Within life, certain memories and experiences resonate much more profoundly than others. This certainly applies to my Erasmus experience, which entailed studying abroad for six months at the University of Amsterdam.
The Erasmus exchange was embarked upon in the second year of my degree studying Politics and Modern History at the University of Manchester. It was fascinating to approach topics not from the usual Anglo-American perspective but rather from a Dutch viewpoint. During my time abroad, it continually struck me that these particular subject matters were not available in Manchester during the second year.
In academic terms, the choice to study abroad was extremely positive and changed my attitude to learning. I acquired new academic skills as I was introduced for the very first time to the concept of QSQ (Quote, Summary and Question). This is a formulaic method to analysing articles regardless of their content or difficulty. Although this concept seems so simple I found to my surprise that it is exceedingly effective and I have taken this valuable method onto my third year studying Politics and History.
Whilst in Amsterdam, I attended a lot of conferences and seminars on several topics. I believe that if I remained in Manchester, I would not have attended any - in Amsterdam, students are sent a weekly email of conferences taking place and moreover they tend to be free. I attended a particular conference titled ‘Criminals without Borders’ which included eminent guests such as Dr Frank Bovenkerk and Dr Itty Abraham. This conference looked at how the liberalisation of prostitution in the Netherlands has aided or indeed stifled the growth of human trafficking. It felt inspiring to be in a room where everyone shares the same interest and more importantly are passionate about it.
Within my seminars, there was a tendency for most of my classmates to be either Dutch or American. Students from these countries were very vocal, confident and took the initiative in raising their points within class and this is different to the UK, where the seminar tutor is more likely to coax contributions from the class. I partly surprised myself in that I thrived in this sort of vocal and stimulating atmosphere and I very much enjoyed the lessons.
Whilst studying abroad, I became aware of how much education is a privilege as I volunteered with a Dutch organisation BLINN which dealt with trafficked persons mostly from West Africa and Eastern Europe. The organisation mostly helped the trafficked individuals legally and financially. I got the opportunity to visit two male Nigerians in prison who had been trafficked illegally. Their situations were very poignant and even more so, because I come from the same background.
Socially, the Erasmus experience was extremely enjoyable. I did just not meet friends within the University but I also worked in a call centre whilst in Amsterdam, so I made many more friends than I expected. The International Student Network also organised numerous student parties which were always entertaining.
Mainland Europe shall never be the same to me. ‘Different yet similar’ is the phrase that best captures Europe today. This experience has shown me that it is important to celebrate the differences because that is what makes us who we are, but also importantly to recognise the similarities as that is the only way we can grow together. One thing that I have learnt from travelling and studying abroad is that a fixed and rigid life is not for me. I came to the Netherlands primarily to study, yet I returned with much more than a greater knowledge of research; I returned empowered by a new life perspective.
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