Exchange in London

I’m writing this during my second Erasmus experience: an internship in Valencia this time. The fact that I’m here is a direct consequence of the year I spent in London; I came to Spain to be with a guy I met on my previous exchange in England. I met a whole bunch of cool people from various parts of the world in London, and so will you if you decide to become an exchange student.

How it started

I always knew I would go on an exchange at some point, I just didn’t know when exactly that would happen. There was always something making me stay: a boyfriend, my family and friends, the comfort and simplicity of living at home. And then, on a random December day in 2016, I had lunch with a friend who had recently returned from an exchange in China. She got me so excited that I decided to apply, even though the deadline was in two days. I thought: if she could do China, I sure as hell can do London. I spent a day preparing the documentation and writing motivation letters, and then I applied. And that changed a lot of things.

How it was

I went on an exchange because I had this vision of myself becoming a proper Londoner, getting a British accent, traveling the whole UK. None of that happened, though. In the nine months I spent there, I haven’t made a single British friend, I haven’t acquired a trace of the British accent, and I’ve only seen Cambridge, Oxford, Brighton and Edinburgh. And yet, I had the best Erasmus experience I could ever wish for.

I met people from various countries, partied a lot with them and made friends for life. I’d still say that my exchange was a classic, nothing I haven’t heard of before. I believe most people have an amazing time studying abroad and experience similar things as I did. Except for falling in love, maybe, but that’s not out of the ordinary either: roughly one million Erasmus babies were born since 1987, they say.

How it changed me

My year abroad was the most special, different and interesting one I’ve lived so far. It changed me in many ways. Before I left, home was an easy notion to understand and describe, but it isn’t so anymore. When I’m in Slovenia, I always feel like it’s temporary, like it’s just a period I’m spending there before I pack my bags and disappear for a few months again. And truth be told, it doesn’t just feel like that, it is like that. The past academic year felt like trying to get the uni stuff over with just so that I can spend the summer working in Spain.

The new friends

The best part of my first Erasmus were the people. I love London, but to be honest, we would’ve had fun anywhere. I’m still in touch with the friends I made there, and we’re trying to get ourselves in the same country at the same time every now and then, even though that’s easier said than done. It’s hard enough to organize trips with friends from my hometown; imagine doing it with people from Spain, Italy, Poland, Finland, Greece, China and so on. But hey, from time to time we succeed.

Internship in Valencia

You can do 12 months of Erasmus during your bachelor’s and 12 during your master’s. I haven’t used any of the months during my bachelor’s but decided to use them all during my master’s. After 9 months in London, I still had 3 left, and where else would I spend them if not in Valencia, the place where my boyfriend lives and a beautiful city. I managed to find a translation internship, packed my bags and ran towards the opportunity to pause my long-distance relationship for one summer and try to improve my broken Spanish.

The differences

It’s safe to say that it’s nothing like London was, and I don’t mean that in a good or in bad way. Valencia is completely different, it’s summer, and I primarily came here to be with someone I already knew. I’m working from home most days, so I don’t see my co-workers every day. The interesting part is that most of them are Erasmus interns too. We’re quite lucky when it comes to that because we always have people to hang out with, and the gang is great this time too. I think the biggest difference is that I don’t have flatmates, except for my boyfriend. That changes a lot of things. Some of the greatest and funniest memories I have of London happened in the kitchen, in the hall, or in one of our rooms.

The biggest difference is the amount of time: one summer is nothing. Two and a half months are over in a heartbeat, and here I am wishing I could do it all over again. The work isn’t exactly what I was expecting; I’m not learning as much as I thought I’d be. The co-workers, though, were a very positive surprise. When you put a group of exchange students from different countries in the same place, amazing friendships and funny memories are bound to happen. I thought I’d just be spending a cool summer with my boyfriend and his friends, so making international friends was a big plus. As for Valencia, if you’ve read my previous post, you already know I love it here.

So, study exchange or internship?

Exchange

I’d say that a study exchange is the one that’ll give you the proper experience. Studying abroad as an exchange student usually isn’t that hard (it was very easy in my case). You have fewer classes, and you don’t have to work if you don’t want to (and if you have enough money; the scholarship won’t make you rich or anything). All of this means a lot of time for all the nice things: parties, trips and hanging out.

Internship

If you want to go abroad for a shorter period and get some work experience, an internship might be the right option for you. It’s harder to know what to expect, though. You might find it harder to meet people because you might be the only Erasmus intern at the company. But you have Erasmus groups on Facebook and WhatsApp, as well as Erasmus organizations and travel agencies, so no worries.

Getting accepted

As for applying and getting accepted, it’s easier to get accepted for an internship. That’s just because you find the employer after you’ve been accepted. For the study exchange, on the other hand, you apply to three universities in order from your first choice to your third choice. The places are limited for the study exchange, but they aren’t for Erasmus practice.

For how long should you go on Erasmus?

Regarding the internship, that’s completely up to you and your employer. I found mine, or better said, he found me, here. You can go for anything between a month or two and a whole year. An exchange is usually for one or two semesters, some for a whole year. I’d recommend going for at least half a year or one semester because that’s roughly how long you need to really get to know the place, the country and the culture. Two months is cool, but they’ll pass faster than you think. For me, nine months passed incredibly fast, not to mention the summer that’s coming to an end.

Where should you go?

That’s a completely personal choice, of course. I went to London because I love it and because I like the accent and the culture. You should think about any possible languages you’d like to learn, any culture that interests you, or a place that really appeals to you. The scholarship does vary according to the country, but, for example, you get the same amount of money for Italy and the UK, and the latter is much more expensive, especially London.

The money

I got around 500 euros per month (80% of the whole amount right away, and 20% after I came home). The scholarship depends on the country you come from too. That’s what Slovenian students get for the »first category countries«, so the more expensive ones. In general, you’ll need more money than what the scholarship gives you, so if that concerns you, you should go to a cheaper country. You might get some money from your employer if you’re an intern, but that’s not a rule (it’s more like an exception). It’s also very unlikely to happen in the south of Europe and much more likely to happen in the north.

Student residence or private accommodation?

Student residence forever. This way you’ll meet people! It’s even possible that they’ll put you in a flat or block with other exchange students. That’s what happened in my case, and I wouldn’t have been able to be lonely even if I tried. If you get private accommodation, it’s possible you’ll end up living with people who are older and working full-time. Or just with people who, you know, already have a life and don’t need you in it. In case you’re going to England, you’ll get a single room, and I think that’s the case in many other countries too (not in mine, though).

Final thoughts

Erasmus will give you more than it will take from you, that’s for sure. Your friends, family, boyfriends and girlfriends will wait. You’re not going for that long. Your independence will increase because you’ll have to find your way around in a foreign country. Your mum won’t be there to wash your clothes or cook your meals. You’ll learn how to communicate in a foreign language with ease, and you’ll meet people from all over the place. That also means free accommodation in the future, wink wink. People who participate in exchanges are generally open-minded, into hanging out and traveling, so you’re bound to find people you have something in common with.

Basically, you’ll feel like you’re on a long holiday. You’ll party like you’re back in high school, uni won’t be that demanding, you’ll take random day trips, and you’ll have fun, I bet you will. And really, have you ever heard of anyone regretting Erasmus? Me neither. So, just apply before you get old because the only thing you’ll ever regret is not doing it.