Erasmus experience – Ricardo de Freitas

Full name: Ricardo de Freitas
Age: 24
University: ISCTE-IUL
Period of Erasmus participation: First semester of 2010/2011 (5 Months)
Study year: 4th year of my degree.
Degree name: Informática e Gestão de Empresa (Information Technology and Management)

• Could a young individual who has participated in one of these projects have a larger demand in the labor market?

– It was only after I completed the programme that I realized how important the experience was. I started going to job interviews and one of the fist things almost all the interviewers used to ask me was if I studied abroad. I was amazed because I thought that they would think of us Erasmus students as “party people” but that’s not the case. Turns out that companies prefer to hire people with these type of international experiences because every year companies are expanding to other countries, and they want young adventurous employees who are more willing to pack their bags and accept these professional opportunities abroad.

• What skills does the young individual gain and why is it important?

– When I first enrolled myself in the Erasmus programme I did it because I have always been a person who loves interacting with people from different countries and I have always been fascinated with other cultures so when the opportunity presented itself I did not think twice.
Everyone is different but speaking for myself I can clearly say that I grew in so many ways because the experience forced me to do things that I would never had done if I hadn’t participated in Erasmus. It forced me to speak and read a foreign language, and it made me see the world in a whole new perspective with regards to how different certain things function in another country. Another advantage in doing such programmes is to get to discover the other country, not just as a tourist but also as a possible future work destination.

• Is it easy to study in another country?

– I would say the hardest thing for me was to communicate, because not many people in Spain understand English. Fortunately, after a few weeks I knew enough Spanish words to get around. It was tough to find a place to stay but that’s part of the experience and of course I had to live with people that I didn’t really know and it caused some conflicts.

• What are the countries that you advise?

– I’m not the type of person who would recommend going to a country without being there. I was in Spain and I do recommend it because it has some renowned universities and friendly people. I think that when possible the student should always choose a country with a good university because it really can enrich your CV. In regards to the country I honestly think any country, far or near, is good as long as the student goes there with an open spirit and willingness to accept and learn new things.

• What were the financial costs?

– I studied in Madrid which is a very expensive city to live in, and for someone who is still living with their parents it’s quite hard to handle. Besides rent you also have to pay for food, electricity and water. I would recommend students with financial difficulties to get a job and work for a few months before studying abroad.