When choosing my degree course back in 2006, I opted for one that had a year in industry as I thought this would really benefit me in the future, and give me better career prospects. I was lucky enough to spend my Residence Abroad in central Paris working for three very well-known advertising agencies during the course of the year, and as I study Media, this was a huge benefit to me.
I organised the placements and my accommodation a couple of months before leaving the UK. As expected, leaving England was quite daunting, and, as the time got closer to me departing, I kept questioning whether or not I was doing the right thing. It was quite a big step for me to move 200+ miles away from home, from all my friends and family to go to Paris. The thought of speaking French filled me with fear. I hadn’t spoken a word of French for the best part of five months, and now I was all alone with no one to help me. During my first few days in Paris, in-between exposing myself to culture, shopping and sightseeing, I sorted out a bank account, a mobile phone, and figured out how to use the metro and the route I would need to take to get to and from work. Slowly but surely, my ears started to become more attuned to hearing French instead of English, and I gradually began to get the hang of things.
At work, English and French were the main languages used, and I was given plenty of opportunities to speak both at all three placements. I found it really interesting working in a completely new environment, in a country that has totally different customs and work ethics to what I was used to. Working in three different agencies was probably one of the best decisions I made about my Erasmus year. Not only did I learn about three different job roles, I got to really understand exactly how the advertising industry works, and meet lots of people from all over the world, and have a peek at what working life is like, which made me decide exactly where I see myself after finishing my studies at University.
Working in France has also enhanced my CV and employability as a graduate. In hindsight, my Erasmus year really helped me to develop professionally and personally, particularly with regards to my level of French. Every day was filled with a new opportunity to improve, whether it was reading a French newspaper on the way into the metro, or watching television after a day at work, I could see that my oral and understanding was improving tremendously. When I got back to England and resumed my final year, I instantly noticed the difference. I could tell that I had become a lot more confident, and could really hold a proper conversation in French. This is because, during the year, I did whatever I could to immerse myself in French culture by visiting museums, expositions, going to French markets, reading French literature, and watching French films. It was fantastic to be exposed to so much culture and I really took advantage of this.
I feel that my year in Paris was a real eye-opener for me. I got to meet people from all over the world experience things I’d never have had the opportunity to experience had I stayed in England. One of the most poignant things from my Erasmus year was the flexibility I had to travel, and to meet like-minded people. I made friends from all over the world, and I became a lot more independent. I broke away from my little bubble at home, and have ‘found myself’.
There is no doubt that my Erasmus year was an opportunity of a lifetime, and it’s an experience that will stay special to me forever. After having lived in a country I’d only visited once, alone, I feel as though there’s nothing I can’t do. I think I have become a lot more open to different cultures and more motivated towards my final year at University.
Download a pdf of this case study here
The United Kingdom’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities.
A registered charity: 209131 (England and Wales) SC037733 (Scotland)
Registered in Singapore as a branch (T09FC0012J) and as a charity (No 0768).
Our privacy and copyright statements.
Our commitment to freedom of information. Double-click for pop-up dictionary.
Open the original version of this page.
Usablenet Assistive is a UsableNet product. Usablenet Assistive Main Page.