Finding roommates and a flat

Ones you get a confirmation that you have been offered a study place, you will get accepted to many Facebook groups. Each group has a different subject: about finding flatmates and apartments, selling furniture, getting to know your classmates, etc.

I just posted an ad on one of them, describing me and telling that I was looking for like-minded people to share an apartment with. I was contacted by many people and one of them were two Finnish girls. We started looking for an apartment with them and found one!

It is quite exciting to move together with two strangers but it seems like we are going to get a long very well :) at least we share the same nationality and our interest in medicine!

Finding the apartment was easy for me since my roommates (so awesome) wanted to travel to Latvia for a day to look for the apartments we had looked up on the internet. They went to see many flats and found one that fit to our purposes. Many of the apartments had mold that could be seen or at least smelled..  They were very cautious and I believe that they have found a safe flat.

Now we have signed the rental contracts (each of us got out own) and paid the invoice. We have an apartment with two bathrooms, a kitchen and three separate bedrooms. We also have two washing machines and a dish washer! Tha. best. thing. ever.

I feel so excited and nervous at the same time. Only two weeks and I will be living in a different country!! Can't wait!

http://love2fly.iberia.com/2016/02/riga-latvia/

About applying to Riga Stradins University

Applying to medical school in Latvia is, to my mind, somewhat easier than applying to a Finnish medical school. Note that this post is specifically about the application process to RSU(Riga Stradins University), not to LU (University of Latvia).

First and most importantly, there is no entrance exam! You will though, need to send many documents via regular mail:

-Your grades from your high school. By this I mean both diplomas: Official Transcript and Matriculation Certificate (In Finnish Lukion päättötodistus and Ylioppilastodistus). They need both documents on paper in two different languages: English and your native language. The documents can be copies but they have to be proven legitimate by registry office etc.

-Medical report

-Two Recommending letters in sealed envelopes from a teacher etc.

-Motivation letter

Also, make sure that your vaccinations are up to date when going to see a doctor for the Medical Report!

I send my application package in the end of  November 2016, deadline was on 31st of December. I received the decision on 29th of December so for me, it took about a month to hear from the results. But don't worry, I have understood that it often takes two months for them to inform you about their decision. 

I got in, all right, but there were some misunderstandments on my behalf about the application. I think that the application forms are somewhat confusing.

I received a document "Checklist for admissions" that said: "Please send us scanned copies of both documents in both languages to admissions@rsu.lv"(documents meaning the Official Transcript and Matriculation Certificate), and I though that it meant that you only need to scan and send the documents via email but no.. In addition, they needed those documents on paper... I honestly really could't find the part where they said that they needed them on paper too.. even to this day! I guess this will stay as a mystery for ever..

I felt quite frustrated at the time since I had had some problems with my Vaccination Certificate as well. So it wasn't really a surprise when I just broke down in tears in the middle of a super market when I got the email saying that again, something was wrong with my application. Fortunately, even this story has a happy ending :)

SO! If you have had some problems with your application, don't worry, you can still get in!

I had an average of 7-8 in High School (In Finland, grades go from 4-10, 10 being the best) and I have six E's also known as Six Eximia Cum Laude -grades on my Matriculation Certificate (the second best grade).

I hope that this post helps people, who are in the middle of their application process, please let me know if you have any questions!

http://inspirainternational.blogspot.fi/2015/10/study-mbbs-in-europe-latvia-riga.html