My Erasmus experience – by Scarlett Bertrand
It is end of august when I reach Pécs for the first time. I really love this feeling when I arrive in a new city and I know I am going to open a new chapter of my life. I look around me and see for the first time things which will become normal for me because I will take the same path every day.
The first days I learn how to fit in. How to use the bus, how to use the currency, how to have a SIM card for my phone, how to do the difference between sparkling water and still water, I learn my first Hungarians words such as ‘egészségedre’, ‘köszönöm’ or ‘jó napot’…
Pécs is an amazing city. I really love the atmosphere, the size and all its events.
My favourite places are: Nappali, Nike statue and its amazing view of Pécs, the swimming pool, the animal shelter, Orfű lake, Mecsek and I could continue the list.
Then there are the people. Yes Erasmus is about meeting people. The first days I meet a lot of people from everywhere in the world. I also get to know better my roommates. I live in Szanto dormitory and share a block with 3 other exchange students from Ukraine, Mongolia and the USA.
The first day at the university we have a welcome presentation in a big amphitheatre and I am there with 300 other students here for one semester or one year. When I look at them I can see the same look in every eye. I can read curiosity and excitement mix to a bit of anxiety, but most of all I see kindness. We are all in the same position and we know it. We know we will be soon a big family. Our minds and hearts will be full of memories together.
And yes, we are here for our studies and it is an important point of the Erasmus time. This is why we are here aren’t we? We learn a foreign language, with different rules, different way of teaching. We have team works with students from different cultures. This is an incredible experience. Not always funny and easy. It needs a lot of adaptation, communication and motivation to do it well. Sometimes it doesn’t work. But when it does, it is magic!
So, we are here for our studies. But again, the most important in this Erasmus adventure are all those friendships we built and all those life memories.
In my case, my Erasmus experience is linked to ESN. Here in Pécs, we have an ESN section (International Exchange Erasmus Student Network) and the people in this organisation are hungarians or international full-time students of the University of Pécs. They are here for us, the exchange students. And if my time here has been exceptional it is in majority thanks to those people. They organised parties, country presentations, sports events, trips, cultural events, social events and more. But most of all they are always with us, helping us, listening to us, giving us comfort, sharing their culture, surprising us by they love for people.
I want to thank Erasmus family for this amazing semester.
I want to thank ESN Pécs for being such amazing people!