{"id":18498,"date":"2021-10-18T15:12:35","date_gmt":"2021-10-18T13:12:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/us.edu.pl\/wydzial\/wnst\/?p=18498"},"modified":"2021-10-26T08:23:08","modified_gmt":"2021-10-26T06:23:08","slug":"oliwia-starczewska","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/us.edu.pl\/wydzial\/wnst\/en\/2021\/10\/18\/oliwia-starczewska\/","title":{"rendered":"Oliwia Starczewska | Portugal"},"content":{"rendered":"

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OLIWIA STARCZEWSKA, MSc<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n

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Erasmus+ | Portugal | Braga
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Our journeys | Our stories<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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If you don’t know what you should do with your life – go on an Erasmus trip \ud83d\ude42<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

It may sound a bit corny and far-fetched, but in fact, it is the best advice I can give to students and doctoral students who are just starting their \u201cadult\u201d life (for those more experienced, I just hope you’ll have lots of fun). Erasmus is learning, both in an academic and professional sense.<\/p>\n

But most of all it is learning to live: to handle changing circumstances without the support of family and friends living next door when faced with a myriad of different events and emotions. It’s learning to see the world not only from your own perspective but from the perspective of the people you meet there. It is a school of tolerance, diversity, being open-minded and ready to embrace change, as well as dealing with problems you encounter. Erasmus is getting to know foreign cultures, tastes, customs, ways of life, and education systems, learning about countries known to us from the Internet and TV, learning about their museums, parks, and works of art. Experiencing first-hand the things that no network is capable of showing us.<\/p>\n

Finally, it is getting to know oneself. It’s the best way of self-discovery that you can get. After all, can anything test a person better than jumping in at the deep end? You don’t know if you can manage it, if you’re capable of communicating, dealing with formalities, registering at a dormitory, passing the semester, buying dinner, meeting people. Will you be able to handle unexpected situations that pop up along the way (they always do!)? Will you adapt to the environmental and cultural conditions (because some things can be quite a surprise)?<\/p>\n

And then you take that leap, you GO and… It turns out you can do EVERYTHING!<\/p>\n

If you want it, you can do it – only your attitude will determine how well you will do. If you are afraid to go alone, convince a friend or a colleague to go with you – it’s always much easier together. Don’t give up on your trip and your dreams just because you are afraid. You can do it, you’ll come back stronger. I guarantee it!<\/p>\n

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4th year of studies, summer semester, February 2009. Instead of getting ready for a lecture, I’m packing for an Erasmus trip. A semester in Braga, Portugal awaits. My new university will be Universidade do Minho, Faculty of Physics. Together with Adam, a friend who is going with me, we will be taken under the wing of the charming and helpful Professor Maria Gomes, the head of the department. We will also be assigned research supervisors, Sofia and Sergey, who will help us adapt and carry out our scientific research on BaTiO3 electroceramics. Contrary to our concerns, the research will go well. But that’s days away, now the tickets, the airport…<\/p>\n