#studentlife

During my free time in Granada, I did many different things. I was lucky enough to stay for almost a year (11 months), so I was able to discover the region (and the country) when the weather was good (or even very good !!) but also when it was cold in winter. Yes, Granada is located very close to the Sierra Nevada mountains, at about 800m above sea level... So I did a lot of hiking (accessible by bus or we sometimes rented a car with friends): there are great places to run and/or walk with beautiful landscapes, in summer and winter. I was also lucky enough to arrive the year the ESN section was organising a lot of open mic in a night club. We were a whole group (the "erasmusicians") of international and Spanish people playing music ! It was really nice ! We rehearsed in parks, in a music studio, but also outside the city, at the Mirador San Miguel Alto (for me, the best viewpoint in the city where I spent a lot of time admiring, relaxing...), by the sea, etc. I also went to the sports sessions that the university offers (tennis, football, dance, and many others), I recommend ! Because you meet local students who are not necessarily close to the international world and so you meet different people and you can learn more about the local culture :) Because my goal was really to integrate myself as much as possible in the local life !

When I returned to France after my exchange year in Granada, I joined the local ESN section. We organised activities for international students (not only Erasmus), trips and hikes to discover the region (Strasbourg, Metz, the Vosges, Lyon, etc.) but also cultural, artistic, sports and festive activities! It allowed me to extend my Erasmus exchange and at the same time I discovered new things and ways of working which changed my professional orientation. It's not just about partying, learning a language and visiting a new place for a few months. It brings so much more!

Poznan is so great. Especially in summer time. The polish "poker" face can be impressive sometimes but they are very nice people. Alcohol is cheap and club good, the ESN sections are doing such a great job. Life there is lovely.

At the beginning of your mobility, the university will let you choose your courses. You have a lot of choices: I was in 3rd year and I could choose courses from 2nd, 3rd, 4th year. Register for classes as soon as possible !!! 1) You will have more choices 2) You will have the possibility to gather your courses on 3 or 4 days to have a long week-end 3) You'll able to choose course only in the morning so you can work in the afternoon if you want.

The thing with studies in Italy is very theoritical. In France and especially in chemistry I’m used to do a lot of practicals and exercices in lectures. There, in Politecnico di Torino, it’s only theoritical lectures. After it dépends on the lecture you will chose. So for the exams I just had to learn the support of the lecture and that’s it. I didn’t have exercices in exams. Futhermore you also have the opportunity to learn italian or to improve tour italian thank to sole lectures made by level. At the begining of the semester you will have to pas a test to know you’re level and following this test you’ll follow the good lecture ( these lecture are made by the CLA). These lectures are really easy to follow and it’s 6 ECTS really easy to have ! The only thing about this italian lecture is the timetable… ( from 7 to 8 pm 3 Time a week)

You'll be an Erasmus student and you want to meet a lot of people ? You want to travel, to discover the Italian way of life and have good time ? I advise you to register in ESN Torino !! They propose a lot of events. They are really diverse and I'm sure you'll find your hapiness ! They propose day trips in the Piedmont region, week-end trips with others ESN section (in other cities), pasta tasting, parties in nightclub, sport event, clean walks , tandem nights ... Here is their website : https://torino.esn.it/en/incoming. But you should also follow them on instagram to have all the infos. If you need any help for anything they are available to help and guide you ! Futhermore there is also the association "Erasmus Torino" organizing other kind of events and co-organizing events with ESN Torino ! Here is their Facebook profile : https://www.facebook.com/ErasmusTorinoOfficial Moreover, every tuesday there is an international language exchange focused on one country and every week , they change the country at the Der Keller bar

During my third year at the University in Turin, some french friends starded their first year of mobility. In Italy university works in a very different way than IEP in Bordeaux so I help them to understand how they can choose courses and organize their two semesters in Turin. "In Italy students have to be very independent in organizing their student life!" They told me. I was pleased to help them.

In Radboud University is organized a Welcome week at the end of august for students to meet. I didn't go but their also was a Welcome Weekend in september. When you register you get a welcome pack with some goodies and the Radboud sweater !! During the welcome weekend we were divided in groups with mentors from the university. We hang out all together all weekend, we had a bowling night, we went partying, ... And we stayed close all semester, we organized swimming by the river every weekends for example. We were really close and I easily met people thanks to the Welcome Weekend!

As a student in Prague, life is super easy ! The city is not only cheap and beautiful, it is also a great place for students. You can find cheap restaurants from all over the world and the city is famous for its nightlife : there are many bars and Erasmus parties almost every day ! Some clubs are amazing - much better than in Paris for sure - like EPIC if you like electro music. Last but not least, you can travel easily as trains are very cheap. For example, it takes 4 hours to go to Vienna or Berlin, and 7 hours to go to Budapest. So you won't get bored during your week ends...

I was an exchange student for two semesters at Johannes Kepler University (JKU) in Linz (Austria). We had different types of classes: regular courses (more of a top down approach with a lot of content), seminars (smaller groups with a more practical approach - group work) Depending on the teachers, the approach can be either super academic or super close to non formal education with active learning methods (e.g. I had a class about Leaders, Groups and their Organizational Environment. All the classes were based on role plays and concrete cases. Same with a course about negotiation skills where we actually played the role of different political parties aiming at forming a coalition for the next Austrian government). At JKU, most of the classes give between 2 and 6 ECTS. Therefore, you need between 5 and 15 courses to reach 30 ECTS per semester. For master degrees, it is not unusual to have classmates with years of professional experience, starting their master degree few years after completing their bachelor degree. In Austria, the grades are 1 (top!) 2, 3, 4 (enough to pass the exam) and 5 (failure).

If you are in Rome, you certainly want to try some local typical dishes. I suggest you go and discover popular neighborhoods, like San Lorenzo, Testaccio, Garbatella, Pigneto. You will find "osteria" as well as more classic restaurants. Make your mobility experience count also from the culinary art's point of view! This can be also a chance to share experiences with your friend at the university and don't be afraid to engage local students, they will be more than happy to give you advice and maybe also come to eat with you!

They have many working groups and for some subjects these are more important than the final exam

The Université de Lorraine has an extremely good sports programme for every student in Nancy! Its name is SUAPS. It consists in paying 10 EUR (maybe more expensive nowadays) per year to have access to a lot of sports classes such as volleyball, basketball, football, tennis, swimming, martial arts and even circus jugglery. Normally, every Thursday at afternoon students don't have any classes so they can practice a sport or do some physical activity in any sports centre in the city thanks to this programme!

If you arrive in Málaga on a study trip or just visiting for a day, you can easily find people from all over the world in an area with international bars: Camden Lock and Bakkano. Once you have found this area, you will meet many people! A little tip: you can ask the bakkano for a chupito (shot) Erasmus (you will see the price is very very affordable). Life is very accessible and cheap in Malaga!

I became a volunteer at ESN Nijmegen when I started my Erasmus there. They were planning events to learn Dutch, discover the culture, and meet new people. Every Tuesday, we'd meet in bars to party. Nijmegen has a small city center and all the bars are on the same street, making it easier to hang out. Plus, every Wednesday another association organizes dinner for 3 euros. We'd meet up and have a nice entire meal near campus.