because tired of always hearing about the classic destinations, I wanted to dare and choose a rather unusual and particular one.

The idea of being able to go to North Macedonia intrigued me a lot, in particular I was very curious to be able to discover and better understand a culture and a land of which I did not know much before my departure.

And I have to say I still think it was one of the best choices of my whole life.

Alexander Square in Skopjie !

I did my Erasmus Study in Stip, a Macedonian town of about 50,000 inhabitants.

Although Stip is certainly not a metropolis, in my opinion it is a studentfriendly town.

In fact, each place is easily reachable on foot in a short time.

This allows each student to easily adapt to a new type of life and daily routine.

As for the different services, I can say that I was pleasantly surprised.

In fact, Stip is equipped with any service necessary for a student in the future.

In the city there are several cafes where you can spend a few hours in the company of your friends, they are in fact real meeting places.

Next to the bars there are many restaurants where you can taste the different Macedonian and non-Macedonian dishes.

I personally liked Macedonian cuisine very much, especially my favorite dishes were Pastrmajlija, a kind of strange shaped pizza topped with chicken or pork, and Burek, a particular savory pie stuffed in a thousand different ways and with a truly negligible cost.

Pastrmajlijia

Burek

About sport, there are several gyms and infrastructures in Stip where you can go. The university has also often given us the opportunity to use its facilities to be able to play basketball and football independently.

Running lovers will find many places in Stip where they can run safely. One of all is the famous and very popular cycle path next to the Stip river.

Landscape of Stip

From a University space point of view, I certainly had a great time.

First of all, the university has several spaces where you can study in a peaceful way. In fact, the libraries are comfortable and silent, some of them are located a stone's throw from the city center.

Even nightlife lovers will find an ideal environment in Stip. The city is in fact equipped with various clubs and discos where you can spend moments of pure fun with your friends.

For those who do not like discos, Rock Live concerts for example are very popular.

In short, Stip from any point of view has fully met my expectations.

However, what surprised me most during my experience were people.

The Macedonians are in fact very kind and helpful.

Sanja and Martina, the Erasmus tutors have always been by my side and they have always clarified every doubts. They also helped me make friends with other Erasmus students as they often organized events of all kinds to encourage the creation of a real group made up of boys and girls from all over Europe.

Without them I don't know how I would have done!

Even the Professors, however, have been exceptional towards me.

Many of them welcomed me under their protective wing and allowed me to attend their wards in the hospital, taking care to explain to me what the patients presented and their clinical history, despite the various language barriers.

In my opinion, the Macedonian university is well organized because it allows students to easily combine an important practical experience with a type of theoretical study.

I think the experience in North Macedonia has taught me a lot and has helped me understand what kind of doctor I want to be in the future!

During my Erasmus student experience, I had the opportunity to travel a lot and visit many other cities.

An important feature of North Macedonia is its centrality which make easier the possibility of being able to move to other countries such as Serbia and Greece.

The capital, Skopje is really beautiful. It can be easily reached by bus from Stip.

There are not only beautiful cities, however.

In fact I can say that North Macedonia is a very mysterious and intriguing land. It gives fantastic landscapes daily and sometimes you have the impression of being immersed in scenarios outside the dimension of space and time.Beautiful sunsets have often served as a landscape for our many outings and adventures in the middle of nature.

Very often we found ourselves admiring the beauty of a nature that in many places seems untouched.

In short, I recommend it both for those who define themselves as a lover of city life and for those who prefer to enjoy an experience more focused on trips and trips to places that seem real postcards.

Macedonian Sunset !!

I really think I was very lucky to have done my Erasmus in North Macedonia, and I feel I have to say thank you to every person who I met during my stay in Stip for making it so magical.

I think that the laughs made with my Erasmus friends will stay with me throughout my whole life and will always remain a sweet and pleasant memory for me.

If I can give advice to future students interested in the Erasmus experience in North Macedonia, it is certainly to leave without thinking twice, in fact the initial doubts are destined to disappear to make way for the happiness that you feel knowing that you live an experience in first person constructive and magical like Erasmus.

Leave guys and I'm sure you won't regret it !!

Best wishes,
Ennio