5 tips for your successful landing at KTU

Studying abroad can be the greatest adventure of your lifetime. Making the first steps in your career journey, meeting new friends, and forging meaningful connections – study years are rich with experience. Want to make the most of it? Come prepared.

How to get to Kaunas? Whether to live in a dormitory or to rent privately? What weather to expect? How to smoothly integrate into the community? The number of questions before relocating to a foreign country can be overwhelming. The majority of your questions are answered on this page. Some of the answers you will find below. Any additional concerns will be solved by the friendly and dedicated staff of the KTU International Studies Office.

1. Find the best place to live

Accommodation at KTU dormitories is available to all university students. In the dormitory, you may have a single or shared room, and access to the common kitchen, laundry and other facilities. Monthly rent rates vary: depending on the room type you may pay from around €80 to €250 per month. Take a virtual tour to see what KTU dormitories look like!

Those valuing their privacy or willing to live elsewhere can opt for private accommodation. There are many websites offering accommodation in Kaunas. Also, you may check groups on social media (search term: butu nuoma Kaune) for options. The rent might cost from €150 to €400, depending on the size and other qualities of the accommodation chosen, and you will need to pay the bills (electricity, water, heating, etc.) on top. Keep in mind that the heating season in Lithuania runs from October to April, and this will affect the price of your bills. In this video provided by Kaunas IN, Xavier Mansa, who has recently relocated to Kaunas, talks about finding accommodation in Kaunas in detail.

Overall, don’t panic – Kaunas is a fairly inexpensive place to reside, according to our students.

2. Investigate travelling to and around Kaunas options

If you are planning to arrive by plane, check Vilnius, Kaunas and Palanga airports. Kaunas is situated in the middle of the country, just an hour’s drive from Vilnius, and can be reached by train, bus, or shuttle.

You will end up in Kaunas Bus Station (Kauno autobusų stotis) or Kaunas Railway Station (Kauno geležinkelio stotis). They are situated next to each other and close to the city centre. Kaunas city transport is efficient, cheap and allows you to reach every corner of the city easily.

If you want to find out more about getting around in Kaunas, check out this video by Xavier Mansa.

Kaunas, for years nicknamed a student city, has it all – cultural life with museums, festivals and concerts, parks and greenery, and historical heritage. For nature lovers, there are several forest parks, exceptional walking grounds, such as Santaka (Eng. confluence) or Nemunas Island Park, and riverside bicycle roads. In summer, you can even go to the beach – there is a choice of them too!

3. Get acquainted with local weather and culture

Do you know what it means to be a culturally sensitive traveller? Such travellers are prepared to blend into the environment, experience the new place as locals and get the most out of their stay in a country far from home.

Take some time to familiarise yourself with your future study country, Lithuania. By knowing even briefly your soon-to-be home’s culture, history, geography, economy, and government your study abroad experience will be enriched and your time spent more meaningful.

You can start with the official websites for overseas travellers, investors and students, or check out an official Lithuania gateway Lithuania co-create. The majority of Lithuanians will speak English or Russian, however knowing a few Lithuanian words and phrases might help greatly in the beginning. When you are at the university, enrol in classes for learning Lithuanian. Life will feel different once you understand the locals.

According to KTU mechatronics student Wendy Giovanna Andino Villalta from Honduras, Lithuanians, who typically are reserved and shy around strangers, open up when they hear their native tongue.

Weather alert! There are four seasons in Lithuania, in autumn-winter, it rains and snows often, and although summers tend to be warm and sunny, the colder season might feel a bit dark and damp. Our winters might feel rather cold for someone coming from a warmer climate. However, we suggest you bring with you only essential warm clothes. There are plenty of shopping centres in Kaunas, where you will find all the necessary things for your stay here.

4. Prepare to make the most of your studies

Although “Extracurricular activities” is one of the last parts of your résumé, don’t underestimate its importance. Most employers get major information about the applicant’s hobbies and personality from this section of their CV. It is especially important if you do not have enough relevant work experience.

Whether it is learning alongside the most gifted, getting inspired through arts, or being guided by dedicated mentors – KTU has thought about all the aspects of your university journey. Check out these exclusive personal development opportunities here.

In Lithuania, the school year starts on September 1st. However, make sure to arrive at least a week before the semester starts, not to miss the Welcome Week, which is a great way to get to know your university, and new home town and make new friends. This year’s welcoming event is scheduled for August 28–September 2 and is packed with activities.

However, if you miss the welcome week’s introduction to the university, you can find all the information on the important issues of your university life at the Student Infocentre, housing International Relations, Student Affairs and Doctoral School, located at the heart of the KTU Campus, Studentų Street 50.

Overall, to get acquainted with the University environment, take our virtual tour, where you will find everything – from dormitories to research laboratories filmed as they are.

5. Meet your peers beforehand

Last but not least – don’t overstress about arriving at Kaunas – our mentors, trained by Erasmus Student Network KTU and KTU Students’ Union will not only meet you but also show you around the city.

Talk to others who have been there. Check out the KTU Ambassadors.

Among them, you may find your fellow countryman who is also a KTU student. The Ambassadors are a friendly group of international KTU students dedicated to helping their peers to adjust to the new environment.

Alejandra, an architecture student from Nicaragua, came to Kaunas at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, when all the teaching was online, there were many restrictions to social life – it took three months for her to visit the city centre.

Always remember, the University is not a building, but people who are there to make you feel welcome and happy.

Are you ready to come? Have you checked that you have everything needed for smooth travel? Great! Looking forward to greeting you at KTU.

15 Aug 2023