“Erasmus. A word with no actual meaning for some people, but a lifestyle for some others. So, what makes Erasmus so special? Is it the gathering of people from different countries and backgrounds? Is it the cultural exchange? Is it the new horizons and prospects that are widely opened? It is definitely all of those. But at the same time, it is so much more. Nobody can precisely give an answer to that question. And that is because there is not a real answer. Each person translates Erasmus on their own personal way. Different people, different stories. One thing, however, can be taken for granted: everyone who ventures into it, can only win. So, what are the benefits of being an Erasmus student? Let’s find out.
𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲 𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭
One of the greatest and most important benefits that Erasmus students can get is that they will not have to pay or submit any tuition fees to their new universities. In addition, each student is provided with an Erasmus grant which is able to cover most of their financial expenses. In any case, beyond the Erasmus reality, you would probably have to pay everything for yourself.
𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬
Reaching out for the unknown may feel intimidating for some students. A new country, new people, new conditions. There’s no need to worry about it though. That is a part of the experience and it is actually where the whole magic lies beneath. Escaping your comfort zone is the first step that will finally lead you to the most amazing experience that a student can possibly get. Besides that, you will get to know more people at the same situation as you.
𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬
Erasmus equals traveling. Traveling equals Erasmus. That is a fact. It is just so amazing how many places you can visit in a semester. You will get trains, planes, buses. You will visit big cities. Small towns. Places that you can’t even pronounce. The beach or the little lake near you. You will get lost. You will ask for help from people that will not understand what you want but will try their best to help you. You will meet new people. New friends. Or the love of your life. You will realize, how big, how great our world is. Waiting for you to discover.
𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬
Increasing your employability status is one of the most common reasons that people choose to take a semester abroad. It is proven that this international experience can boost you CV and make it more appealing to future employers. It is also proven that Erasmus students are more likely to acquire better skills, get more proactive, be more flexible and be able to get some impactful initiatives. All of the aforementioned are vital assets for a successful career in every field.
𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬
Countries usually differ from each other. So do universities. It is quite likely that your new university applies different educational approaches. Approaches that you may not be familiar with. Those may be more innovative and thorough than the ones back at your home university. Thus, you will enhance your critical skills and possibly start looking at things from a different perspective.
𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬
The Erasmus reality is different from the one you grew up to. Things are different here. You take classes with foreign students. Share a room with a French girl. Cook next to a guy who just came from Lisbon. Take a coffee with that group of Turkish people you just met at the train. Go for a walk with your best friend who was there for you since the very first moment. Try the local beer. Speak to local people. Get to know them. Taste paella from that Spanish girl next door. Pasta from that Italian guy who probably knows better than you. Different people, but the same feelings, same spirit, same place. Erasmus brings people together, ties them into a tightly tied bond that goes on for a long time and never fades away.”
