As I had spent a semester in Brussels during my Bachelor's degree and the few months had passed almost too quickly, I knew that I definitely wanted to go on Erasmus for a whole year during my Master's degree to make the stay really worthwhile. Without further ado, I decided against expensive, touristy Paris in favour of a smaller city in the west of France, just two hours from the Atlantic: Angers. By car and via the expensive French motorways, you can be in Angers in around 12 hours without breaks and after around 1,200 kilometres. However, it is much more exciting and easier on the wallet to avoid the motorways and split the journey into several stages. This way, the journey turned into a short, multi-day round trip with my friend, during which we were able to enjoy the last few days before saying goodbye and also see some of France. Alternatively, you can of course also travel by train or possibly by plane (Nantes or Paris airport), although luggage could be a hurdle.

My accommodation, which was only a 10-minute walk from the UCO, was a 26 m2 room with its own bathroom in a modern detached house, where the landlady (an architect), her partner and their 20-year-old daughter also lived. This room was already occupied by several students from Innsbruck, which is why I had been given a contact address by a former Erasmus student and was therefore able to take over the room. At €320 per month, the rent was very cheap compared to Innsbruck. It is even cheaper if you apply for the French rent subsidy from the CAF(Caisse d'allocations familiales) right at the beginning of your stay abroad, for which there are far fewer requirements than in Austria. As far as food prices are concerned, they are quite similar to those in Innsbruck. Large supermarkets such as Géant Casino and Carrefour Super- or Hypermarché have more choice and therefore allow for price comparisons, whereas smaller shops in the city centre are usually more expensive. Public transport is cheaper than in Innsbruck and there are bicycles that can be borrowed free of charge from the city centre.

Angers has slightly more inhabitants than Innsbruck, of which around 40,000 are students. For this reason, the city has a rich cultural offering and a variety of bars, pubs and restaurants, which is why boredom is a foreign word here. The university also contributes to the varied programme with various events, cake and crêpe sales, excursions, theatre performances, international evenings, etc. If you get bored in Angers, you can travel to other places in France with a Blablacar (carpooling service), bus or TGV. Nantes, for example, is less than an hour away and Paris is only about 1.5 hours away by TGV. One of my favourite activities during my Erasmus stay is travelling. During my first three months in Angers, I visited many other French cities such as Bordeaux, Nantes, Saumur, Strasbourg, Paris and Saint-Malo and made travel plans for the second semester.

Of course, Erasmus is not just about parties, concerts and city trips, but also about courses and lectures at the university. Although the Université Catholique de l'Ouest is a private Catholic university, it has an ecumenical orientation, which means that all students are welcome. During the welcome week at the beginning of September, international students are introduced to the university, the various facilities and organisations as well as important functions and procedures. They find out who the contact persons are for the degree programmes, where the library and the university's own infirmary are located, what the general procedures are and much more. I have never experienced a better and warmer welcome, not even in Innsbruck. That's why I felt very comfortable and well integrated right from the start and knew who I could turn to if I had any problems. The staff at the International Relations Office at UCO are extremely helpful and always have an open ear. The lecturers are also nice, although they don't make any exceptions for Erasmus students when it comes to exams and tests.

As there is no Master's programme specialising in conference interpreting in Angers and we only found out after our arrival that certain courses were not available to Erasmus students, we had to make a few changes to our learning agreement right at the start. Nevertheless, it is possible for conference interpreting students to find courses that they are allowed to attend and that can be recognised in Innsbruck. In my opinion, it is highly recommended to go on Erasmus directly in the 3rd or 4th semester of the Bachelor's programme or in the first semesters of the Master's programme, as this gives you even more courses to choose from and makes planning easier. Once all the courses were finalised and I had settled in a bit, I had to get used to the fact that my timetable was different every week, as some courses took place weekly, others only every fortnight and often at different times. Although this took some getting used to at first, it also left room for leisure activities and exploring the city.

Fortunately, we already made friends in the first few weeks with both local and Erasmus students, not only from UCO but also from other universities and schools in Angers, of which there are many. We regularly went out together, had a meal, went to the cinema or had film evenings. There are also weekly Erasmus evenings and expat meetings in Angers, as well as various language get-togethers from time to time. To make sure you don't miss any of these numerous events, I can really recommend a profile on Facebook, as 99% of all events are advertised there.

