How to live several mini lives in different European countries during university, or what are ERASMUS+ programs and why they are one of the best moments of studying in Poland?
'Don't let fear stop you from the possibilities of this amazing life.'
Living in Belarus, I heard a lot about students in Europe traveling for 20 euros and studying in different countries for free, but I could not imagine it in reality, because the prices for flights in our country do not appear with the number 20, and no one sends us to study abroad.
When I moved to Poland, I promised myself to take advantage of as many opportunities as possible and to make the most of my life here in order to form a foundation for the future.
And what surprised me was that already in my first semester of study in Poznan, I had the opportunity to go to the "Design Thinking" project in Belgium.
It was a one-week ERASMUS+ program between universities, which covered all expenses (accommodation, meals, flights) and gave us, young people, the opportunity to gain quality knowledge, meet people from different countries, and practice public speaking skills by presenting our projects.
When I heard about this opportunity, I did not immediately decide to apply, because I was scared to death that everything would be in English and I might not be able to cope (it was the second month of my studies in Poland). I had a lot of fears in my head, like I would not pass the language test, or what would happen if I missed classes, etc.
After weighing all the pros and cons, and talking it over with my wise parents, I realized that even if I didn't pass the language test, nothing would happen and I would just continue studying at CDV (my university), and considering that I had a good relationship with my teachers, I could agree with them in advance and do everything possible to make sure that this week of absences would not affect my grades.
So, having gathered all my will in a fist, I sent an application...(there should be a drum roll)... And I got a reply: "Congratulations, Margarita, you have been accepted to the program, we will send you the details soon".
WHAT? Wait, this isn't a dream? There aren't even any exams? I double-checked 10 times, texted a classmate (who was also accepted). There were a lot of thoughts in my head, and one insight that still drives my life is that we often make up our own problems that we may never face, so we just need to take action and not give in to fear.
Mark Twain's quote "I've had many problems in my life, some of them were even real" describes this situation perfectly.
After receiving a positive answer, I had to fill out some forms, buy airplane tickets for the first time in my life, book a hotel. Everything was new, unexplored, but the wild interest and enthusiasm that drove me definitely helped to overcome everything and in the end, a month later, I was walking in Belgium with the guys from CDV in the cozy town of Lier (near Antwerp).
The first project and it became impossible to stop me from doing it.
Like any adventure, this trip brought many unforgettable moments and acquaintances, and was a great start of my relationship with ERASMUS+ and the opportunities they provide.
After this program, exactly one year later I will fly with my classmates for a week-long exchange to Turkey, where I will return from a walk along the sea to study "The Language of Toys and its Impact on Children's Lives" with people from Italy, Spain, Greece, Turkey and Poland.
The last program I attended was in Poland, in my city (Poznan). It was a 7-day training on mental health and mindfulness for young people, with a group of people from 17 countries (it was fantastic, a super mix of ideas and worldviews).
This project was a real retreat for me and helped me find answers to many questions.
A short film about the project:
Why do I participate in ERASMUS+?
For me, the greatest value of such programs is the people. Conversations in which, through their life experience, "strangers" expand my boundaries of consciousness, give me new ideas and energy to achieve my goals - it is something fabulous.
I heard so many amazing stories from the guys with whom I became a family in 7 days, that remembering some of them still gives me goosebumps.
Someday I'll tell you about the IT centers for kids that Kardashian opened in Armenia, or about volunteering in Africa, or the story of a female author from New Zealand who opened a center to support girls who were victims of violence. (The baggage of stories is quite dense, I think it's time to pack them into articles and share them with you, because often some cool ideas from other countries can be applied to improve one's life).
Once my teacher Sima from university said this phrase when I was hesitating about applying for a new project:
"Margo, university will be over and a new season of your life will come, where most likely you will develop your business, build a family, but you have only one youth and if you can live it by traveling, developing yourself and studying at university in parallel, why give it up? I can see that you are an organized person and can definitely figure out how to combine this with your life. Don't let fear take control of your only life away from you, because you might regret it later on in your 30s. I'm telling you from personal experience, don't exaggerate the importance of university."
Let this phrase from Sima be a beacon to us all and remind us that university is important, but it is not a reason to give up 3 years of your life and miss out on the opportunities that come regularly. (Note that I am not saying here that you should forget about your studies, I am talking about the conscious allocation of your time, the ability to take responsibility and combine life and studies).
Why is it free and what is the refund process like?
The EU wants young people from different countries to be able to communicate, hear and listen to each other's ideas, it unites nations and helps to expand the boundaries of consciousness. With such ERASMUS+ programs they invest in their future generation and how they will make the country and the world a better place (*this is what I heard at the programs, if you are interested in details, google it).
Regarding the age of funds, usually in the project description organizers write when you will be transferred (the amount includes the cost of all the tickets you provide them). Don't worry about this topic, at each program they explain what your actions should be.
The main rule: SAVE ALL TICKETS.
Where to find ERASMUS+ projects?
https://www.facebook.com/groups/YouthOpportunitiesPL
Telegram group with projects for participants from different countries:
https://t.me/erasmusplusprojects
To understand how to write a motivation letter, I recommend this video with good tips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUhDP30IRKk
*Please note that there are different types of ERASMUS+: Training course & Youth exchange. Training courses are aimed at gaining deeper knowledge, Exchanges are more superficial.
I was on both types of programs and after my third ERASMUS+ I was able to clearly form an opinion about what I am more interesting and where I want to apply further (I will not share this with you, as I believe that we are all different, and you need to figure out for yourself what suits you best, try and form your own opinion).
*Remember that different people, go to projects with different goals, so it's important to set yourself some sort of plan of what you want to take away from each trip. This will help you not to waste your energy on unnecessary things, but instead fill yourself with things that are interesting.
I can say for sure that each program was worth the trip and brought a great change in my life. I am very happy that Europe provides its youth with such opportunities and that even if you are not a citizen of the country, but simply a student, you can also fully participate in projects and travel to different countries.
Conclusion
Going to Poland I had no idea that such ERASMUS+ projects even existed, but perspective and curiosity did their job and I am glad that now I can share it with you and inspire you to travel and gain new knowledge.
I hope this article was useful to you and one day, at one of your future programs, over a cup of coffee with a "stranger" from another country who has become a close friend of yours, you will remember this text and thank yourself for daring to try and discover this new, amazing ERASMUS+ world.
Let me know in the comments what impressions you got from the article and if you have any questions, ask, we will discuss. Share the link with a friend who might also benefit from learning about this opportunity: https://margomarketer.blogspot.com/2024/03/abouterasmus..html
Good luck to you, guys.
Hugs, Margo💜
My Instagram account
*This text is not an advertisement for ERASMUS+ programs, it is my personal desire to show as many guys as possible that this opportunity exists and it is already available to them now.
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