Інтерв’ю з Manon, учасницею ERASMUS

Could you please briefly tell our readers about your academic background before the Erasmus?

Before going to Erasmus I've done two years of history. I do history and English in France. This is my third year, so for my third year I chose Erasmus.

What personally for you is more important in this programme - academic side or social and cultural experience?

I used to think "I don't care in which country I am, I just want to have fun and be surrounded by new people". But now I really enjoy my courses. I guess It's a mix of both. At the end of the day social side is more important to me. At the same time I thought I was not going to like how a lot of study to do for Erasmus. Actually, I have a lot of work, but I enjoy what I'm doing. Yeah, you have to take into consideration both things. Maybe social side may be better, but you have to know what you're doing too

How did the quarantine affect your studying during the programme? From your point of view, is it more difficult to adapt to new academic environment online that it would be in person?

It is more difficult now, I think. Because the British and the French systems are different in a way.

At first I did not understand easily what they were expecting from me. The first few weeks were quite hard for me, because the teachers were not always available.

It was hard to ask question by email and I think if I were in classroom I would've asked more easily. Yeah, it affected at the beginning of the year. But everyone has online classes no matter where you are in the world.

What are your impressions of studying in the University of Glasgow so far? What are the considerable differences between education process in French and British systems?

In France the courses are really important and you have a lot of courses hours and you have to read some things on the side, but here you have one hour of courses and you have to write a ton of things.

In France the course is more important than readings and here it’s the complete opposite.

I guess that was hard too at the beginning, but my teacher prepared me well and told me: "If you’re going abroad, especially in Britain, you’re going to have a lot of reading". So I was mentally prepared to do it, but once I arrived it was quite overwhelming. I think that’s the biggest difference. Also seminar courses are really small, there are only around twelve people and in France it’s nearly thirty or thirty five. So it’s smaller classes.

What aspects of studying at your Erasmus university and of its system as a whole do you enjoy the most? Do you think there are some peculiarities your home university could borrow from here?

I think having smaller seminar groups is better, because you feel more comfortable. And I actually enjoy reading a lot and and having less lectures. Actually, I really like the British system.

And my final question, what would you advise those students who are going or only plan to apply for the Erasmus programme?

I don't know... I guess just do it. Everyone's experience is different. I really enjoy it. The first few weeks were a bit stressful, but now I feel I really like it. But I think it's different for everyone.

I don't really know, just not to stress right away, because it's okay if you don't understand the way they are teaching right away.

There is no way you can know that and at the beginning you are really stressed. Yeah, not to stress that much. But it's really easy to say.

Підготувала Дар’я Шоломіцька