Text: Patricia Konrath

05:30 in the morning in Munich. Exhausted and packed with two large suitcases, I stood at the station with my family. I had quickly picked up a mediocre croissant for the journey from the only bakery that was open at this time of day. This was my second time travelling to a (more or less) distant country for an Erasmus stay. As my semester in Edinburgh, Scotland, had apparently not been enough for me, this time I was travelling to Angers in France. The train departed, I waved goodbye, and as I looked out of the window, the landscape, town signs, architecture and weather changed more and more every hour, until at some point, instead of familiar German conversations ("Excuse me, but this is our seat!"), I was suddenly surrounded by a new, foreign soundscape ("Bonjour Madame ! Votre billet, s'il vous plaît !").

Although it wasn't the first time I would be living away from the all-too-familiar land of mountains for an extended period of time, I still had a queasy feeling as I rushed to the regional train to Angers in Paris ("Are 'Bonjour', 'Merci' and 'Au Revoir' really the only words I know after my three-year bachelor's degree?"). I had the confidence to understand French - but to hold entire conversations in the language of Molière? To make friends? To be taught? That seemed a bit excessive to me. So I was all the more amazed when, within a few weeks, I had already opened a bank account, signed a contract at the gym and made French friends! Well, admittedly, 'Oui' was still number one on the hit list of my most frequently used French words, but that didn't matter for the time being. I had finally arrived!

Over the course of nine exciting, sometimes nerve-wracking, but always enormously enriching months, I travelled all over France with my now good friend Patricia: Paris, Bordeaux, Nantes and Lille - but also Lisbon and Brussels outside the Hexagone - were just some of the destinations we visited at weekends and during the holidays. My circle of friends and acquaintances grew steadily, we greeted each other with two kisses, joked in slang about cultural curiosities, talked about wine regions and the French preference for corks over a glass of Coteaux du Layon and walked home in the evening with a delicious baguette (no, baguettes are simply not the same in Austria!). At some point, French conversations had turned from an exhausting tightrope act into a linguistic waltz: I usually didn't have to think much anymore, the words seemed to dance out of my mouth all by themselves.

When I got back on the train to Paris and then on to Munich after two surprisingly short semesters in Angers, I looked out of the window again - with one laughing and one crying eye. Once again, the landscape, town signs, architecture and weather gradually changed before my eyes, hour by hour. When I heard the first German conversation ("Annette, look, we're sitting here!"), I listened in irritation ("Mais c'est quoi ça ?"). After travelling for several hours, I finally got off the train and happily greeted my family, whom I had missed very much despite everything.

Back in Innsbruck a few days later, I bought a baguette in a bakery "for old times' sake". In joyful anticipation of reliving old memories, I bit into it: "Oh là là, that's supposed to be a baguette?", I thought to myself - and then I knew: France had left its mark. Tiny little baguette crumbs. And although I am Austrian, a small corner of my heart will always remain a little bit French .

Text: Stefanie Riegler

I chose Brussels for my Erasmus semester because I had already travelled around France quite a lot and had already completed an internship and a year of study there. I was simply interested in what other French-speaking countries are like (culture etc.).

I travelled to Brussels by plane two weeks before the start of my studies. On the day I arrived, I decided to take a taxi to my new flat, as I had never been to Brussels before, and it went very smoothly. I actually found my flat/room in the Kot (1 house, several rooms/studios privately rented) via the university back in March, when I received an email from the university with all the details and immediately went for it. The house is in a very good location, I walk about 12 minutes to the university every day, and the flat is also very close to bus and tram stations, from which you can be in the heart of Brussels in a short time. Public transport is generally very good, you rarely wait more than 10 minutes for the next bus/tram/metro (except at night of course). If I were to spend an Erasmus semester here again, I might choose a different flat, but it was a very good deal for one semester, and as I said: the location is unbeatable!

I really liked the university itself. On the information day, all Erasmus students were given a list of the special Erasmus courses and an additional Excel spreadsheet with all the other courses that could be taken. We had the opportunity to attend the courses for the first two/three weeks to find out whether we liked them and whether the language level was manageable, and then we could change our minds according to our wishes. So no, it wasn't difficult for me to choose my courses here. The Erasmus courses were divided into four groups according to language level (placement test on the info day), the additional courses, like in my case two English courses and a German course, are attended together with the regularly enrolled students. Getting started actually went pretty smoothly for me, although there was a misunderstanding on my part, but in the end it didn't cause any problems at all. Apart from that, everything went well with the list we were provided with and putting together the timetable for the Erasmus semester turned out to be easier than expected. As I arrived two weeks before the official start of the winter semester, I had enough time to prepare well, explore the area and get information, enrolment confirmations and my student card.

