What I learned From Erasmus

WHAT DID I LEARN FROM ERASMUS?

Erasmus was always a thing that I want to experience. Learning new cultures, having new friend, travel to new places, and much more… In my 3’rd year of university, I went to Santander, Spain for Erasmus. It was an amazing experience for me, I learned so many things during my Erasmus mobility. I want to share a few of them with you.

I NOTICED OF THAT I’M STRONGER THAN I THOUGHT

 I couldn’t find a home to live in at the beginning, They stoled my money, my phone fell into the water and needed to be repaired, I was in a country where the high population doesn’t know how to speak English, I found a home, then quarantine started and my friends wanted to return back their countries. Guess who was homeless again  But you know what? If I had a chance, I prefer to live these again. I learned that in one way or another, life continues and I have to keep living. No matter how to finish that day. As long as time passes, you are one step closer to better days.

DON’T AFRAID TO MAKE A MISTAKES

I was going to English courses since I was a kid. I learned so many things as a theory, but there is one thing that I learned in Erasmus which different from the English courses I went to; MAKE MISTAKE. Use wrong words, make a sentence with wrong tenses, talk slow, don’t remember the word you want to say… This is how you will learn true ones. Believe me, nobody will judge you. You are an Erasmus student there and there are more students who are excited to meet you around you. You have a good opportunity to talk, to improve your grammar, to make friends and of course to make a mistake. Use this opportunity :)

STAY IN THE MOMENT

During my Erasmus process, I lived so many challenges and I was stressed about many things. However, I understood that my stress won’t help anything. As I told you, life continues; If I can’t live the moment right now, when will I live it again? So, I started living the moment. I met amazing people, traveled to amazing places, learned amazing things about my degree, and I understood that this is Erasmus with that way; that's why I am in here. There are many challenges you will live but don’t need to be stress that much. Without thinking about your problems just for a while, Try to meet new people and learn their culture, try to learn their languages, to taste their foods, to listen to their music, to explore new touristic places, to learn different opinions about your degree. This is Erasmus, live it!  

 I was not regretting even a second for doing Erasmus. Every passing day, I learned new things and I can clearly say that It changed my life and my perspective about life. I strongly recommend you to have this experience.

Santander, Spain

Written by Setenay Alpay

ERASMUSDutch humanist and theologian who was the leading Renaissance scholar of northern Europe; although his criticisms of the Roman Catholic Church led to the Reformation, he opposed violence and condemned Martin Luther (1466-1536)More (Definitions, Synonyms, Translation)