I have had the incredible opportunity to spend my exchange semester in Maribor, Slovenia’s second largest city. Do not let the title fool you — with around 95,000 residents, Maribor is smaller than Tampere, but that has turned out to be one of its greatest features. Every time I step into the city center, I run into fellow Erasmus students, which makes the whole experience feel wonderfully intimate.
Slovenia itself exceeds expectations. Despite its small size, it ranks among the top ten safest countries in Europe according to the Global Peace Index, and this shows in everyday life through clean streets, well-kept public spaces, and a general sense of ease and security that you notice almost immediately.
Studies at the Faculty of Economics and Business
My studies in Finland focuses mainly on computer science, but here my main Faculty is Economics and Business. I have deliberately chosen courses that emphasize group work, social interaction, and cross-cultural exchange. The goal has been to deepen my understanding of different work and study cultures, something that could open doors internationally in the future. I can happily say it has worked. Beyond Slovenian culture, I have been meaningfully exposed to at least six others, including Czech, Polish, Turkish, and Hungarian students.
The most striking difference compared to Finnish universities is the role of the professor. Here, the professor’s core job is to lecture, and almost every professor has a dedicated assistant who handles the day-to-day practicalities: seminars, communication, materials, and administration. Professors also tend to have very distinct and individual teaching styles, which makes for an interesting variety across courses.
Life in Maribor
One of the more unexpected cultural observations from my free time has been how differently strangers and acquaintances are treated here. In customer service situations or casual encounters, strangers tend to receive a noticeably cooler reception than you might expect in Finland. But once someone knows you even slightly they will treat you like an old friend in a way that genuinely surprised me. It is a different social logic, but once you understand it, it makes a lot of sense.
The quality and finish of public buildings and infrastructure is also somewhat below what Finns are used to, though this varies. What Slovenia does exceptionally well is its relationship with nature and public space. Streets are clean, natural areas are respected, and there is a genuine culture of environmental care, fitting for a country that covers nearly 60% of its territory in forest.
One moment that captured the spirit of Maribor perfectly for me was a timber rafting trip on the Drava River. I had expected a calm, historical cruise, but instead I found myself on a wooden raft surrounded by dancing, singing, and a seemingly endless flow of wine, with the beautiful old town of Lent drifting past in the background. It was chaotic, joyful, and completely unforgettable, and somehow a very accurate summary of what Maribor is like as a place.
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