Erasmus experience – António Francisco Lourenço

Full name: António Francisco Lourenço
Age: 25
University: Faculdade de Economia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa
Period of Erasmus participation: January 2007 – June 2007
Study year: 2006/2007
Degree name: Bachelors in Economics (Licenciatura em Economia)

• In what way are the Comenius or the Erasmus a project important for young people?

– The Erasmus project is important because it offers an opportunity to young students to experience new cultures, different learning methods and, above all, establish contacts with other young students from all over the world.

– In the end, I believe that, by being exposed to different ways of thinking and different cultures, these young students return to their home countries as improved human beings with a better understanding of the problems of society and with a greater openness to alternative ways of life.

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

– In my opinion the Erasmus project is still an attractive feature for employers, however, I also believe that companies are starting to value it less and less. I say this because I think the Erasmus experience is also becoming more and more widespread among students, so that companies are starting to see it as part of your “basic/standard” education.

– Additionally, some Erasmus destinations have obtained a sort of “bad reputation”, in the sense that some hosting universities have been complacent with foreign students and given them high grades for very little effort. I have heard these stories from certain universities in Italy and Spain. The danger is that employers start viewing the Erasmus experience as an extended vacation, or an opportunity to improve your grade average in your home University abroad.

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

– Mostly, communication skills. Not just in terms of practicing a different language, but mostly, in terms of having to communicate with students from all over the world with very distinct mindsets and work methods. For instance, in some of my group assignments I had to work with a Chinese student, a Dutch student and a Lithuanian student, this forced me to listen more carefully, to expose my ideas in a clearer/cleaner way and to adapt to very distinct work/research methods.

• Is it easy to study in another country?

– It depends on a variety of factors, namely, the language, the facilities in the host University, the quality of the teachers, the quality of your accommodation, etc…But, above all, it depends on the student himself. In my case, for example, I had my Erasmus experience in The Netherlands, in a University where most of the courses were officially taught in English, since I had had English lessons for a long time, I had no problems in understanding the classes or the extra reading while studying, plus my University had a very good library for me to study.
– However, I also met other students whose English levels were not as good as mine and yet, they also managed to study and learn very effectively and this was because, I believe, they arrived in The Netherlands with a very open mind/spirit and a strong will to learn and make the most out of the Erasmus experience.
– In the end, it is obvious that in countries where you are forced to study and learn in a language you barely know, which happens a lot in Italy, Germany and/or France, it may become a lot harder for Erasmus students to study efficiently. However, I met a lot of colleagues of mine, for whom that was not a problem, but yet, a challenge which they enjoyed taking. In their cases, studying was not as easy, but by the end of their Erasmus programs they had learned a new language and matured in terms of how they faced adversities and challenges.
– Thus, my answer to your question is that it was easy for me to study in The Netherlands, but not just because of my proficiency in the English language or the facilities in the University, it was because I wanted to make the most out of my Erasmus experience.

• What are the implications?

– Well, being away from your family and friends can be hard at times, but you meet other students in the same situation and you support each other.

– You also have to learn to how to live on your own, which implies learning how to cook, to clean and every other daily task you are not used to do.

• What are the countries that you advise?

– I advise any country whose universities are used to receiving international students, because those universities are likely to be more organized in receiving Erasmus students. In particular, The Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, the UK and Switzerland.

• Did you go through any special difficulties?

– In the Netherlands the main difficulty is to adapt to the weather, which can be very cold at time.

• What financial costs does participating in a project of this type implicate? Did you get any financial support from the government?

– The main financial costs are with housing, which you have to incur, the higher standard of living in some of these countries, where food can much more expensive, and the traveling costs, in particular, flight tickets back home.

– I did receive a subsidy, but it arrived a few months after Erasmus experience and it was not significant.