My name is Katarina Salapura and I study at the English Department of the Faculty of Philology, University of Banja Luka. I spent the summer semester of the 2020/2021 academic year at the University of Cadiz, Spain, as an exchange student. During this exchange program, I was provided with an opportunity to attend highly interesting lectures, which differed in some aspects from what I am used to at my home institution. Regarding this, I liked the design of the lectures, both online and in person, as well as the way pre-exam duties and the final exam were organized. As it was, I managed to pass all my exams in June already, and with high grades, I must add, which left me with a whole month to indulge myself in traveling across Spain and meeting interesting people. This communication with strangers helped me brush up on my everyday English. In this respect, I would strongly suggest to all those planning on leaving for Spain to start learning Spanish before their departure, given that a surprisingly high percentage of locals do not speak English. In essence, I found out that English was only used as a means of communication by other exchange students. As for myself, my knowledge of Spanish was quite poor before I took part in this program, and I managed to improve it by attending a course designed for foreign students, organized by the University of Cadiz. The course helped me reach the A2 level, which provided me with a basis for upgrading my knowledge on my own. Given the aforementioned, I recommend this program wholeheartedly, since it provides an experience that goes beyond any description. Among other things, it implies a stay in a foreign country, brushing up on your English and learning another language, and what is most important of all, meeting people of international background – from the Ivory Coast, Mexico, Colombia, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Russia, Poland, Vietnam, etc.
Катарина Салапура, Студијски програма енглеског језика и књижевности
Due to the cooperation established between the University of Banja Luka and the University of Poitier (France), I was provided with an opportunity to participate in an Erasmus+ project in the 2019/2020 academic year. The scholarship I was granted secured me one semester at the Faculty of Languages and Literature in Poitier, where I was introduced to a different academic system and approach to work and where I had a chance to make new friends and broaden my literary world. In addition to brushing up on my knowledge of several foreign languages, I gained more knowledge about French culture and art as well. Furthermore, this experience enriched my CV and helped me to enter the second-cycle academic studies at the University of Poitier (master’s degree) and win a scholarship granted by the French government. I will always nourish this experience, and I would advise all those who are eligible for Erasmus+ projects to embrace such an opportunity without hesitation.
Natasa Nović, Study Programme of French Language and Literature
My 2019 experience at the University of Poitier (France) within the Erasmus+ program is probably my best academic and personal achievement in life to date. Over the course of five months, I spent there, I faced challenges I had to deal with, for the first time in my life, on my own. It was not an easy task, but the overall result made up for all the failures I suffered on that journey, which subsequently proved to be but an instance of a more general experience that turned out for the good in the end. Therefore, I urge everyone to take up the same opportunity and set out on a truly revealing voyage!
Marko Dimitrić, Study Programme of French Language and Literature
Thanks to the Erasmus+ program, I managed to spend my senior year at the University of Turin (Italy). Apart from meeting new people and learning about new cultures and cities, I was also able to learn something about myself. Once I dealt with the paperwork regarding my stay at the university, I spent initial days and weeks getting myself acquainted with the new environment: by going on journeys, and visiting museums, and festivals of various kinds and alike. It is certainly an academic experience I would recommend wholeheartedly, and my message to future participants in the Program is as follows: ‘Do not be afraid, get informed timely and you will find out how wonderful that experience is’.
Jelena Knežević, Study Program of Italian Language and Literature
I would sum up my Erasmus+ experience in one sentence: ‘Go for it, what you will gain is priceless and cannot be expressed in words’. In 2018, when I decided to take my own advice and spend a semester at the University of Turin, I was granted an opportunity to meet new friends from all over the world, broaden my views, and get to know various cultures. In addition, I became familiar with the ways of Italians, who struck me as hospitable and kind people. Regarding the academic experience, I can say that it differs from the system in Bosnia and Herzegovina, that is, in the Republic of Srpska. There are a lot more students there, and the classrooms swarmed with both Italian and foreign students, of national diversity contributing to the quality and dynamics of discussions. The teaching staff are very kind and available, and they are always ready to talk to the students. The only issue I could recall would be the paperwork concerning my stay at the university, but, once I dealt with that, the rest was pure pleasure. Given all I said, I can only stick to my credo from the beginning as my message to all those who are thinking of applying for this program.
Ivana Danilović, Study Program of Italian Language and Literature
In my opinion, spending a semester in Granada, as the city accommodating the largest number of students within the Erasmus+ program is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. On every corner, you will meet many people ready to have fun, throw a party, or embark on a journey. I was provided with an opportunity to travel across Spain and fall in love with its natural beauty, and, at the same time, to meet people from all quarters of the world, people I now call friends. The most amazing five months of my life!
Sanda Reljić, Study Program of English Language and Literature