Erasmus student Nika Pušlar: I like to decipher the Slovak language
Nika Pušlar is from Slovenia and is studying at Comenius University through Erasmus+. She is in her second year of a Cognitive Science master programme at the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia.
Why have you chosen Comenius University for your Erasmus+ stay?
My study programme is available at four universities: in Ljubljana, Vienna, Bratislava, and in Budapest. I study Cognitive Science in Ljubljana, and we are required to spend the third semester at one of our partner universities. I am in the second year of my master study and this is my first Erasmus+ stay.
What do you study at Comenius University?
I study at the Faculty of Mathematics, Physics, and Informatics of Comenius University Bratislava, because this is the faculty that offers a Cognitive Science programme.
What will your master thesis be about?
My research is related to pro-environmental change and personal growth in close relationships, with a focus on meaning-making through the use of language. I am trying to research how our close relationships influence us to be more environmentally friendly and how individuals perceive this change, how it happens and how it even can happen.
I am still deciding on the topic of my master thesis. I have a wonderful mentor for the research project I am working on here in Slovakia, so I am thinking about expanding the project into a thesis later, and continue under her mentorship.
What, in your opinion, are the three major differences between Comenius University and the University of Ljubljana?
They are not so different - maybe in Bratislava, students live in a large campus which is something I am not used to. In Ljubljana the dormitories are spread around the city. We also have a system of subsidized student meals that enables students to eat at many restaurants and food vendors around Slovenia. Oh, and we don’t have an ISIC card at my university as far as I know, but I have an EYCA student card.
Is studying in Slovakia different from studying in Slovenia?
Yes, quite different: the Cognitive Science programmes in the cities that I mentioned earlier have different focuses. Our university focuses on the psychological, philosophical and especially first-person aspects in research while the programme at Comenius University is more about artificial intelligence and informatics. This is also very interesting, but I am not very much into the AI aspect of Cognitive Science.
Have you already worked with AI?
No, not really. I did take a programming class at my university, and I enjoyed learning a programming language and logic, but of course it’s not the same thing. But I know I should probably learn about AI to improve my general knowledge, and that is partly why I am here. My brother who studies physics also became very interested in AI lately and I love talking to him, it motivates me.
Does your programme at Comenius University include practice?
Yes, my practice is actually my research project under the guidance of my mentor from the Institute for Research in Social Communication of the SAS here in Slovakia.
How did you do the practical part of your study in Ljubljana?
I was active in a field of research called phenomenology, which is quite advanced in Ljubljana. I worked with a mentor from a psychiatric clinic. I researched what people were experiencing while watching certain movie clips, and validating them for further fMRI research to learn what states the clips were inducing in them. We were basically asking the question “what is it like to be you” at a specific moment, covering everything from thoughts and their content, through emotions, inner speech, awareness, sensory details, memories, and so on. It was particularly important that we didn’t expect anything specific and really tried to stay with the person’s individual experience.
What have you discovered?
Well, the data is still being analysed, but I learnt a lot from the interviews I conducted. What I found fascinating was how differently we can respond to, and experience, the same movie clip. Oh, and also what went through the people’s minds when they got bored while watching. That was quite fun, I realized how fast even a neutral environment can become something that might have an effect on the person under research, and how you mustn’t disregard these sorts of influences.
What do you like about Bratislava so far?
It's quite similar to our capital, which I really like - it is calm and not too populous. Slovak and my mother tongue Slovene are both Slavic languages, and I enjoy trying to decipher your language.
Do you have a favourite spot in our capital?
I really like to read in the Bratislava castle gardens and sit in Hviezdoslav square. The Botanical Garden is magical to walk around when it's sunny, especially in autumn. I also went on some hikes around the city.
Are there any downsides to your Erasmus+ stay in Slovakia?
Finding a place to stay was difficult and expensive, because many students were left without dorm rooms due to renovations. My friend found the best option in renting a small Airbnb that we now share.
Can you describe the dormitory situation in Ljubljana?
Most of the students in Ljubljana that I know either stay with their family or rent rooms in flats. My family lives in Ljubljana, so I can stay at home. Erasmus+ students and Slovene students from other cities or with difficult domestic situation usually do obtain accommodation at dormitories.
What are you planning to do when you complete your studies?
I want to take a gap year because in Slovenia we can take a one year sabbatical after our studies while still maintaining all the benefits of being a student, and we can focus on accumulating practical experience and on our thesis. So, I want to develop my thesis and if possible, I want study or work in China for a few months. I studied sinology for my bachelor degree which is why I want to do it - I miss Chinese.
Why have you chosen Cognitive Science after studying sinology?
Back in high school, I became really interested in how our culture and our language affect our thinking and the way see the world. I chose Sinology because Chinese is a completely different language system from ours, and also because I knew almost nothing about that part of the world. I found it very fascinating, and I learnt a lot about my own biases. I see Cognitive Science as an extension of that - it involves researching the way we see the world from different perspectives: psychological, linguistic, anthropological, neuroscientific and philosophical. It is very interdisciplinary and open and that was crucial for me.
Radka Rosenbergová