I personally found it easy to integrate into university life, as I attended courses together with the regular students, but you also quickly come into contact with students from other countries in the Erasmus courses, so no foreign language that you are currently learning or would like to learn is neglected. In the first week of university, an excursion to Ghent and Ostend was planned just for Erasmus students, and there are also all kinds of events on Facebook from the university, the city itself, bars/clubs etc. or other university locations so that you don't miss any important dates.

Although I was quite excited and sceptical before starting my Erasmus stay that I would like it (as I had had bad experiences in France), I am having one of the best times of my life here and wouldn't want to miss a single experience. After my second week in Brussels, I had already fallen in love with the city and its flair and really felt at home very quickly. The country and the city are just incredibly beautiful, there is so much to discover, and as Belgium is not an incredibly large country, most cities can be reached within an hour or two at the most by SNCB (train) or by car. There's so much to see here in Brussels alone that it's hard to fit everything in during a semester. The bilingualism of the city took some getting used to at first, but it soon became clear that the majority of people here speak French. Nevertheless, the bilingual posters and adverts are as much a part of the city as the chips and waffles.

I travelled a lot during my stay here, including to the USA, France and the Netherlands during the holidays, which did put a strain on my budget, but all in all the costs were easily covered with Erasmus funding.

My recommendation to anyone thinking about doing an Erasmus semester, no matter where: please do it, it's an amazing experience and more than worth it for your language skills. Of course, for French students, I can also more than recommend Brussels!

Text: Vanessa Andorfer

There are not many cities with only around 200,000 inhabitants that are as well-known and international as Geneva. As the seat of many NGOs and organisations such as the UN and the WHO, the city attracts people from every corner of the world. This internationality and diversity can be felt both in the streets and in the halls of the Université de Genève. In this respect, the city is a translator's and interpreter's dream. Surrounded by a multitude of nationalities and languages, there is a place for everyone here and translation work is highly valued and prestigious in this multilingual city - partly due to its fantastic Faculté de traduction et d'interprétation. For this reason, I decided to return to Geneva for my Bachelor's degree - this time during my Master's degree - after a cancelled stay abroad due to the Covid pandemic.

The Université de Genève offers several specialisations for translation and interpreting as well as terminology work at Master's level and therefore offers the unique opportunity to benefit from the high-quality courses and the competent professors at the Faculté de traduction et d'interprétation. Thanks to the extensive range of courses on offer, it is easy to create a suitable timetable that corresponds to the Innsbruck curriculum, even in the Master's programme. In addition to the great courses on offer, the city itself also has a lot to offer and provides an insight into the many career opportunities in a multilingual country like Switzerland and in the international organisations that can be found there.

Student life here is also of high quality, which is enriched by the superbly organised ESN Genève (Erasmus Student Network Genève), especially for exchange students: Parties, trips, excursions, games evenings, hikes and much more are on the programme every week. You make friends in no time, discover many beautiful places in Switzerland and soon feel part of the ESN family. The foreign host university quickly becomes a favourite place to meet for a coffee and bump into other exchange students. If you can't make it to university, you stay connected in the university's student residences, where you are always in contact with other students, where parties are held, where you return together after an ESN weekend and laugh about your new memories. Through the buddy programme, you not only get to know exchange students, but also regular students who come from Switzerland or neighbouring countries and with whom you can improve your French language skills. This knowledge will be put to the test at the latest during the administrative procedures at the beginning and end of the semester - after all, you need a Swiss bank account to receive the exchange scholarship. However, nothing is easier than opening a bank account in Switzerland. And even if there are difficulties with the authorities, the Université de Genève also helps you with these things; the professors and student representatives are helpful and friendly.

Of course, Switzerland is expensive - especially in Geneva. Nevertheless, there is a Lidl supermarket and student discounts, a canteen at the university with inexpensive meals, ESN rates at parties and reduced prices for public transport and ESN excursions. The price for a room in the student residence is roughly the same as in Innsbruck and is covered by the Swiss exchange scholarship. However, you have to be quick when applying for a room in a student residence (at least six months in advance), otherwise accommodation can quickly become expensive.

