"Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (October 28, 1466 (?) - July 12, 1536), known Erasmus of Rotterdam Dutch Renaissance humanist, Catholic priest, social critic, teacher, and theologian, [...] known as an opponent of dogmatism, who lived and worked in many places in Europe to expand his knowledge and gain new insights, and who left his fortune to the University of Basel in Switzerland." "The Erasmus Programme (EuRopean Community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students), a.k.a. Erasmus Project is a European Union (EU) student exchange programme established in 1987." - says Wikipedia.
Why did I write this here? Because I was on Erasmus Programme from September, 2011 to June, 2012. Basicly I am studiing Tourism and Catering in the University of Applied Sciences János Kodolányi (Kodolányi) in Székesfehérvár. It was nearly the middle of the fourth semester (I have six semesters of studies and a half of practice work) when I decided to go on Erasmus for the last study year. I think my place of studies in Hungary is a good institution so I could choose from many countries and universities to go to. There were many reasons which I had thought about when I had to choose, but I am going to mention just the reasons related to a student who goes on Erasmus. I chose Jósef Piłsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw (AWF), in Poland.
"How many parties I had? Not so much." This is the question that I often meet when I am talking with someone from my age in general and the answer I give then. I am not a party-face, I do not like to do often these things, sometimes it's OK, but it was really far from the reasons which I used to decide whether to come. However I wanted to make my dreams real: (1) to live in an other country, (2) know its culture and mentality of people, to learn languages: (3) Polish and (4) make my English better and (5) to travel a lot.
(1) Life abroad
I realized that it's not hard to do. I have to do the same things I did in Székesfehérvár. Surely there are some language and culture problems I had to pass, but my mentors from the host university and my Polish friends always were ready to help me. Otherwise I don't like using the expression "language problem", because it is the main adventage of living abroad to defeat these exciting challanges.
(2) Culture and mentality
I loved reaching knowledge about other naition's mentality, to know things which seemed for me so unequivocal about every people but turned out clearly as a trait of a Hungarian student. To expect that the world works on the same way everywhere, or even if not everywhere but at least in Central Europe was wrong!
(3) Polish language
It's said that the Polish language is really hard: according to someone's opinion it is the hardest languages in the word, while others recognise it as the most difficult one of Europe after Hungarian. I can just state that you have to learn much to be able to speak it with its seven cases, three genders, often distinction between animate and inanimate, complex declination system of adjetives, two verbal aspects, some dozens of possible grammatical endings etc. I like learning languages and feeling the success. Teraz już trochę mówię po polsku i chcę kontynuować naukę.
(4) Higher level of English
You have to know that I had to study in English. Rarely in some places you also can study in the language of the country of your host institution (mainly in case of German and French language places). I firmly can tell that my English is much more better than before, even if I still make some mistakes. My skills to understand by hearing and reading is really high now which also my English language exam about economy and tourism in level B2 can testify.
(5) Travelling
Who know me those are aware of that I always prefered to use Esperanto to travel than Erasmus. I do it, because simply I didn't need to use Erasmus for it because of the many chances I have by Esperanto. But I know it's a a good time and place to take advantages for those who can't speak Esperanto. Though I participated a trip to Cracow which was organized by Iza (the main student mentor of AWF). It was near perfect!
Thanks for these things to everybody who helped me to have it. Let me mention from AWF Iza (the main student mentor), Basia (my mentor), Kasia Zera (a really nice person), Katarzyna Dzioban (the head of the field), Inga Maruszyńska (a cool teacher), and Johana (from the International Office) and some of my classmates: Dagmar from the Czech republic, Leticia from Portugal, Ersin, Neşe, Özge, and Reşat from Turkey.
I want to tell a bit also about things I am disappointed: flippancy...
Teachers:
- Some of them hardly speak English. There even a teacher, who prefered to use French sometimes.
- Some of them accepted that the things are not seriuos so they won't be too: light-minded plans of lessons, low level of testing, unsure dates of consultations and even lessons...
- This semester I had a teacher who changed the requirement when and how she wanted
- Even some students couln't speak English.
- Many of them weren't on time (in spite of that every teacher and mentor said it many times that it was important)
- When the requirements of a teacher was a bit higher (even lower than those ones in Kodolányi) some of the students revolted. I'm even now laughing at a phrase of a Turkish student I can remember: "I haven't done my homwork which I have had to, 'cause we have so much other obligations here, you now...". We had so little to do if I had not worked hard on many other things in the same time (other university, teaching etc.) I'm sure I'd have been bored very much.
- Some of the students even haven't done the task they wanted to have before! (And the teacher easily accepted it).
First I didn't know whether it's about the Polish education system, about AWF or about Erasmus. Now I'm almost sure it's Erasmus... Is it what Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus would like?
