Professional Documents
Culture Documents
01 A Fi Student Erasmus PDF
01 A Fi Student Erasmus PDF
)
Mihaela POPESCU Simona LACHE
Camelia DRĂGHICI Sorin ZAMFIRA
Patricia STANCIU Alina MARIN Corina TRIPON
To be an ERASMUS student
2014
EDITURA UNIVERSITĂŢII TRANSILVANIA DIN BRAŞOV
Adresa: 500091 Braşov,
B-dul Iuliu Maniu 41A
Tel:0268 – 476050
Fax: 0268 476051
E-mail : editura@unitbv.ro
Tehnoredactare şi corectură
Conf. dr. Marinescu Nicolae
Lector dr. Popescu Mihaela
Design copertă
Opaiţ Tudor
To be an ERASMUS student – second Edition, 2013
Contents
Hungary
Erasmus As a Way of Life: Tamas KERTESZ…………...…. 79
Ireland
An Opportunity Not to Be Missed: Mădălin POP…………… 83
Italy
On the Adriatic Coast: Georgiana CAZAN…..........……….. 87
A Totally Life Changing Experience: Luminiţa COMPOT…. 90
Bari: A City to Remember: Roxana EREMIA……………… 94
La mia esperienza come studentessa Erasmus: Ioana-Maria
IAMANDII………………………………..………....……… 98
Erasmus is a State of Mind!: Alexandru POPA…….………. 102
Erasmus Mobility: Ionela Aurelia ZAHARIA........………… 106
Portugal
A Romanian Explorer in Portugal: Alexandra TIMUŞ…….. 107
Romania
Brasov is a Wonderful City: Pablo GIL LOPEZ……….…… 111
From France to Romania: Franck SALVI…………………. 114
Spain
Mi experiencia en Almeria, Espana: Alina Mihaela
HULUBA………………………………................………… 121
A Little Travel Journal: Andreea Elena OLAH……………. 125
Mi experiencia como estudiante Erasmus: Maria Margareta
ROTH………………………………………………........…. 130
A Second Home: Nicoleta VĂTĂMANU………………….. 134
I’ve Had the Time of My Life...: Delia Mădălina ZAVATE... 136
Sweden
A Fun, Dynamic and Exciting Experience: Ştefania ALDEA 140
The Netherlands
My TUDelft Cup of Memories: Maria-Alexandra
AITONEAN (CONTIU)…………………..…………..……. 143
A Country Worth Living, Studying and Exploring: Diana
Fabiola DEMIAN ……………………………………....….. 147
The Race Is On: Mihai MARINESCU…..........……………. 151
I Definitely Recommend The Netherlands: Cosmin MAXIM. 153
United Kingdom
A Small Typical Scottish Town: Ovidiu Mircea ŢIEREAN… 154
To be an ERASMUS student – second Edition, 2013 1
Studying in Leuven
The town is colourful and it has its special beauty given by the
nice parks; indeed, you have there plenty of things to do.
4 Transilvania University of Brasov
Brugge in Autumn
An Amazing Journey
Roxana STOICA
Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences
Erasmus student in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
Studying in Louvain-la-Neuve
Even though Belgian students have a lot of fun every night all-
year-round, when it comes to have the exam session, nobody gets out
on the streets for at least 2 weeks. Everything is taken very seriously.
For some reasons in fact. According to them, learning by heart
is very important. If you’re planning on studying here, be prepared to
learn a “looooot” of pieces of information by heart. I do not play
jokes, when I say “a lot” I know what I mean. There are experiments,
experimental knowledge, names and numbers and many other things.
I wasn’t quite used to it, since I’m more on the logical side, but
I realized it during the exams. Most of the exams are based on the
multiple choice –type exercises, each choice is slightly different from
the other and this makes everything very confusing. Suddenly, the
moment when you realize your French language skills come in handy.
You, future Erasmus student, you’ll also pass the oral exams in
a quite different way, wheb you are alone in front of the professor,
only you two in his office. Nobody else. Some professors also suggest
the idea of passing the oral exam over a coffee, somewhere in a pub or
a restaurant, and it is not a joke. It’s just a different approach.
And no, most professors are not willing to negotiate and let
you pass the exam in English. When studying in LLN, you have two
To be an ERASMUS student – second Edition, 2013 7
options: either you speak a very good French, or you speak a very
good English. There is no option in between.