Geneva has an incredible amount to offer and, in my opinion, is perfect for an exchange. In addition to the great university courses, the cultural programme and the many travel opportunities, you also have the chance to make lots of international friends and broaden your horizons. A city like cosmopolitan Geneva allows you to think outside the box and enriches not only your language skills but also your personal development. I look back on my semester in Geneva with joy and a smile on my face and would choose this destination again in a heartbeat.

Text: Katharina Stolz

I still remember well how I started my journey to Geneva on 12 September 2022: packed with a huge suitcase, I boarded the train that would take me to Geneva, not yet knowing how much I would enjoy my semester there. At the beginning of my journey, I still had some concerns: how would I find my way around a foreign city? What would the courses at the university be like? How would I make contacts?

To my relief, all these concerns disappeared in the first few weeks after my arrival: I realised that it was quick and easy to get from A to B on public transport. I also liked my accommodation, La Cité Universitaire de Genève, as I had a lot of contact with other students living there, including many Erasmus students, due to the shared kitchen. I saw my flatmates every day and we always went on excursions together.

A week after my arrival in Geneva, I started my courses at the Faculté de Traduction et d'Interprétation (FTI) of the Université de Genève (UNIGE). I liked my teachers straight away, as they are familiar with welcoming numerous Erasmus students to their courses every semester and were therefore particularly responsive to questions from us incoming students. At first I found it difficult to find my course rooms because the FTI is located in a gigantic building with several other faculties, a large library and two canteens, but after a while I was able to find my way around.

I was able to fulfil my wish to practise my French as part of the UNIGE tandem programme: My tandem partner from Annecy, a small French town near Geneva, spoke French with me regularly, improving my pronunciation and fluency. I also practised my French when dealing with the authorities and in contact with other native-speaking students.

For anyone who would like to make friends during their Erasmus stay, I highly recommend attending the numerous events organised by ESN Genève (Erasmus Student Network Genève). This organisation offers introductory events at the start of the semester so that nobody has to feel alone. The Erasmus+ buddy system is another way of making friends: Here, Erasmus students are assigned local students from Geneva who help with university formalities and tips for excursions.

Geneva is small but mighty! I never expected to meet people from so many countries in this relatively small city: I met students from Norway, the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Ukraine, Russia and from countries outside Europe, including Canada, the USA, Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil, Egypt, the Ivory Coast, South Africa, Iran, India, China, Japan and Australia. Numerous international organisations such as the UN, the WHO, the Red Cross, CERN and many more perfectly complement this international environment.

All very nice, but also very expensive? Not necessarily: students benefit from various discounts, such as a heavily discounted public transport ticket and price reductions in the UNIGE canteens. There are also price differences depending on the supermarket and special offers for students, such as La FARCE, where you can pick up food every week for a one-off membership fee of CHF 20.

Text: Alissa Bader

Erasmus in Lyon, winter semester 2023

The inhabitants of Lyon often refer to their city as "little Paris". They allude to the imposing churches, the banks of the Rhône and Saône rivers (the Saône even sounds a little like the Seine) and the miniature Eiffel Tower in Lyon. Parisians, of course, reject this comparison out of hand. But they can't deny that Lyon feels like a big city through and through, and I can attest to this first-hand.

I got off the TGV in Lyon one September evening and it was incredibly humid. The city seemed to be vibrating, with so many people bustling around, at the station, in the metro, especially in Les Pentes de la Croix-Rousse neighbourhood in the first arrondissement, where cafés, bars, small shops and studios are lined up side by side.

That same evening, I moved into my room in this neighbourhood, which turned out to be a real stroke of luck. (I had found it via the website leboncoin.fr*; it is comparable to Willhaben or Ebay). I was living with a family with three sons, two of whom had already moved out. Apart from me, there was another student who spent so much time studying that I hardly ever saw him, and a cat who became more and more trusting over time. I rarely got to see the family members either, both parents worked a lot and the son who remained in the household went to school full-time. This meant that I was able to go about my everyday life independently, which I found very pleasant. Nevertheless, I was pleased that I and the family occasionally met in the kitchen: not only was it good for my French, but family life also gave me an understanding of some cultural idiosyncrasies.

