For the last two years, I have been an international student in Romania at University of Aurel Vlaicu in Arad (UAV). Currently, I’m in the middle of the second year of my degree itself, but the first year I was here was for the Romanian Language Preparatory Year which many international students are required to do. So technically, I have started my third year of school in Romania.
My school is not very big but it is still considerably bigger (enrollment wise) than Freed-Hardeman University where I attended back in the States. And it is not a private Christian school…it is a state university. Therefore it should come as no surprise that my experience here differs drastically from my experience back in the States. I wanted to use this article to explain the pluses of studying in Romania, talk about some of my personal challenges, and answer some of the questions many of you have about studying in Romania.
Studying during the Romanian Language Preparatory Year (RPY)
In November 2024, I began the RPY after I worked through all of the bureacracy of applying to the University. The RPY was made up entirely of international students. A majority of the students were from the Middle East or Africa, but there were also a few students from the South Pacific and Europe as well. I was the only student that year from the Americas. If I remember correctly, there were about 45 of us enrolled in the program that year. Because we started the year later than the Romanian students (who started in October), we had our exams later. Our first semester exams were in March/April, and our second semester exams were in July.
For the RPY, we had classes in vocabulary and grammar, but they were not structured like typical classes at the University. The meetings were more informal and relaxed, especially during the first semester. By the end of the first semester, our professors expected us to have about an A2 level of language profiency (being able to introduce ourselves, have a small conversation about basic topics, order food… basics). The professors would give us assignments and homework, but there wasn’t any grade outside of our exam grades. In other words, homework and in-class assignments were not something that were graded. This was one of the biggest shocks for me as an American. In America, everything is graded… All homework and assignments. Maybe that has changed now, but at least from my High School and University experience back in Alabama and Tennessee, homework was not something which was optional. During the RPY, homework was ONLY meant to help us IF we chose to do it. And for those of us who did our assignments and worked diligently to study the language on our own time, it paid off! In the second semester of the RPY, we had more structure to our schedule and to our classes. Attendance started to be something that professors really counted on. Professors in Romania take attendance into account when it is time for exams, as more grace could be shown to students who regularly attended classes and put forth effort. At the end of the second semester, we had our exams. Those who wished to study medicine had to have a B2 level of language proficiency on the exam, whereas everyone else had to achieve a B1 level. In addition, we were also given a grade based on the 1-10 scale of grading (where 5 is the minimum to pass).
Integrating into the faculty (facultate)
After I completed the RPY, I then had to apply and register for the faculty (facultate in Romanian). The best way I can explain a faculty is that it is something like a department or school within the larger university. Because “facultate” is similar to the English word “faculty”, it has just stuck. I just say faculty instead of saying department or school. Anyways, I’m getting distracted. So I had to apply to the faculty in Arad for the major I desired to study. I will explain more about applying to universities itself later in the article when I address some of the questions I have gotten! I chose as my major to study languages (specifically I am studying Romanian, English, and German). I chose this major because it seemed to be the one with the most options down the road when I will need to find employment in Arad for my residence permit (some of you may have to look at newsletters or updates I have previously posted in order to follow my decision making process for that).
After gaining acceptance into the faculty to study languages and literature, I began attending classes with Romanian students in October 2025. I was extremely nervous going into the program! Especially because I knew that I was going to be the only foreigner in my class – and I was right! However, just a couple of days into classes at the faculty, I found a group of colleagues to call ‘my friends’, I was helped and encouraged throughout the whole of the semester! All of my colleagues speak English very well, and are patient with me in the moments I need to speak in Romanian as well. My professors also show a great deal of patience with me. Now, grading in the faculty is a little different. We still do not receive the amount of homework or projects students receive in the States, but we do get considerably more homework than in the RPY. However, these are usually only factored into about 30% of the grade. The exams themselves carry considerably more weight than all of the projects and homework done throughout the semester. I will get into the grading system in more detail when I answer some of the questions in a later section of this article.
“The University Experience” as an international student going through the RPY vs the one as an international student going through the faculty with all the Romanian students differ drastically. There are many classes (imagine a 4 year program being crammed into 3 years), and the “Romanian Student Experience” becomes to be more understood and felt. Ask any Romanian what they think about the education in Romania, and it can probably help you understand what I mean by “Romanian Student Experience.”
The first year was a wild ride! 19 classes between the two semesters. My colleagues had a couple of additional classes because their desire to teach at the elementary or high-schools. I have no such desire to teach at that level. I started the second year just a few weeks ago, and I have noticed that the second year is a bit more relaxed than the first year, though I have heard that it will pick up as we have to engage in our practicums and also select our thesis coordinators. In Romania, students who want to advance to a masters degree have to write a bachelor’s thesis! Yet another difference between American and Romanian schools.
Your Questions
There is a lot more I could write, and maybe I should do another article when I finish the bachelor program! But now, I will try to answer some of your questions:
Question: Is it difficult meeting people?
Answer: Not really! Romanians are very hospitable to international students. But also, I observed that there is even a general warmth and sense of comradery Romanian students have in general. We are all struggling through together!
Question: Can you work while you are in school?
Answer: Absolutely! Most Romanian students have jobs outside of school. So long as they meet the minimum attendance requirements, professors do not have a problem with students who are working.
Question: How much does it cost?
Answer: For Romanian students, it is not much. Just a few hundred dollars per year. For international students who came without scholarships, such as myself, we pay considerably more by Romanian standards. It costs $2,500 for me to study each year. Still less than any American university!
Question: Do they have campus clubs and activities?
Answer: Yes, they do. But they are not like American ones. Sports teams exist but there is no rich university loyalty or tradition like Americans are used to.
Question: Are classes large? Are they auditorium sized or just a few people?
Answer: Classes aren’t that big. There are about 35 people total in my class, and only about 10 of us attend consistently.
Question: How does grading work?
Answer: Romania works under the 1-10 grading system. 1 being the lowest grade and 10 being the highest. In order to pass a class in Romania, you have to have a grade of at least 5. If you do not make a 5, they have make-up exams called “restanța” that give you a chance to increase your grade.
Question: Is it easy to become a student in another country? How do I even get started?
Answer: Short answer- it depends on where you are from and the country you are going to. For me, as an American, I feel it was considerably easy in comparison to what some other international students had to go through. If you are an American or a European and you want to study in Romania, the first step is to get all of your documents from high school or university in your home country apostilled. After getting your documents apostilled, the next thing to do is to speak or write to the international relations department of whatever university you are applying to in Romania, and to ask them about the next steps. They will guide you through the process making an application for the Ministry of Education, as they are the ones who decide if you will be admitted or not. I could write a lot more about this, but with rapidly changing rules, the process could have changed in the last two years.
Question: How do you get through the language barrier?
Answer: It is still a struggle. The main thing is to try your best in the language, and also to find some colleagues who can help you along the way. Many Romanian students know English and they know it well! The professors, however, may not know English (depending on their age and what department they are teaching in). So if you want to be an international student in Romania, you should do the Romanian language preparatory year, and work diligently to get a B1/B2 level.
