Is Erasmus as good as everybody says..?

jess2

In 3rd year I have to take part in an exchange programe for the entire year either working or studying and I really don't think I want to. I am going to be going to Spain. I have the option of teaching English as a foreign language in a small Spanish town, a lot of people in my year will be doing this and the college will be organising accomodation for us together. The other option is studying in a large university in Madrid. I feel like that would be a great opportunity but for that I would be going alone and Spanish universities don't seem to offer any help with accomidation or have on campus accomodation. I'm just looking for people opinions who have done erasmus on their own? Did you enjoy it? It kinda worries me having to live alone in a different country..

tabouli

I am currently on Erasmus in Germany. I study Computer Science and as far as I know, I'm the first person from my course to have gone in a few years. It's something I've always wanted to do though, I didn't want to let the fact that I would be going alone stop me. I didn't get offered campus accomodation either, so had to find my own place before I went.

Not gonna lie, the first few weeks were kind of lonely because I literally didn't know anyone except my flatmates. The city I'm in is quite small too by German standards (Saarbruecken), and the ex-pat community is not as big here as in other places. Regardless, I signed up for a language course for erasmus students a week or two before the semester started and instantly got to know people. So if you have the opportunity to do that I'd recommend it. I've met so many people in the 6/7 months I've been here and made some really good friends. A lot of people are in a similar boat to you, being away from home and their families. I even feel sorry for students who came in big groups as they tend to stick together a little bit, for me this isn't really the point of the experience.

Please don't let the idea of going alone stop you from studying abroad. I can honestly say Erasmus is one of the best things I've ever done.

purplepapillon

tabouli wrote: »

Please don't let the idea of going alone stop you from studying abroad. I can honestly say Erasmus is one of the best things I've ever done.

+1

Erasmus was an option on my course, which was actively discouraged due to alleged "low results" which came back to college on return. But I decided an hour before the closing date that I definitely wanted out of college for my thrid year and went to France. I was going from living at home, a big family-orientated house to living alone abroad. I was terrified tbh but also so so excited. I had the same kind of introduction to my Uni in France - a language course, where pretty much every Erasmus student met their friends and we had parties etc nonstop for the first few weeks. All this was set up in the early days of facebook, which was a great way to know what was going on through our Nice erasmus page. My year abroad improved my confidence to no end and a formerly shy girl came back a chatterbox. [Results were the same as I ususally got at home FYI]

Best decision I ever made!

A home from home forever and a group of friends for life, who I visit (handy to have friends abroad for hols!!). It's a no-brainer

MrStuffins

Erasmus is the best thing you will ever do! Trust me!

If I started telling you all the reasons why I loved it i'd be typing all day!

I didn't go on my own, I went with others. But when I graduated I went back to Spain on my own to teach English as part of a programme and I tell ya, i'd massively recommend going alone rather than with others.

it's VERY daunting but you shouldn't be worried.

Bottom line, Erasmus is the business, do it while you have the chance!

confusticated

I went with one other person, but it was quite a small university and there were only 4 non-native French speakers in my year of 200 people. We got very little help with sorting accommodation and that kind of thing, and yeah it was daunting at first and it wasn't always 100% fun and parties (we actually had way more classes that we would have had in Ireland!) but it's hands down the best thing I've ever done. I lived on my own and it was a great experience, which you're unlikely to do during college in Ireland.

I've never met anyone who regretted going on Erasmus, please don't be too afraid to do it! Any homesickness or loneliness wears off pretty quickly - you're just too busy for it! And whether it's other foreigners or natives, you'll make so many friends.

antomorro-sei

I'm on my Erasmus in Barcelona now. I randomly applied to go and got accepted despite not knowing much Spanish.

I didn't get any help from the Uni here for accom or anything but there's loads of people in the same boat anyway so its grand. You meet so many great people and imo, its soooo much better than Ireland.

Alright, I ain't such a big fan of the Uni here and learning Spanish hasn't gone as well as I had expected/hoped due to the fact that majority of my classes are in Catalan and I live with English speaking people, but still, I cannot highly reccomend Erasmus enough!

I always thought I'd stay in Ireland for years but since being away, and if I can improve my Spanish enough from now until the end of my degree then I'd half think of doing one on those English teaching programmes in Spain, if it was possible.

GUTTED I only have a few months left here

LostCorkGuy

pfft i've to go to shanghai you've got it easy :P


but seriously it's going to be as good as you make it

hdowney

i would love to do an erasmus year or something similar. my course is only two years though so it isn't offered. and as far as i know my college don't do a degree in my course, although others do. not sure how it would work though - as i'd be transferring into the degree programme in year three, so unless the erasmus was only say semester two of year three i am not sure i could do it. boo hiss.

i would say go for it for sure

vanillapod

pretty much everyone else has hit the nail on the head. Erasmus is the best year ever.
Before I went...I was freaked out a bit too... didn't want to leave my boyfriend..my life here...blah blah...
Thank god I had the courage to just go for it! I didn't know anybody else going..I met the other Irish when I arrived... Sorting out accommodation is not a huge hurdle and honestly what an adventure! It will give you so much confidence.
Choose Madrid, its a wonderful and vibrant city with so many people to meet.
When I went to spain alone... I was never alone. You will make so many friends its crazy!
All I will say...is watch this movie. (it's the erasmus bible)
L'Auberge Espagnole. (download it..rent it...whatever. Watch it, erasmus is pretty much like that!)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0283900/

Good Luck!

Elvis_Presley

L'Auberge Espagnole is great - so funny!

Seriously, go abroad, you'll have a blast!