UCD Quinn School of Business Blog

Problems, opportunies, solutions

April 8th, 2009

Bonjour á tout, 

It’s into our last month now and kinda scary that the time has passed by so quickly. There is a sense about the place over reflecting on our time here. People are starting to talk about going home and that brings with it a whole range of paradoxical emotions -  happy to go home, sad to leave. 

It has been an amazing time here over the past few months but it hasn’t been without its problems. The most recent ones have involved our accommodation and our landlord. I won’t bore you with the problems but admit that even all the problems have been worth it. The problems that have arisen are new adventures too, sometimes not in the good sense but we can all learn from our problems and failings and that has been ever-present recently.

When planning the trip and starting to look at accommodation, my mum asked if I’d like to go over and have a look in the flesh. I laughed at the idea, in a way sort of saying, “don’t be stupid mum.” Now, I am forced to admit defeat, my mum was right.. again, but keep it quiet.

It is the first time I have ever lived away from home and that is a challenge in itself but one which I have learned enormously from. Never will I make mistakes that I have made here again. I don’t want to sound too moany, as a whole, the apartment is grand, but it is not without it’s little kinks that had I been a bit more prepared could have been dealt with early.

So, for anyone thinking of going on Erasmus, make sure you talk to a number of people about how they found the experience. I was given this opportunity but didn’t take it. Had I heard advice from the mouth of a fellow-student as opposed to my mum, I may have listened a bit more.

Erasmus is a challenge, there are many little problems along the way but each of them brings with it its own unique opportunity to learn from your mistakes and experiences and provide the life-learning we hear so much about. I have learned so much over here that is un-examinable in academic terms.  

As I’m sure you’re all well aware, it’s not all about exams! 

Talk soon

Eoghan

Entry Filed under: ERASMUS students