I dedicate this post to exchange students everywhere who had the courage to leave for the adventure of studying abroad.
I chose to speak about Erasmus because it is one of the most popular programs, at least in Europe. Every year, it facilitate the exchange of hundreds of students and it is maybe the most accessible program for studies abroad.
Erasmus was an explorer, now Erasmus is an experience for those who want to explore new countries, new studies.
I have met many Erasmus and students in my life and I always felt like there was a particular form of energy around them. For most of them the experience abroad was life changing and for some (including myself) it was an initiative road to adult life.
I was watching them long before I become one myself, while dreaming to live an adventure like this. It was not about the studies, it was not even about learning a new language. It was mostly for the feeling of discovery, a new world, a new country, new people, a new life.
It starts with a lot of bureaucracy, going from office to office. This was the first step and an important one, because it's easy to quit in this stage. One can end up disappointed when they see how few money they will receive, how expensive life abroad can be (especially if they have to go in a touristic city). Some quit because they are not sure that it's the good timing. Some are discouraged by the fear of not having all the classes equaled or accepted when they come back home.
And here comes step number 2: the personal conflict. What will happen to your relationships? What if the family doesn't support you? Will you be able to adapt to a different society?
Step number 3 is the journey. For some is the first time they get into a plane or the first time abroad. It's hard to leave your family and receiving a thousand advices. It can be possible break up in a relationship or difficult goodbye.
Step number 4 is the adaptation. This is the big challenge: how to get cheap accommodation when sometimes you do not even know the language? We all leave with some knowledge about life, but sometimes when you get to a destination you realize that procedures like "finding a place to live in", "getting a good grade at the exams" are not the same or food is not the same or people behave differently. You also have to start managing a budget. For those that get over this stage (and I met some that couldn't) another life begins.
Step number 5 is the evolution. When you get to know a new country, when you meet other students like you, you start to see things differently. This was for me the time of great human interaction, the time for great friendship, nice parties and amazing trips. It was a time full of pictures and beautiful memories. And in the meantime some ideas started to grow about building a life abroad.
Step number 6 is a very emotional one: the come back. Most of the Erasmus I met, told me that they had contradictory feelings: on one side they were happy to go home to their loved once, on the other side, they were having the feeling that a great time was over. I met many for which the adaptation process at come back was more difficult that the one at the beginning. I used to have dreams in other languages, I felt uprooted, and I wanted to discover.
This is the stage when you have to take a decision: staying or leaving, and most of the time the decision is taken quite quickly in a young heart. The process of implementing it begins.
I know many people that had the same experiences, I know that they were changed. I know people who stayed, who decided to have a life in their own country and people who left for good, and all of them did well in life...
I chose to speak about Erasmus because it is one of the most popular programs, at least in Europe. Every year, it facilitate the exchange of hundreds of students and it is maybe the most accessible program for studies abroad.
Erasmus was an explorer, now Erasmus is an experience for those who want to explore new countries, new studies.
I have met many Erasmus and students in my life and I always felt like there was a particular form of energy around them. For most of them the experience abroad was life changing and for some (including myself) it was an initiative road to adult life.
I was watching them long before I become one myself, while dreaming to live an adventure like this. It was not about the studies, it was not even about learning a new language. It was mostly for the feeling of discovery, a new world, a new country, new people, a new life.
It starts with a lot of bureaucracy, going from office to office. This was the first step and an important one, because it's easy to quit in this stage. One can end up disappointed when they see how few money they will receive, how expensive life abroad can be (especially if they have to go in a touristic city). Some quit because they are not sure that it's the good timing. Some are discouraged by the fear of not having all the classes equaled or accepted when they come back home.
And here comes step number 2: the personal conflict. What will happen to your relationships? What if the family doesn't support you? Will you be able to adapt to a different society?
Step number 3 is the journey. For some is the first time they get into a plane or the first time abroad. It's hard to leave your family and receiving a thousand advices. It can be possible break up in a relationship or difficult goodbye.
Step number 4 is the adaptation. This is the big challenge: how to get cheap accommodation when sometimes you do not even know the language? We all leave with some knowledge about life, but sometimes when you get to a destination you realize that procedures like "finding a place to live in", "getting a good grade at the exams" are not the same or food is not the same or people behave differently. You also have to start managing a budget. For those that get over this stage (and I met some that couldn't) another life begins.
Step number 5 is the evolution. When you get to know a new country, when you meet other students like you, you start to see things differently. This was for me the time of great human interaction, the time for great friendship, nice parties and amazing trips. It was a time full of pictures and beautiful memories. And in the meantime some ideas started to grow about building a life abroad.
Step number 6 is a very emotional one: the come back. Most of the Erasmus I met, told me that they had contradictory feelings: on one side they were happy to go home to their loved once, on the other side, they were having the feeling that a great time was over. I met many for which the adaptation process at come back was more difficult that the one at the beginning. I used to have dreams in other languages, I felt uprooted, and I wanted to discover.
This is the stage when you have to take a decision: staying or leaving, and most of the time the decision is taken quite quickly in a young heart. The process of implementing it begins.
I know many people that had the same experiences, I know that they were changed. I know people who stayed, who decided to have a life in their own country and people who left for good, and all of them did well in life...
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