“It was an experience which I’ll never forget!”

France was a spontaneous choice which allowed me to improve my language level and boost my CV. When I arrived I had a beginner’s level – I was able to understand but I could not express myself a lot.

Once I got here I was forced to speak French and I improved every day by going to classes at university, taking part in French lessons organized for Erasmus students, speaking to neighbors and friends… And now I almost understand everything and am no longer afraid of expressing myself in speech!

I did not know if I would get used to my new student life and I was afraid of feeling rejected by my classmates or students in my hall of residence. And above all I was scared of not passing my exams because of my low level of French as I would be taking the exams as a normal student.

The majority of professors were nice and open-minded. But there were also others who did not have a lot of understanding for Erasmus students and our low language level and who treated us in the same way as French students which was difficult for us. The exams made my life stressful and difficult because I am a perfectionist and I always want to do my best. But I passed them all and in some cases with very high marks.

The classes at UBE helped me to improve my French a lot. My favorite class was Ethics, science and society (Bioethics) as we discussed current events, which allowed us to reflect on and debate complex topics. In Romania I have not yet experienced a class like that. At the start it was very difficult to follow these classes in terms of the philosophy because of my level of French – two hours of class seemed like four to me! But I surpassed this difficulty by reading a lot and staying concentrated.

I made lots of friends from France and Romania but also from other countries and I have stayed in touch with some of them. What really surprised me was that on the day I arrived everybody said hello without even knowing me!

During my stay I was able to visit France. I really liked the town of Orleans. But also Toulouse, Blois, Paris and of course Dijon and Beaune. Dijon is a pretty city, very clean, with lots of beautiful places. It is a city which is lively but where you can also find calmness. A perfect city for a student. But the most important thing with all this is the people who you are with…

My best memory here was when I finally found the owl on the Notre Dame church after a long walk across the city of Dijon – I made a wish which partially came true!

I lived an unforgettable experience in Dijon which made me fall in love with France, the French language… everything! I also discovered French cheese, which I love!

I would like to finish my studies and work as a teacher. Currently I am working as a languages and literature teacher and I am studying at the same time.

My Erasmus exchange played an important role in my admission to a Master’s programme, and that is without mentioning the added value for my CV. I would thoroughly recommend students to go abroad during their studies, it is a unique experience which you will not get the chance to experience again later on!