To Write or not to Write. Erasmus students as Journalists. ****************************************************************************************** * To Write or not to Write. Erasmus students as Journalists. ****************************************************************************************** There are Erasmus students and Erasmus students. One group takes Erasmus solely as a prolo the country and city of their choice and as a great opportunity to meet and befriend peopl Europe. The studying itself is just the “necessary evil” to make this all possible. And th the other Erasmus students, the ones who choose their host university because of the  offe (in English or other foreign languages) or professors who can help them with their researc their thesis or other papers. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this second group of Erasmus student well motivated to try something else on top of their university requirements and Erasmus r activities: often they apply for a job or internship during their study abroad. One of the most popular internships for Charles University Erasmus students who speak Germ journalism placement with Tschechien Online; an online news portal reporting Czech current German language. German speaking Erasmus students from Charles University have been contri website for 4 years now, mostly as bloggers or reporters of cultural events in Prague. So has had almost 30 Erasmus students as interns. The topics of the students’ articles vary between: tourist attractions in Prague, the cult scene, football or ice-hockey matches visited, unfortunate circumstances the students’ exp as robbery or ticket fining), reports about their extracurricular activities (trips, Erasm or Europe Meets School) and also the social life in the halls of residence. All in all, by different articles the reader gets a good insight into the Erasmus experience in Prague an Charles University. Georg Pacurar from Tschechien Online says, “When we first offered virtual internships in j Summer 2008, none of us really knew, what to expect. We questioned whether there would be from German speaking countries willing and competent enough to write for an online magazin regular classes. Soon after, the first applications arrived. Since then, not a single seme without us employing and training two or more Erasmus students. Working with them has gene positive, fun and inspiring experience. What is important to us is that our interns bring a fresh outlook, with their different ac backgrounds, personal interests and experiences in Prague. Most of our staff are long term the Czech Republic for fifteen years plus. Both aspects: the "off the boat" impression and the insid equally important for our readers. We don't expect applicants to be Pulitzer prize winners, however we do expect them to be c minded and to enjoy writing. In return, we are happy to show them some tricks of the write offer an insight into the sometimes mysterious microcosms of Czech politics. So far, three interns have pursued media careers after returning to their home countries.” It’s nice to have such positive feedback about our past students. While reading their blog see that some of them are writing really well. Let us quote a few of them here (the quotes based on their relevance to the Erasmus programme at Charles University). Sebastian Miksch, a History student from Universität Leipzig, spent one acedemic year at F Charles University in 2009/10. He referred to the difference of two Erasmus seasons in the “It has been two weeks now since the long awaited approval of the prolongation of my Erasm in fax to my coordinator. After the long wait, I could breathe a sigh of relief and start would spend this nice time of year in Prague. Yet, from my short walk through the corridors of our hall of residence, taking in the sour tell that the Erasmus adventure for many is over too soon and that some of my closest frie for home before long. I found the first invitations to several farewell parties in my mail who was to leave soon invited me to a last beer or last meal.   And that’s how I found myself wandering from corridor to corridor each evening of the week beer or wine especially saved for this occasion; talking about everything that had happene half a year. We exchanged anecdotes and laughed about the shared experience. Certainly, we promise to keep in touch and keep the newly created friendship alive, although we knew it really difficult. At the end of the week, we started to say goodbye and accompanied those leaving to the bus where we parted with lots of hugs. It was a little bit difficult, but we had all known fro that this moment would come one day. There was a small consolation, some friends, like me the second semester and new ones would undoubtedly join us. There were also, already, the to welcome parties in my mail box. The Erasmus adventure round two…” Melanie Köhler, student of Humanities from the European University Viadrina, current Erasm (winter semester 2012/13) at Faculty of Arts wrote “An Ode on the 2nd Gallery and the Stud the Czech National Theatre” after joining the Erasmus Theatre Club, Faculty of Arts. She w best view in the theatre was reserved for the King, who could follow the play from his roy be seen by everybody. Today, the National Theatre in Prague has the parquet reserved for the best and the balcon rest of the audience with the exception of the students, who are cast out to the 2nd galle assume that the seats with the worst view would be left for those with less money; yet, I any better. Sure, one must first climb several (thousand) steps up to the 2nd gallery, but once you ha can see the space as a whole, with its full depth, width and “goldenness” in front of you. here is something the people in the parquet cannot even envisage: the view from the top…” Julia Formanek, a student of Medicine from Charité in Berlin joined the 3rd Faculty of Med semester 2011/12. Being half-Czech, she decided to live with Czech rather than Erasmus stu participated in activities offered primarily for Czech students, such as the annual ball o Medicine. She wrote: “A quarter of an hour later, my hair freshly styled from the wind in the subway in front of the National House in Vinohrady. It’s an extraordinary beautiful building from concerts, balls and even congresses take place. As I mount the main staircase, past the me and the girls in ball gowns, up to the main hall I ask myself, as I do daily in Prague, ho that I am the first Erasmus student from Charité to Prague in 12 years. The hall is illumi chandeliers and the gold-yellow walls are decorated with paint and ornaments. There is a l in the middle of the hall with chairs at the sides and at the back, red velvet curtains an everywhere I would recommend a Prague ball hosted by the medical faculty to everyone, in p romantic girl. A bit later, a young man asked if he could dance with me. The Czech men appear very courte occasions and I was overwhelmed by similar approaches several more times during the evenin It’s a pleasure for us to hear about such nice experiences from our Erasmus students as we troubles, so that we can attempt to help them. We hope that these positive experiences sha written about in the years to come. Tschechien Online [ URL "http://www.tschechien-online.org"]