Louvain-la-Neuve by night
Being the first time I left the country, I was a little bit nervous
not knowing the country’s culture, customs and traditions, nor even its
native language. What was more frightening was the fact that I had to
be on my own, handle things by myself, without the help coming from
my parents. But after staying here for 5 months, the first question that
came to my mind when I arrived home was: „When will I come back
to Prague?”
where you can see all of the Prague’s beautiful bridges crossing the
Vltava river), the Jewish Quarter and not to forget the Prague Castle.
These are of course a few of Prague’s many attraction points, which I
remember visiting.
Although the city is outstanding, I cannot say the same thing
about their native language. The Czech language is part of the West
Slavic languages which are a subdivision of the Slavic language group
(I learned this at the Czech language courses), which has too many
adjacent consonants for a Latin-based language speaker like me to
learn and pronounce correctly. Words like čtvrť (district), zmrzlina
(ice cream), čtyři (number four), vchod (entrance) and so on and so
forth are nearly impossible for a non-czech speaker to pronounce
correctly. These being said, I am proud to say that I can count up to
one thousand and know the main words in Czech language.
Also, I made several friends from all across the globe during
this period. Many of them were from Turkey, but also from France,
Mexico, Kazakhstan, Serbia, Poland, Spain, Italy or Tunisia. Also, I
was happy to meet two students from my mother country, from
another city. Likewise, I made some Czech friends as well, with
whom I still keep in touch, asking them what changes had occurred
since I left their city or when they would come to visit my own
country.
To be an ERASMUS student – second Edition, 2013 15
Studying in Prague
What I like most about the Czech learning system is that you
can choose what courses you want to learn during a semester, the only
condition being that you have to obtain 30 credits during that
semester. You can choose courses that exceed the 30 credits, from
different branches of the university, the only goal, as I said, being the
30 credits you have to obtain.
For example, although I was enrolled at the faculty of
Electrical Engineering, I could follow courses from the Mechanical
Engineering or Information Technology faculties. I could also choose
16 Transilvania University of Brasov
Prague by Night
Studying in Prague
Studying in Pardubice
maximum three times per year. If you did not pass for the first time
you would take the exam on the second date that the teacher had
chosen.
Moreover, as a student you could take extra hours from your
teacher for free. Every teacher had a schedule when they could meet
students. Every teacher had a bureau and they had two hours per day
for the students. The student could go to the teacher and ask him to
help him or her with the exercises.
In conclusion, the system of education was really good and the
link between teacher and student was great.
Pardubice by Night
The city was really animated. There were many clubs and
restaurants. There were clubs with house music, clubs with
commercial music and even clubs with old music. The clubs’
programme started at 10 p.m and at 2 or 3 a.m, each public place
closes.
At first, it was pretty strange, but I got used to it. It was better
because we could have fun in the night and go to school in the
morning.
24 Transilvania University of Brasov
Studying in Aarhus
Studying in Viborg
Denmark by Night
Étudier en France
“We find that after years of struggle that we do not take a trip,
a trip takes us” (John Steinbeck). It is exactly what happened with my
study trip to Paris as an Erasmus student.
Living in Paris
Studying in Paris
If our hostel was in the northern part of the city, the university
was in the southern part, in a recently built district. The river Seine on
its right, apathetic about the hustle and bustle of the place. The place
where most of our courses took place was called “Halle aux Farines”
with amphitheaters and other large rooms. However, both professors
To be an ERASMUS student – second Edition, 2013 35
and students poked fun at how easy it was to get lost through the maze
of corridors.
In order to attain the required number of credits I took quite a
lot of courses, which meant that I was sometimes snowed under with
work, especially during the weekends. Choosing both American and
British civilization I had to prepare many presentations and tried and
to read extensively about the subject. The translation course will have
forever a special place in my heart. Receiving credit for your work I
think is what every conscientious student would like to acquire. The
teacher found that me and my sister’s translations from English to
French were “genial, extraordinaire….” She wrote on our notebook 3
lines eulogizing our work. We still have the notebook at home, and we
cherish it.
The students were proud to be French but loving their
language so much made that they were handicapped or hampered by
their accent in an attempt to speak English. I saw bookish students but
I must admit that there were many who didn’t look preoccupied about
courses or assignments. It was quite interesting to hear the noisy
amphitheaters awash with first year students or experience the
peaceful atmosphere from the second or third year, where the number
of students shrank.
The Erasmus experience has helped me both personally and
professionally speaking. It made me want to embrace the world giving
me the confidence to begin other journeys into the unknown. It must
have weighed in my favour when I was chosen to go to Belgium as a
Comenius assistant. Therefore, I am currently teaching English and
French in a school in Oostende, in the Flemish part of the country. If
Erasmus equipped me with the knowledge I needed, Comenius has
shed light on the path I want to follow in life, the career I want to
pursue.
