My Erasmus Experience












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            * My Erasmus Experience
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            * New ways of thinking and new friends
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            What led me to Charles University as an Erasmus student was geography. But not only as my 

            study, but the characteristics of the city it was located within.
            Nestled in the centre of Europe, Prague encapsulates the concept of what the Erasmus progr

            Being a central node in this European network of cities, routes and ideas, I knew that stu
            would expose me to a unique diversity of people and culture and provide me with the abilit
            easily around the area that provided me with this opportunity in the first place.

            And coming from Ireland, an island on the other side of Europe, the knowledge that I could
            train ride to a range of neighbouring countries in Europe for the same price it would take
            other side of my own, was too much of a novelty for me to pass up.

            Another selling point of Prague to me was the weather; while this may sound surprising, as
            grown up in a place where the weather often varies between “it’s raining” or “it’s about t
            a lot of satisfaction from seeing the umbrella I bought upon arrival to Prague in Septembe

            shelf with the tags on for the majority of the year.
            Leading to another thing my time on Erasmus has provided: through my interactions with peo
            around the world in class or out socially, not only did I learn about their culture and th

            I learnt a lot about my own. Just as I realised the Irish have a slight obsession with the
            others - shockingly- did not tend to discuss it as much, I learnt of other similarities an
            with other cultures and realised the unique and shared features of my own country.

            Yet my time on Erasmus in Prague was made of slightly more than its average precipitation 
            geographical location in Europe. Through the extensive Erasmus networks in Prague; events,
            societies such as ESN CU, I was exposed to new experiences, new people and new lines of th

            surrounded by an infectious environment of people wanting to make the most of their time o
            and for me it was a unique chance to remove myself from the responsibilities and old habit
            and adapt to a lifestyle that offered a large degree of freedom with new friends.

            And this diversity was not restricted to the social realm of Erasmus; it was also present 
            aspect too. As a double major in two different faculties, Science and Arts, I was exposed 
            teaching and assessment. I was permitted to enrol in courses outside my core disciplines o

            the process expose myself to new lines of thinking.
            Accustomed to large lecture halls and essay based exams in my home university, the varianc
            and assessment posed a learning curve for me. Yet aside from the constant battle I faced w

            keyboard in computers classes, I gained a lot from the diversified teaching methods of gro
            presentations, verbal examinations and assessment trips.
            What the Erasmus programme aims to provide is a common European identity; and while I init

            Prague for Erasmus due to its geographical centrality in Europe, I left with a heightened 
            closeness to my European citizenship.


            During her Erasmus stay, Molly covered a number stories for iForum including the student p
            Brexit and Manifesto Market.