So you think you’re an Erasmuser?

It may seem strange stuck on level 4 of the library, turning pages as silently as possible to avoid any evil stare of doom, but there are some Imperialites that leave for the mythological Erasmus year; and I am one of them. Last year I packed up my stuff in three bags and five boxes and left for Montpellier, France. I’m back in London now, new flat, new year, but I am still haunted by the memory of those wonderful days. Every French tourist on the tube makes me want to jump on a plane and every mention of cheese, wine or garlic makes me more than acceptably emotional. The truth is I’ve got Erasmus blues. I met some lovely people, saw new places, lived in a foreign country, learnt a different language blah, blah, blah... Really I did all of the things it says on the brochure. I also made friends with people with names like Pierre-Etienne and Delphine, and spent and awful lot of time playing board games with the best group of French nerds ever. I made friends from all over the world and found couches for all my future interrailing plans across Europe. Even so, happiness is a question of timing, and more than once I have heard fellow students describing their Erasmus experiences far less enthusiastically than me. For an unlucky Erasmuser, the French aren’t sophisticated, they’re stuck-up, the Spanish aren’t friendly they’re loud, the English aren’t... well I don’t know what positive things they say about us, but add your own disgusting food-bad humour stereotype at this point. In order to avoid any disappointment, here is a list of some major pointers to think about if you are considering whether of not you could be an Erasmuser:

Did you enjoy group holidays as a child?

Erasmus, especially in the first few weeks, involves a lot of mingling and travelling to places with large groups of people. Usually your host university will organize some form of meeting or, if the institution isn’t very hands-on, you can join your local Erasmus Facebook page. There is usually a lot of souvenir buying, queuing together for things like banks and phone shops and generally awkward interacting (if you are unlucky). If childhood experiences like scouting and school trips to the zoo didn’t traumatize you, it’s more likely that you will enjoy visiting a church/random Roman theatre/weirdly shaped cave with total strangers. But be aware that this is part of the process.

Do you have your mind set on what you want to do after university?

Erasmus is an academic and professional experience, but don’t be fooled, it isn’t a year in research or industry. You will grow on a personal level and you will learn things about yourself and what you want to do “when you grow up”. But if you already know these things, why bother? For some people Erasmus just isn’t the right choice, if you’re eager to finish your studies and are scared to lose your friends as they graduate and leave you to reach all their goals of wealth and fame, you don’t have to do it. On the other hand, if you are so determined, a welcome break before you start your lifetime of achievements could be a good idea.

Did you miss your parents so much when you came to university that the P&G advert for the Olympics made you cry?

Again, I am not saying that you shouldn’t go abroad if leaving your parents the first time was a bit of a trauma. Some years will have passed when you eventually leave, and you will be older and wiser. But if you enjoy the comfort of your home and the people you’ve known all your life, there is no need to leave, you can make new friends anywhere, and new experiences are new and exciting no matter what country you’re in. The same thing goes for your boyfriend/girlfriend. Most students take a year in another university to “get to know” another culture... one member of the opposite sex at a time. Possibilities are endless as well, because Erasmus students (and I am sorry to say this but English ones in particular) have a bit of a reputation. But if you have someone to snuggle up to while watching TV, then well done! You’ve earned the chance spend as much time as possible with them! Go be a smug couple if you are so inclined, because no one will be very tolerant of your endless pining for a far away loved one once you leave Britain.

Are you comfortable drinking large quantities of local alcoholic beverages in order to improve your foreign language abilities?

This is probably the least worrying of the considerations: I left London a lightweight drinker who couldn’t have a pint of cider at the union without stumbling home afterwards, and I return with the drinking stamina of a small Australian rugby team. However, feeling uncomfortable about the language is a hard part of going on an Erasmus. The truth is that one never really feels like the same person when speaking a foreign language: jokes seem lamer; feelings appear impossible to translate into phrases, and occasionally, or very often, people laugh at your mistakes. This is something to consider because, if you are a naturally shy person, it is unlikely that you will discover your inner lion while talking German to a group of Bavarian footballers from the local club. Even so, at the end of the time you spend abroad you will have achieved some goals from a linguistic point of view, and anyway, there are always other Erasmus students, and chances are that you might be able to sneak a few cheeky English phrases here and there. Having considered all these things, you should now consider this: nobody is, ever, ever again going to sponsor you for meeting lovely people, seeing new places, living in a foreign country, learning a different language and, yeah, doing all the things it says on the brochure. You might get the occasional feeling, reminiscent about the time you were picked last for the volley team in PE, but those passed then, and now the odds are all in your favour. You came to Imperial a scared fresher, and now you’re a cool, easygoing Imperialite and full of friends! It’s time to do it again and become an Erasmuser! If you’re really lucky you might even meet a group of lovely nerds and spend the best few months of your life.

Disclaimer: Students are advised to check out the situation in their own deptartment