Conclusion
To conclude, if you never go, you will never know. Know that
there are places worth visiting, people worth meeting and lessons to be
learned. The Erasmus experience is now part of my past but it will
continue to exert its influence on both my present and future. I will
continue to say: “Yes, it’s true I studied in Paris for 6 months. How
was it? Well……”
36 Transilvania University of Brasov
À la découverte du pays
Étudier à Paris
Conclusion
Studying in Karlsruhe
Internship at ThyssenKrupp
Alexandru BOŢOG
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
Erasmus student in practical placement in Chemnitz, Germany
An Amazing Experience
Gabriela Anca COTEŢ
Faculty of Economic Sciences and Business Administration
Erasmus student in Trier, Germany
Studying in Trier
Trier by night
First of all I would like to tell you that I have never wanted to
come to Germany, for studying, visiting or working. I had never
thought about studying abroad from my beloved Romania before, but
so many friends told me to take this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to
study abroad and I thought “why not?”. The funny part is that the
decision to apply for Erasmus grant turned out to be the best decision
of my life (so far, ok? ) and now I ended up living here, in Germany.
But that’s life, isn’t it? Full of spicy episodes...
I had an Erasmus scholarship twice – once for my diploma
thesis and once for my practical placement period. After that, I started
an international master degree program at Albert-Ludwigs University
of Freiburg and I graduate it last year. So, the following impressions
are only personal opinions about the university, the city and the living
in a German society after spending more than three years abroad, and
not only about the few months as an Erasmus student. I have to admit
that my general impression of Germany changed quite a lot in the last
three years.
When I first arrived in Freiburg, I had no idea of what to
expect. Many friends told me that Germans were cold and distant but
that the education system was very good. Well...this was only partly
true because the German people were not so cold as everybody used to
think. They are really nice people, respectful and helpful. Anyway, I
was totally impressed by the city, university, student dorms, people,
everything!
Living in Freiburg
nice to meet people from all over the world and learn about different
cultures!
Studying in Freiburg
own opinion and the best part of it is that you can (and sometimes
must) say it!
Another difference I noticed right from the beginning of my
stay there was the professors’ attitude towards the students. The
relationship between students and their supervisors (professors, PhD
students, program coordinators, secretaries and tutors) is very
different from what we can see in the Romanian higher education
system. Here your supervisors are your friends, they all want to help
you and there is no hierarchy at all!
As I already said, I had the chance to take advantage of
Erasmus scholarships two times – for my diploma project and for my
practical placement period. During my internship I was very
impressed by the technology in the laboratory. It was really exciting to
work in an environment where everything (or almost everything) was
possible, with very nice people and all the equipment which you
needed to put your ideas in practice.
Student life
Location
People
I must admit that I felt that we, the Romanians were pretty
appreciated there, being voted „the smartest” due to our English and
German skills, and to the fact that all of us were attending a technical
university. Personally, I didn’t know what to expect from the other
people, but I left Heilbronn with an impression that the Germans and
Irish are warmer people than I thought, and the Spanish, colder.
University
Conclusion
First of all, I would like to point out that I am very grateful for
the opportunity to have been an exchange student - it was one of the
best experiences in my life!
Studying in Heilbronn
Living in Heilbronn
Studying in Aachen
Aachen is special not only for the beautiful ancient city, but
also for its surroundings, see sights. Especially the ’Dreilandereck’
can impress anybody as it means the common border of the three
countries: Netherland, Belgium and Germany that meet in a single
point, near Aachen. The university’s building is also outstanding of its
kind otherwise called ”Sophisticated”. The German manner or
organization and the breathtaking high-tech can be found everywhere.
Definitely NOT!
When you are in such a great place, you can’t forget to go out
from it as much as you can. Get out with your new international
friends and bet that you will never try to keep in mind all these
memories you will never forget. It feels like you are on the top of the
world! Travel is the only thing you cannot buy and makes you richer...
It definitely was a great experience that I recommend to
everybody to live at least once in life; it will change you, your way of
thinking, your way of understanding and you will also become much
more a social person.
Even when it is over, you won’t lose your friends; they will
remain your Erasmus friends from whom you are only just one flight
ticket away.
… Erasmus Friends
66 Transilvania University of Brasov
A Unique Challenge
Henrietta RANCZ
Faculty of Letters
Erasmus student in Oldenburg, Germany
Studying in Oldenburg
Welcome to Germany
Andreea ZAHN
Faculty of Economic Sciences and Business Administration
Erasmus student in Heilbronn, Germany
away from the campus and to eat grapes hidden through the vines, so
that nobody could find me stealing the grapes.
