Why you should participate in an Erasmus exchange? | ESN Bulgaria
ESN Bulgaria
Why you should go on Erasmus+
So you hear your friends, people at university, on a bus or in a library talking about the Erasmus+ exchange? They all seem super excited when the topic comes up, don't they? So what's the deal — and why is it so loved?
Erasmus+ isn't a year in a life. It's a life in a year.
More than just studying
By definition, the Erasmus+ exchange means going to a different country to study for a semester or a year. But in reality, it is so much more. Erasmus+ is studying, it's travelling, it's meeting new people, it's partying, it's falling in love, it's stepping out of your comfort zone, it's discovering the part of you that you never thought existed.
Everyone has a different story — but it's impossible to think of a single person who would regret taking part in the exchange.
You are never alone
For some people, it's the first time they leave their parents' house — the first time to move somewhere new and become truly independent. It may be tough at the beginning, but there is always someone to lend you a helping hand.
Remember: you are not the only one arriving somewhere new, not knowing anyone. People worry about this — but making friends is honestly the easiest part. Sometimes you spot a familiar face at the airport; sometimes the person next to you on the plane is also heading to their Erasmus+. Those people from all corners of the world will become your family for the next few months.
One friend got engaged to someone she met during her Erasmus+ exchange. If that doesn't convince you this is the adventure of a lifetime, nothing will.
Erasmus+ is bravery
To sum up all those experiences in one word: bravery. It takes courage to step out of your comfort zone and go to an unknown place — sometimes somewhere they speak a language you barely know. It takes guts to walk up to a stranger and start a conversation while hoping they'll want to meet again at an ESN pub quiz.
And you need to be brave enough not to cry at the end of your stay when that same stranger has become your best friend and you cannot imagine life without them. But by then, making plans to visit each other becomes second nature.
Because life is not meant to be lived in one place.
You've got more than one home now. You've become a travel addict. Mobility is a lifestyle.