Akadēmiskais centrs
I am Eva Ķeruže - a student of political science at the University of Latvia Faculty of Social Sciences. In the autumn of 2020, I was studying in France in Erasmus + programme. Five years ago, when still at school, I knew that I wanted to go on an Erasmus + study mobility to France. France was the country of my dreams and it still remains a country that is very special to me, I like French culture, cuisine, mentality and beautiful, diverse natural landscapes. In early 2020, I decided to apply for the Erasmus + competition and studies at Sciences Po Lyon, located at the culinary capital of France and the cradle of cinema. I specifically knew that I wanted to study at one of the Sciences Po universities. After receiving approval, I prepared for the big event for several months and set off for Lyon at the end of August.
After spending four months – September to December – in Lyon, I gained valuable, outstanding and useful academic knowledge, developed my English and French language skills, learned to write long essays in academic English, was able to be confident in my opinion and get out of my comfort zone daily during the four months of my stay in France. I also gained a great number of personal benefits – became more daring, overcame my fear of the mountains and speaking a foreign language, made lots of friends and acquaintances, had the opportunity to live in a French family and learn very much about French cuisine on a regular basis, had a great time even during the Covid-19 pandemic and curfew, and figured out what I wanted to do in the future. Both the study mobility period spent in France and the restrictions incurred by Covid-19, which were very strict in France, still allowed me to enjoy the country, get to know other students and locals, and enjoy France from a different angle while living in my French family. In my opinion, Erasmus + is a great programme, an opportunity and a turning point in the life of every student, both academically and personally. It is a great opportunity to get to know yourself, step outside the comfort zone, experience unparalleled adventures and meet people of different mentalities.
In September and October, I had an opportunity to travel, as the restrictions on Covid-19 in France still permitted to do so. I had wonderful adventures traveling to Lake Annecy, saw the European Parliament in Strasbourg, the mountain capital Grenoble, the Alps and the Chamonix Mountains. At the end of October, the French government announced a state of emergency, introducing curfew and movement restrictions, limiting my stay to Lyon. The last two months were filled with French culture at home – cooking together, watching French movies, playing board games and cultivating different traditions. I am happy and grateful for every day I spent in Lyon, for every opportunity Erasmus + gave me and every friend I made during the programme.
I definitely recommend every student who has the desire, will and ability to apply for Erasmus + studies in one of the European Union countries. I would like to advise to thoroughly study the list of partner universities offered by our university, select the country that inspires, and explore all the information about the university and the courses. After choosing the country and the university of your choice, and receiving a positive answer, I recommend searching for a place to live, because in my experience, it was extremely difficult for me to find one, and use social networks wisely – search for different groups of like-minded people (Facebook is a very good tool), to address other students and local people and communicate with them, building network before the mobility, so that unclear issues can be resolved more quickly and easily. It is also important to plan your budget and set the goals for your experiences in this country (travel, culinary, museums or hiking, etc.), and plan it in time, as Covid-19 has taught us to do it as soon as possible and without knowing what will happen tomorrow.
The University of Latvia was very supportive throughout my mobility semester in France, helped to raise awareness of Erasmus + mobility, gave advice and helped with all formalities to make my Erasmus + mobility experience a success. Likewise, Sciences Po Lyon also provided regular information on documents, exchange semesters, studies, leisure opportunities, housing and supported in the challenging situation in France in the midst of pandemic – all of that before and during the mobility. I am very grateful to both universities and to the European Union for the opportunity to study in France, to broaden my horizons and particularly to attend the University of Sciences Po Lyon!