The city was a beautiful medieval centre with a big protestant
church in the city centre and a market place. In the square market in
front of the City Hall, a local market with all the local farmers was
open every week. During the Christmas time, in both markets and
alleys around, the city centre was full of little wooden stalls with
souvenirs, food, gingerbread, arts and crafts and, of course, the well-
known Glühwein or mulled wine. There was also a tram and a
Schnellbahn that passed right through the city centre and linked some
villages around Heilbronn. All the shops were very nice and
expensive, all with that wonderful German thing, German air. The
restaurants were lovely and the food was excellent. There was a
restaurant with Italian cuisine called Vapiano where I ate the best
pasta and pizza in my life!
As I told you before, the vineyards were 10 minutes away from
the city and during autumn, when the farmers collected the grapes,
there used to be a very nice time or tradition: the majority of the
people who had their houses on the vineyard hills were also wine
producers and, only during autumn, they opened a part of their house
for customers (called Besen) and were offering only local and
homemade food, homemade wine and drinks and the best local
atmosphere you wanted to discover in an unknown city. Besides, the
people were lovely, very open-minded and curious about the new
comers in town!
Studying in Heilbronn
Heilbronn by Night
I was never a night bird, but there were a lot of pubs and clubs
where the Erasmus students used to spend their nights out.
Weindorf or the local wine festival which is held every year at the end
of September in front of the City Hall. We barely knew each other, but
the music, the food and, of course, the wine made us feel close to one
another, as if we had known each other for a lifetime. And the second
great party I attended was a German party with the 50’s theme. It was
perfect and I understood that no matter where you were, the people
you were with were the most important and that everywhere people
knew how to have a great time.
As I studied Tourism management, the best thing I loved
during my Erasmus mobility was the possibility to travel around
Germany and not only. I visited once again Paris; I arrived in
Luxembourg, Maastricht (Holland) and Stuttgart, München, Ulm and
a lot of other cities in Germany. But most of all, I wanted to go back
to some of our roots and so I visited some of the Hohenzollern estates
and castles. This is how I arrived to the Castle of Sigmaringen, the
Burg Hohenzollern castle and Coburg citadel and castle.
I believe I had a very wonderful Erasmus experience in
Heilbronn, Germany; it was a great opportunity for me to experience
another country, thinking and other people. I strongly recommend this
to everyone who wants to...know the world.
72 Transilvania University of Brasov
Rathaus, Weimar
To be an ERASMUS student – second Edition, 2013 73
Studying in Weimar
Weimar by Night
Sushi night
Halloween 2012
Studying in Iraklion
Many could imagine doing it for longer than a year that is what
I learned in the short time I studied in Szeged. Some got the
opportunity to stay for two semesters, but sadly most of the first
semester students, including me, had left. The principle in play here is
two fold - first, ERASMUS students go to foreign countries to
discover and to embrace the indigenous culture; second, studying is
only secondary.
The community or clique that I somehow found myself in after
wisely choosing my flatmates, or “flatties”, seemed to have stemmed
from going out and meeting others who shared some of the same
interests, hobbies but more importantly, the same personal
characteristics. The subgroups that grew out of the main ERASMUS
caucus were many and varied. They offered something for every type
of person and often they mixed and intermingled as groups usually
did. This, in turn, resulted in the expansion of the subgroups, that
initially started out as vessels that held the core individuals, into
bigger loosely managed connections. Thus, meeting new people was
an every day occurrence, though very tiring at times.
Following the exchange of pleasantries and finding out which
country you come from, the next question was always “...and what do
you study?”. Now, for most students studying medicine, law or some
sort of engineering, the career options are obvious. Not as much for
American Studies. I was met with blank stares more times than I could
shake a stick at. As to what that could be? I often replied that I would
become a worker in the American Studies factory, but even after a
sufficient explanation, I would lose my subject anyway as they would
either feign interest or sigh understandingly. In the end, it doesn’t
matter, it’s just a way to break the ice with someone, they, more often
than not, would forget anyway. Granted, it’s a convenient way to enter
into discussions.
80 Transilvania University of Brasov
Letterkenny, Ireland
For me the Irish experience was the best, I met a lot of new
people from other countries, I understood that we, Romanians, were
not worse than the others, somehow, now, I think that we are better
than other European countries. This experience gave me more
confidence in everything I do and in everything I am as a human
being.
