Let’s Talk About Erasmus Myths and Realities!
- Shiuology
- Nov 23, 2018
- 4 min read
Before I start my exchange in Toulouse, I fantasise a lot about my exchange life! I will be living in a different country, meeting lots of local friends and having no pressure from university work and essays… It has been nearly three months studying here and things turn out differently from my expectations! I am here to debunk or verify many of these Erasmus myths!
Myth 1: Is culture shock and homesick inevitable?
One of the biggest Erasmus myths is that students might experience homesick and culture shock. This is true especially during the first few months in a new country!
Living abroad and being away from friends and parents for the first time might be tough! Especially winter is approaching, exchange students might feel lonely sometimes. Joining Erasmus society and uni student associations are some of many good ideas to meet other Erasmus and local students!
Culture shock is something that students might overlook! (Well I did!) Having lived in Hong Kong and the UK for quite a bit of time, at first, I thought I could get used to a new culture very easily. Not exactly! Living in France is very different. The structure of higher education, the ‘savoir-vivre’ as well as the bureaucracy of handling all sorts of paperwork are very different! (I will probably write a separate blogpost as I have so much to share on this topic!)
My best advice is to take into consideration that it might take a bit of time for you to get accustomed to a new culture! Also, keep an open mind as you will understand more about a new culture and blend in faster.
Myth 2: Erasmus is all about partying!
This is probably the biggest misconception on Erasmus exchange! You really do need to study! No matter you are opting for a language year abroad or not, you workload could be as much as (or even more than) what you have in UofG.
If you are a language student studying abroad for a year, I suspect that professors and seniors might have told you that you just need to get a ‘pass‘ in this exchange year. Don’t look down on getting a ‘pass’ as it is not easy at all when you are doing your mid-term tests. Even though most professors in your exchange universities will take into account that you are an Erasmus student and will mark your papers leniently, this is not always the case!
Attendance is very important as well since it could serve as a good justification that you have spent effort on the course and potential let you pass, if you fail the final exam! As long as you keep working, go to every class and try your best, everything will turn out to be fine.
Myth 3: Easy to meet local friends?
You will definitely meet some local friends, but it is not easy. Unlike in the UK, French public universities do not have many options when it comes to clubs and societies. Often, there are only 10 student societies max. in a public university and this sort of hinders exchange students to get to know local students. In addition, many French local students do not opt for university accommodation, instead, many of them live with their parents and share an apartment with their friends.
Advice for that will be to check out any voluntary or subject-related student societies where you might be able to meet and greet local students! Proactively talking to local students after class might also be a good idea to get to know them!
Myth 4: I will speak like a native in 3 months
Unfortunately not! Even for language students abroad, who probably have studied the language for couple of years, spending 3 months in a foreign country to practice their language skills is not enough. What is important is that, if you want to improve your language proficiency, try to step out from the Erasmus bubble to meet more local friends. Listening to news online, watching movies or sitcoms and reading novels written in foreign languages are some of many effective ideas.
I do recommend students to join language courses organised by their exchange universities as these courses are often designed for foreign students to improve their proficiency. If you are a modern language student, taking a translation module is highly recommended as it allows you to know how the foreign language functions differently from your mother tongue, from which you can improve your writing skills in the foreign language you study.
There is always a difference between expectations and realities and it is normal that exchange students will experience that. The best is to treat every hardship as a learning experience!
If you have any problems or feel bothered, don’t keep it to yourself and share your feelings to your parents and friends! Sometimes, don’t feel awkward to give yourself a ‘wee’ compliment no matter how small the accomplishment you have done is! At the end, motivation and staying positive are super important for studying abroad!
If you have any questions regarding studying abroad, please do not hesitate to contact us via: Facebook, Instagram or Email!
À bientôt!
Shiuology
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