Pannagiotis Armentzious, a Greek volunteer from Associação Sójovem in Portugal, gives us his statement about the benefits of Erasmus studies

“Erasmus. A word with no actual meaning for some people, but a lifestyle for some others. So, what makes Erasmus so special? Is it the gathering of people from different countries and backgrounds? Is it the cultural exchange? Is it the new horizons and prospects that are widely opened? It is definitely all of those. But at the same time, it is so much more. Nobody can precisely give an answer to that question. And that is because there is not a real answer. Each person translates Erasmus on their own personal way. Different people, different stories. One thing, however, can be taken for granted: everyone who ventures into it, can only win. So, what are the benefits of being an Erasmus student? Let’s find out.

𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲 𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭
One of the greatest and most important benefits that Erasmus students can get is that they will not have to pay or submit any tuition fees to their new universities. In addition, each student is provided with an Erasmus grant which is able to cover most of their financial expenses. In any case, beyond the Erasmus reality, you would probably have to pay everything for yourself.

𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬
Reaching out for the unknown may feel intimidating for some students. A new country, new people, new conditions. There’s no need to worry about it though. That is a part of the experience and it is actually where the whole magic lies beneath. Escaping your comfort zone is the first step that will finally lead you to the most amazing experience that a student can possibly get. Besides that, you will get to know more people at the same situation as you.

𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬
Erasmus equals traveling. Traveling equals Erasmus. That is a fact. It is just so amazing how many places you can visit in a semester. You will get trains, planes, buses. You will visit big cities. Small towns. Places that you can’t even pronounce. The beach or the little lake near you. You will get lost. You will ask for help from people that will not understand what you want but will try their best to help you. You will meet new people. New friends. Or the love of your life. You will realize, how big, how great our world is. Waiting for you to discover.

𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬
Increasing your employability status is one of the most common reasons that people choose to take a semester abroad. It is proven that this international experience can boost you CV and make it more appealing to future employers. It is also proven that Erasmus students are more likely to acquire better skills, get more proactive, be more flexible and be able to get some impactful initiatives. All of the aforementioned are vital assets for a successful career in every field.

𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬
Countries usually differ from each other. So do universities. It is quite likely that your new university applies different educational approaches. Approaches that you may not be familiar with. Those may be more innovative and thorough than the ones back at your home university. Thus, you will enhance your critical skills and possibly start looking at things from a different perspective.

𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬
The Erasmus reality is different from the one you grew up to. Things are different here. You take classes with foreign students. Share a room with a French girl. Cook next to a guy who just came from Lisbon. Take a coffee with that group of Turkish people you just met at the train. Go for a walk with your best friend who was there for you since the very first moment. Try the local beer. Speak to local people. Get to know them. Taste paella from that Spanish girl next door. Pasta from that Italian guy who probably knows better than you. Different people, but the same feelings, same spirit, same place. Erasmus brings people together, ties them into a tightly tied bond that goes on for a long time and never fades away.”

“A ticket to Europe, a ticket to anywhere” by Pannagiotis Armentzious

“Europe. The place that gave birth to some of the most important values that shaped our modern society. The place where the term ‘’Western civilization’’ was firstly coined. The place where you can discover so many different cultures, all taking place in a continent just a little larger than Australia itself. Here, you may find yourself drinking epresso at a Roman piazza and exploring local legends at the Transylvanian mountains in Romania at the next moment. That is impressive for such a small piece of land. However, as small as it may be, it is a place of unparalleled beauty, which boasts a huge variety of multicultural, religious and social backgrounds. So how can you explore Europe? Or even better, where in Europe do you want to be? Interrail is the unique and exciting way to get there. What is it though? It is a pass, a train pass that helps you open new doors to new destinations, cultures and friendships all over the continent. You can choose from over 40.000 destinations in 33 countries, designing a European adventure that is personal to you. You create your own story. So, what if your story looked like this?

“You come from London. Just graduated college and you want to take a gap year, starting from Europe. You are so excited about this trip. The Interrail pass is bought, luggage is ready. Next day you are off to the most amazing experience of your life. You arrive at the Liverpool Station. Buy a coffee and make sure you have not forgotten anything. You can see the train approaching the platform. You board, find your seat and breathe a sigh of relief. It is happening. Your journey has officially started. Post punk music plays in your headphones.

Next stop, Paris. The city of love. The train arrives at Gare Du Nord station. Your journey has been long, but you are so delighted to be there. After you make yourself comfortable at the hostel, you are about to explore the city. You literally walked almost half of it. From the Eifel Tower to the Louvre, from the Luxembourg Gardens to Notre Dame. You fall in love with the city lights at night. You fall in love with French wine too. You felt like starring in one of Jean Luc Godard’s films, your favorite French director. Time to rest.

Next stop, Amsterdam. The Venice of the North. Your best friend works there, you missed her a lot. She picks you up from the train station and takes a long walk around the city with you. You even got a bike. You loved the canals, and you took so many pictures of them. Some places reminded you of your hometown. Your day is almost over, but not yet. You still have time for a couple of beers.

Next stop, Berlin. The train arrives at the station. You can barely pronounce its name. It’s raining outside. You get a taxi. The raindrops make it hard for you to see the city. Finally, you are at the hostel. You take a nap. This journey has been a bit tiring. After you got some rest you are about to explore the German capital. The rain is over. You love the smell of wet grass. You take the metro and head right to the Brandenburg Gate. You even grabbed some Pretzels from a street food stall. You loved them. You actually got another one. Berlin became one of your favorite places. In fact, you loved it so much that you decided to extend your time there. You went to museums, galleries, underground bars, parks. You could even create a photo exhibition with all those pictures you took at the Berlin Wall. You enjoyed how multicultural the city was. A melting pot, just like London. Your time there soon comes to an end.

Next stop, Vienna. The city of music, the city of chocolate. You like both, especially chocolate. People say that the journey itself is more important that the destination. You could not have agreed more. You were so taken away by the view of those huge mountains covered in snow. It looked like a Monet painting to you. You loved Vienna and its classical beauty as well. Finally, you got to visit the Schönbrunn palace, a place you always wanted to visit. Your next train to Rome leaves soon. You wish you had more time to explore the city. You promised you would come back; you even got some more chocolate for the rest of your trip.
As it was said already, the next and final stop is Rome. Don’t all roads lead to Rome anyway? Interrail trips are full of surprises. You meet people in the most unexpected ways. You met Javier, an engineering student from Madrid. You met him at the train station. You were lost, almost about to miss your train. You found him, casually drinking his coffee and watching over his phone. You asked for help. You would soon find out that he is also going to the same destination as you. The last journey of your trip would end up being the best one.’’

Why? Just board on a train and you might find your own answer. It is your story. Finish it.”