86 Transilvania University of Brasov
Barcelona, Spain
Studying in Ancona
Ancona by night
I would like to start this essay with an advice for every single
college freshman: fight in your first years get good results, work on
your extracurricular activities, so that nothing in the world would stay
between you and the Erasmus experience! I've been there, done that,
and it is totally life changing.
This is my story and starts from the day I got admitted to
medical school. Since then I knew exactly what I wanted, and step by
step I accomplished everything, and I have to say that getting this
scholarship in the 3rd year, was on top of the list. My first and only
country I applied for was Italy, and luckily I was accepted in Rome, in
the oldest and most prestigious university in Europe: "La Sapienza".
Like the news was not good enough, the Erasmus student
status helped me to get an amazing accommodation in Villa Borghese
Park, inside the Romanian Academy. Telling you all this makes me
remember that feeling, when you just want to pack your suitcase and
start running until there. As enthusiastic as somebody could be, things
got better and better and daily I feel the grateful for every Erasmus
moment, because it still reflects in my present and I'm positive that it
will make a difference in my future as well.
To be an ERASMUS student – second Edition, 2013 91
same courses can be so different across the world! You can learn from
each other, you can find out so many new things about a subject that
you thought you had read everything about it, you can make future
connections and you can build lifetime relationships.
The teachers are more than understanding with the Erasmus
students. They don't see you just as a person studying abroad, they see
the whole picture: they see a person that is not afraid to go outside the
comfort zone, that is ready to work twice harder, that is ready to
engage himself into a different culture, to take risks and build the
future! I have no words for my professors, they always showed me
kindness giving me complete freedom in their departments, showing
me techniques and explaining me every single thing I ignored. There,
I got to be near some great names in medicine that are known
worldwide for their work and dedication!
As you can imagine, being at the hospital every day was as
exciting as it could be, but my day was not only spent there. Arriving
home, there were concerts in the academy, exhibitions, dinners that
would make every evening unforgettable. This cultural movement
introduced me to a new world, where my social skills were developed.
Learn the two most spoken languages in the country and they will
treat you as one of theirs: Italian and the body language – hand gesture
communication.
Colosseum
More than that, you have to embrace their life style: once per
day to have pizza or pasta, white wine along the dinner and a short
espresso at the end.
The Erasmus experience has given me a life lecture that
nobody could have ever taught me, an outstanding work experience,
lifetime friendships and I was more then blessed for one of my
Erasmus friends becomes now my life partner.
When I first arrived in Bari, the first feeling was that that city
was beautiful, with palms, sun and fresh air, perfect for the Erasmus
experience. Before leaving home, I spoke with some students from the
Erasmus Student Network and they sent some other Romanians
students to welcome me and my friends from Iasi, Romania whom I
met on the internet. So the first moment in Bari was good for my
opinion about what was to come next.
Studying in Bari
The sea was everywhere and sometimes you could see the
people catch fish right near the street.
The food was also fresh and the breakfasts the best. The Italian
coffee is that you wish to drink every morning to feel that good taste
and to wake up, maybe to make some new friends while drinking it at
the bar. After a day of studying and working was a good way to relax.
One walk through the sea waves, on the shore, smelling the flavor of
the nice salt water calling you for a bath. Everywhere pizza to buy and
their specific food “panzerotti” from the south was waiting.
I like Bari for the exotic feeling that I have there with that
palms, that soft wind and that sun touching your skin wherever you
are. I also like the Italian ice-cream which is tasteful, you have so
many kinds of it to choose, so it makes you take another time, taste
every sort of that delicious ice-cream.
96 Transilvania University of Brasov
Around Bari, there are a lot of small villages where you can
see the beauty of a different architecture, and you can’t help staring.
Bari by Night
Ti darò tre motivi per cui venire a studiare in Italia: c’è tantò
da vedere (da Firenze a Roma o da Venezia a San Marino, ci sono
così molti luoghi in Italia da visitare in una vita. Vicino a Perugia ci
sono: Assisi, Città di Castello, Lago Trasimeno, Gubbio, Spoleto,
Foligno, Cascata delle Marmore ecc.), mix di vecchio e nuovo (l’Italia
si è trasformata nel corso dei secoli, ma mantenendo forti tradizioni e
la famosa “dolce vita”) e per la lingua e la cultura italiana (per “la
lingua che si canta, non si parla”, per il cibo italiano, famoso in tutto il
mondo, per gli studi di arti e culturali, per il tuo cuore romano e per
l’esperienza di „dolce far niente” italiana). Per tutti questi motivi,
Perugia è la città perfetta.
