Motivation
What motivates students to do Erasmus? Most students feel motivated to do an Erasmus just to live the experience of working in an international environment, since they believe this allows you to have more work opportunities and to build a better future. Students are enticed by the idea of knowing and exploring new ways of living and doing business, enriching themselves with all the knowledge they can obtain by simply opening up to new experiences.
One of the most desired destinations according to our interviewees is Ireland. It is currently the most requested country and where most Erasmus students go. This is due to several factors: they like the country, they have never been there before and they are attracted to the Irish culture because it represents a significant change in their lifes. The school also has collaboration agreements with several Irish companies, and students do not hesitate to take advantage of this. "I have already been in England several times, therefore, I prefer to go to Ireland. I’m quite excited and I’m planning to leave on June 22nd" says Pau. "At first I wanted to go to England, but now I like more the idea of doing an internship in Ireland," adds Laurin.
Erasmus is a wonderful opportunity for ETG students although not all of them are aware of such opportunity when they start their studies at the school. According to the students we interviewed, it wasn’t an idea they initially had, but once they discovered the possibility, they felt attracted to it and decided to give it a chance.
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Once you reach the end of the process and have earned enough points for a scholarship, you are one of the selected students. How does it feel? “Mainly I didn't expect it, there were people in second grade ahead of me and they had more options, so it was a big surprise and a big joy,” says Pau.
Finally, what are the expectations students have from these internships abroad?
"I have done my practical training in a small company and I would like to know how it is like to work in a larger firm, with a different work environment. Then, I would be able to compare both options and decide what suits me better in the future,” adds Pau.
By living this extraordinary experience, students want to learn new things, discover new places, meet new people, and bring back home many memories that they’ll always remember for sure.