Mobility – Life outside Borders of Montenegro and Charm of Studying Abroad
Student of the Faculty of Philology of the University of Montenegro at Study Program for French Language and Literature, Tamara Aleksic, spent summer semester at the University in Nice.
‘I thought that it would be useful for me, as a student of French Language who wants to be trained, to spend certain period in some of Francophone countries. Thanks to Erasmus+ program and possibilities it gives, I got the opportunity to study abroad and that the country of my studies is France and one of, in my opinion, prettiest towns – Nice’, Tamara said.
Since Erasmus +, program of the European Union is intended for connecting in cooperation in the field of education, she heard it from professors and colleagues and came up with the idea to find out details about the program and to apply.
‘First encounter with Nice was more than enchanting. Already on that road from airport to apartment, passing famous Promenade, I realized why this town is called ‘the queen of Cote D’Azur’. I was looking forward to the forthcoming period and I was very excited. I got used to the new lifestyle and surroundings very fast, and since I went to exchange program with my friend, staying in Nice had a special charm,’ she said.
Student notices that in France lives a great number of foreigners, so cultural differences are noticeable.
‘It was interesting to meet people from various countries and listen to stories about their cultures. What surprised me in French people from Cote D’Azur is tightness of younger population towards colleagues coming from abroad, while I learnt from the older ones how necessary and matters kindness in everyday communication and that is what I will certainly use in my country’, Tamara said.
Regarding study programs, Tamara says there is difference, which was expected since in Nice, French Language is studied as mother tongue, however, as she says, she managed to find courses similar to the ones from home faculty.
Advantage of home faculty is that professors are more dedicated to students, while in the University in Nice there is good organization in terms of academic calendar and exam terms which gave her sufficient spare time.
‘After every three working weeks comes a free one which we used for trips to places nearby for meeting the town and socializing with other students’, Tamara said.
Student says that she sees mobility as a great life experience and that thanks to living abroad she has learnt how to face problems and comes up with solution.
‘I have become more open in terms of cooperation and team work with people from various countries, more communicative and resourceful in certain situations. Moreover, I made progress professionally, I gained new knowledge and I had the chance to use already acquired one. I am sure that everything learnt during stay abroad will be very helpful in achieving my goals’, she concluded.
Tamara said to all students who meet conditions to apply for this program and take opportunities given by the Erasmus + program.
‘It is absolutely wonderful that students are given the opportunity to experience life outside borders of their country, to feel charm of studying abroad, meet new people and gain experiences, as well as to meet different cultures’, Tamara ends.