To be an ERASMUS student – second Edition, 2013 101
Studying in Parma
I will begin talking about the city and its people, I now that
Erasmus is an exchanging student program and so on, but it’s not only
the university that makes your Erasmus period. Different people,
cultures, traditions, languages are the main reasons for which all of the
students have to experience it and I say, being convinced of what I
state, that it’s the best way to prepare yourself for the rest of your life.
When somebody arrives in Parma, quickly feels like at home.
It’s important to go to the Erasmus office to solve all the problems
that involves your staying period as quickly as possible and than just
enjoy the city. For example, the first days I walked through the city to
start knowing it better. If you don’t like walking, the main transport
means is the bike in Parma, almost everybody is riding a bike, mainly
because it is a city lying in the plain and it has almost 200 km of
bicycle tracks. My advice would be to buy an old and cheap bike
which costs around 20 euro, if you do not want to remain without it.
Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna
famous for it prosciutto, cheese, architecture and countryside. It is cut
in half by the river with the same name, which is dry during the hot
summer days and it becomes quite big when it’s raining. As the river
flows on the right side it is easy to find the historical city centre the
town hall is on this side. The Dome, il Battistero and a lot of other
To be an ERASMUS student – second Edition, 2013 103
historical sites can easily be seen from this point. Of course there you
can also find a lot of classic Italian fashion stores (which are not really
for students) and many bars full of people coming her to have an
„aperitivo” (these surely are for students), a tradition in Italy, where
people meet to socialize while drinking and eating something. You
will find those bars I am sure, once hearing people talk loud in the
middle of the street.
The other side of the river is the most coloured one. The main
student street is called via D’Azeglio, because it is very close to some
universities. There is full of bars, restaurants (low-cost), libraries and
all other utilities you will need. While during the day life on the street
is following the normal course, during the night the city is full of
young people.
For finding a place to stay, for parties and any other things that
can make your life easier, contact the Erasmus Student Network
(ESN), which is an incredible organization working hard for the
Erasmus students. They organizing a lot of trips to Rome, Naples,
Venice, if you should be there during the carnival, and also the
greatest party at the end of the staying period which is called The
National Event. This event consists in a big trip of 5 days in the south
of Italy, where 2500 Erasmus from all over Italy meet for a huge party
(be sure that you WILL NOT MISS this).
Now I will say words about the university. We don’t have to
forget why we are going there. University of Parma is one of the
oldest universities in the world and was founded in 1117. Some
history books say that it is the second built after the University of
Bologna.
In the campus of the Faculty of Economics (which is on via
Kennedy, parallel with via D’Azeglio) you can find everything you
need: libraries, bars, canteens
The studying experience was very nice. I chose two
specialisations like trade marketing and commercial strategies, in
Italian, and international business and development, in English. I had
the chance to participate in a lot of open courses where important
persons from the economic environment came: the director of
Carrefour Italy, Barilla brothers, the marketing manager from
GlaxoSmithKline and Henkel, and many others. The professors are
very well prepared and actually they don’t care so much if you are an
Erasmus student or not as I heard that it was happening in other
places. I had to study a lot, but I learned a lot at the same time,
104 Transilvania University of Brasov
Erasmus Mobility
Ionela Aurelia ZAHARIA
Faculty of Sociology and Communication
Erasmus student in Macerata, Italy
After I had started to get along with the education system from
there, then had the exams and in that way I knew that my studying
period in Macerata was about to end... and returning home was near. It
wasn’t difficult to say goodbye to my new friends because we
promised to meet each other in our countries and that would be
another opportunity to visit another places. In Macerata I also met
people from Turkey, China, Australia, Poland and Romania.
So, in the end, the Erasmus experience was a really important
one, I could meet new people and I made new friends, notably, I
seized different point of life and understood different cultures.
You do not have to forget that the pizza and pasta were very
delicious, indeed.
My advice is not to miss such an opportunity during college
years, it's worth regardless of good of bad side of it, as a matter of fact
it, is an experience from which you have something to learn.
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Studying in Brasov
Colina campus
And over all people, friends that even if you know that
probably you will not see them again, they will be always your
friends, because they were...
… Erasmus Friends
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about 40 lei (10€), and the travel of less than 200 kms will take about
3 hours if you’re lucky, with what they call… the fast train (trenul
rapid). Another way to go is the bus, I didn’t take this one, but I know
it’s cheaper, can be longer, and it’s not as comfortable… Arriving in
Brasov, you might have a room in a student residence, at
“Memorandului” or “Colina”, you can take the bus for the first one,
but for the second you have to take a taxi.
bus, then a train, finally a taxi to reach your place in Brasov. About
Brasov, don’t forget that you’re in the mountains region, so even if
summer is quiet hot (30, even 35°C), winter will show you easily a -
20°C, … so … bring your snow boots, and your beach shoes.
