7 Reasons to Participate in an Erasmus Exchange Program

Erasmus has to be the most popular exchange program for students in Europe. The program was launched in 1987 and since then it has existed to grant European students the opportunity to experience student life in one of the 33 program countries. The majority of European universities (90% to be more precise) are involved in this scheme, which offers students a broad spectrum of courses and study programs to choose from. Of course, the popularity of Erasmus has increased over time, something that I’ve noticed myself among my friends, acquaintances and fellow students.

I found out about Erasmus from a film called L’auberge espagnole (translated as The Spanish Apartment) in the days of yore of my teens, when I had plenty of time to watch films all day long. The whole idea to study in a foreign country for a certain amount of time fascinated me back then, and I immediately jotted it down on my “bucket list”. When my university years arrived, I didn’t think twice and seized the opportunity.

One of the languages I’m studying is German and as I started learning it at university, I knew from the very beginning that I wanted to be fluent after I completed my bachelor’s diploma. I was aware that it wouldn’t be possible without spending at least some months in a German-speaking country, so for my Erasmus exchange I headed to Austria for a semester. When I came back home, I looked back at those four months spent there and realized it was the best thing I had done so far as a student, and a truly inspiring experience.

The reasons why the Erasmus exchange program is definitely worth your attention are numerous, but I’ve picked seven that in my opinion sum up the “Erasmus spirit” – I am sure many of those who’ve been Erasmus students themselves will know what I mean.

After finishing school, many of you might have toyed with the idea of studying abroad. Indeed, this decision is big and so are your doubts and confusions; you are not really sure whether you want to take this important step or not. Studying abroad for a limited period of time as part of an Erasmus exchange shows you what all this means and you can find out afterwards if you want to do it for the long run.

Every Erasmus student receives a grant, with the amount depending on the home country and destination. Of course, students are told from the very beginning that this grant won’t cover all the expenses involved, but it is at any rate of great help. If you come from an Eastern European country as I do, this grant is pretty high and makes studying abroad an affordable experience.