Maria, 19 years old (Poland)“Erasmus is a “booster in the adult world”

Hello, my name is Maria, I'm 19 and I'm from Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Krakow University in Poland.

I arrived in September 2021 for a semester of Erasmus at the IUT in Saint Etienne. I took various courses in English in the TC department and attended classes in French at CILEC on Thursday afternoons.
I asked to stay on for another semester and am now continuing my studies in French in GACO and TC.
I decided to take part in the Erasmus programme because I'm convinced that an experience like this changes you as a person; you get to know yourself better, it's a 'booster in the adult world'.
It's obviously an incredible opportunity to discover the culture of another country. It's very stimulating. I wanted an adventure, a challenge ....  I'd recommend this experience to anyone.

I really wanted to live in France, and not come as a tourist, because I love its language and culture.
My university had several mobility offers, but it was at the IUT that I found the widest choice of subjects in English.
In the end, I decided to go there because the city isn't too big and it's in a mountainous region. The people here are more open-minded, there are lots of foreign students, which at the same time allows me to meet different cultures and find friends more easily. It's very nice to learn the language in such an environment and I appreciate that the university offers such a wide range of subjects. The coordinators and teachers are friendly and understanding ....

I don't know exactly what I want to do in the future, like most people my age, but this new semester can help me find out what I like. I love learning languages and I'd like to live in several countries. Today I'm making the most of the opportunities life gives me, and of course I'm always ready for adventure!