If it’s your first year with your driving license, don’t come
with your car. If you planned to travel in Europe, plan to make your
passport before (you can do it in Romania, but there are more papers
to do, several times to go to Bucharest…). Enjoy the new year event
in Bucharest!!! Again, if you can go to Vama Veche for the 1st of May
week end, do it!!! Mostly in Bucharest, be careful with dogs, there are
a lot, and they’re at home… About Bucharest I’ve a small list of good
places, if you can try one restaurant in the old center, it’s “Caru’ cu
Bere”, there are a lot of bars and clubs (Club A, Fire, Goblin, El
Commandante, El Dictador, Expirat, Kulturhaus, B-52, Maxx, …),
and if you stay in the student residence named “Grozavesti”, you’ll
see the “Filo’s”, very good and cheap bar/restaurant. About things to
see in Bucharest, there are lot and I couldn’t remember all, but my
favorite was the park “Herastrau”, next to “Arcul de Triumf” (Metro
station “Aviatorilor”). A good tip for English practice before and
during the trip, is to watch TV Serial in “VOSTFR” (Original Version
French SubTitles), to get more everyday vocabulary, expressions, and
to be used to hear several accents.
To visit a bit Romania, www.romaniatourism.com can be
useful.
The University
Alcazaba – la entrada
important meal of the day and it lasts for hours. After that pleasant
meal and often a quick nap, Spaniards go back to their jobs and
continue until late in the evening. Dinner is served at night, at any
interval between 21:00 and midnight. Although many of us are not
accustomed to dining so late, real Spanish people have tapas at that
time, like a light starter which can be starter but also dinner.
When you are born, you are not a tree, but a seed. You must
grow, you must reach a “flowering”, and that flowering will be your
contentment, your fulfillment. It is important to cultivate every
moment of life because that is how we build our present and walk
towards the future.
Erasmus added a precious experience in my life, living
behind memories that I will always cherrish and I will always come
back fondly to those memories...
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A Second Home
Nicoleta VĂTĂMANU
Faculty of Economic Sciences and Business Administration
Erasmus student in Alcoi, Spain
Studying in Alcoi
Living in Alcoi
“I've had the time of my life/ No I never felt like this before/
Yes I swear it's the truth/ And I owe it all to you”. These lyrics are the
best description of my Erasmus experience.
I owe the best 5 months of my life to this amazing program
that brings together students from different parts of the world to meet,
to know each other and to learn each other’s culture and habits. I also
owe this to the amazing friends I made there, the people who for 5
months replaced my family, my friends from home, actually with
them every place was at home.
The study
The fun
Besides studying and going to the praxis I also had a lot of fun
during these 5 months. The Erasmus entertainment team always had
organized parties for us, trips in different cities with all the facilities
included, events at school and sport competitions.
In every evening of the week you could do different things:
Monday we had salsa lessons, Tuesday we met all the Erasmus in a
pub and socialize and sometimes were thematic parties there,
Wednesday was for karaoke, Thursday we went to the beach to drink
something, to play and socialize.
The weekends were reserved to the parties in someone’s
apartment then we went out in the city to dance in the club. In the
center of the city there were a few streets only with clubs and pubs so
we had a large diversity of music and atmosphere to pick up.
A birthday party
Not only that these months were full of fun, of hard study and
new knowledge but also they helped me a lot in my future carrier.
Based on the thing that I learned there I wrote my dissertation about
practices that we had not made yet in Romania and shared with my
colleagues and teachers. This experience was also a strong point in my
CV and my actual employer was very interested about my knowledge
on international hospital workflow.
I also improved my communications skills in English and
Spanish, I learnt to be more open in meeting new and totally different
people, I made some great friends and I could visit several countries.
So this experience was the best I’ve ever had and I strongly
recommend to anyone to get advantage of this opportunity that the
faculties offer because they won’t regret it.
Studying in Halmstad
Party in Campus
Halmstad by night
Oh, and there’s so much going on this first day! I even got a
cup with the TUDelft emblem, which I am being told I can take with
me back to Romania, to remind me of the good times here... Sure I'll
do that! I have the feeling I would never be able to call Professor
Rothkrantz by his first name, Leon, as he asks me to. That’s just so
unusual!
Today's my first day here, but it also is the last day for another
Erasmus student. In sign of appreciation, Professor Rothkrantz
organizes traditionally a goodbye lunch with the whole group, this
time at a pancakes restaurant. I always ate pancakes with jam, and I
stil wonder what kind of people these Dutch are, eating just dessert for
lunch... Well, my wonder gets even bigger when I see they eat thick
pancakes with ham (?), cheese (?!!), and... syrup (?!!!)
To be an ERASMUS student – second Edition, 2013 145
The Country
The most amazing three months of my life start in this country
that is worth living in, studying and exploring, the Netherlands or, if
you prefer, Holland. This is a good place to go for a mobility study
program because 1) Almost everyone speaks English and 2) Staying
there during your studies is so much better then going as a tourist.
What else can I tell you about this fascinating country that you
don’t already know? Maybe there are some things but they will be
yours to discover!
The Town
Ede, I believe they pronounce it more like aidE – accented the
last e, because it’s like a drop your jaw half way E – so try to get it
right in order to make sure that you get off at the right train station.
It’s a small town that has 2 universities, with a great park that
you can hike or bike, amazing cinema, nice centres for shopping and
walking and a lot of charming houses outside and inside. Rumor has it
a true Dutch does not gaze true the non-curtain windows, so if you
stay there make sure you act accordingly.
Do you bike? Hope you do, because during my stay I biked a
lot, otherwise you will learn how to jump on a moving bike so you can
catch a ride home. Although it is a small town getting to CHE (the
university) take about 30 minutes on foot also going into the centrum,
as they call the centre, for food or a night out a bit less.
So after a week or so you will crave for your bike. I
recommend that you buy a Dutch bike (you can break by reversing the
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pedals) that you can sell before you go. You will find some students
from CHE that sell you the bike and then buy it back.
For food and beverages you will target first Lidl because you
know it but try also Boni, Emte, Aldi which have great Actie! = good
price or discount , try also Albert Heijn and Action and Kruitvat for
non-food shops (they have good prices for sweets). From Kruitvat we
bought a 13Euro Travel all day in NL ticket, they are not always in
store, and when they are they are rapidly sold, so be on your guard!
Attend their ‚Food 4 you’ event where local villagers will
show and give you a taste of their products, ‚Airborne’ festival that
commemorates an important event from the 2WW and accept students
invitation to go to their church, you will see why it is worth it.
Taxis are very expensive and restaurants as well. Also, do
shopping to buy food before Sunday because everything is closed on
Sunday, except Mc’Donald’s.
The University
The Famous Christelijke Hogeshool Ede or CHE. The first
people you will met there will be the people working in the
International Office, including here the lovely and welcoming
Suzanne Ribbers and then during an Introduction Day, held especially
for the international students the rest of your teachers starting with an
honorable and very serious programme director Frantz van Der Veer,
having the regular fun teachers like Jan Willem van Nus, Jelle
Terpstra, and the caring and inspirational teachers like Bianca van
Putten Vos, and of course the unforgettable Johan and Heindre. These
are only a few, there are a lot more teachers that will surprise you by
knowing about your country, or coming view and support your
presentations and they will be very open and inviting.
To be an ERASMUS student – second Edition, 2013 149
CHE 1. The main study lobby where I worked for indidual assigments
2. My normal project group meetings
Accomodation
You will stay in an international student house. This lodge is
perfect for your stay, be assured you will feel at home –Even Better- .
The conditions are great and the two lovely women who will greet you
will be Erika and Madelon. You will share the room but the big locker
between the beds will give you privacy, you will have a big kitchen
were usually everyone will gather in a nice living-room.
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Fieldwork
We had to schedule meetings with various organizations and
get to know them. It is a very funny part. All the guys as international
will have to attend the meetings so there will be a lot of planning. Tip:
Start contacting the organizations early and plan the meeting
otherwise you will rick not having a chance to go. The Dutch cherish
time and plan ahead. Here a bike is useful.
Friends
There is no doubt that you will make a lot of international and
Dutch Friends! Honestly I miss all the people there. Time will go by
so fast that you have to make sure that you make the most of it. Plan
trips, go out in town, accept all invitations. The only excuses to be in
dorms are: 1. To sleep, 2. To eat/shower/change clothes
Find out everything there is to know about the people you
meet there, you have no excuses here, it is a friendly area and also
curious. I wish you had the best time there. I know that if you go there
I wish I could be you ALL OVER AGAIN and again and again... you
get the point. Safe Travels!
The Race Is On
Mihai MARINESCU
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
Erasmus student in Delft, The Netherlands
Studying in Delft
Social life