My favourite thing about the flat, however, was the location. As an avid coffee drinker, I spent a lot of my free time alone or with friends in the outdoor areas of cafés, observing city life. Lyon is generally very walkable, I was quickly in the (historic) centre, at numerous weekly markets, including the largest in the La Croix-Rousse district, which is often compared to Montmartre. In Lyon, there is also a municipal library in every arrondissement, which is a great place to study. With the so-called Carte Culture, I was able to use their analogue and digital services and also visit many museums, cinemas and cultural events for free or at a reduced price, and for very little money. A special cultural event was the reopening of the Musée d'Art Contemporain: on the evening of the opening, admission was free, there was a bar, loud techno music resounded through the three floors of the museum and the exhibitions could be visited until late into the night. I also spent a lot of time in the numerous independent cinemas in Lyon - Lyon is the city of cinema! Although the city is so lively, I rarely felt stressed by its hustle and bustle. This was mainly due to the Parc de la Tête d'Or, which is very spacious and even has a lake in the centre, and the two rivers. To get to the city centre campus of my university, Université Lyon 2, I often walked along the Rhône for three quarters of an hour.

Compared to my student flatmate, I didn't have to make much effort to get to university. In my experience, the workload at Université Lyon 2 is very manageable. As each course in Lyon is weighted with 5 ECTS points for Erasmus students, I only chose six courses and was therefore relatively rarely on campus. This was very convenient for me, as the second campus of Université Lyon 2 is an hour outside the city. The organisation of Erasmus stays at the Université Lyon 2 is almost exclusively analogue; for example, the overviews of the courses are displayed in front of the secretariats in all buildings; the process is therefore time-consuming and often chaotic. Fortunately, the teachers of the TDs(travaux dirigés, course type corresponding to our tutorials here in Innsbruck) are very helpful and friendly. I took the majority of my courses in the Langues Étrangères Appliquées programme. The atmosphere in the department was similar to that in Innsbruck, so it was very easy to settle in and get used to the university.

Lyon as a city made it really easy for me as an Erasmus student. I felt at home from the very first moment, also because there are so many places for students. At the weekends, I went on excursions to neighbouring cities with other Erasmus students, which really enriched my stay. I would choose Lyon again and again, and I'm already looking forward to my next visit!

Text: Laura Klemm

*Note from the Institute of Translation Studies: The Institute of Translation Studies accepts no liability or responsibility for the content and offers on external websites.

It was clear to me right from the start of my degree programme: I definitely wanted to do two stays abroad. After my first Erasmus stay in Granada, Spain, during my bachelor's degree, I came back to Innsbruck with a wealth of experience. So why not experience the same thing again, but this time in France? But it wasn't the same in the Master's programme after all ... As is so often the case, life throws a spanner in the works. This time it was the coronavirus pandemic. But: I was optimistic and really wanted the stay abroad in Metz to work out. And I was lucky: with bag and baggage and a mask, I travelled by train to Metz and the Grand Est region in September.

I was able to explore the city on the Moselle with a crêpe in my hand before the start of term. And I have to say: I underestimated the city. Although it already looked beautiful in the Google photos, you really only get to feel the flair of the city when you're there. The nice thing about it is that the sights and squares are spread throughout the city, so not everything is centred on one particular place.

As I still had some time before the start of the semester, I decided to take part in the buddy programme. And this time I really had a good match. My buddy was nice, helpful, knew a lot about the city and also studied languages. My French really got going before I started university, which was an advantage for the semester ahead.

When I attended my first courses at the Université de Lorraine - always on site, mind you, but always wearing a mask - I realised that I was the only Erasmus student in some of them. This allowed me to make contacts who always spoke French with me. Did I meet any Erasmus students at all? Yes, I did, because I had decided to attend an in-depth French course. "Repetition never hurts", I thought to myself. On this course, I was able to meet people from all over the world, including people from Turkey, Ukraine and Hungary. Contrary to my expectations, we only spoke French in our free time and not English. Although Metz is close to the German border, I didn't hear or feel any German. Apart from the translation courses, I was surrounded only by French, which really helped me linguistically.

And what else was going on in France? My consumption of sweets increased a little during this time; no wonder with the delicious tartelettes. But I also had to indulge in savoury treats such as quiche lorraine more often. The snails in various flavours at the Christmas market were not to my taste, however (but for others this would certainly be a highlight!). What also amused me was the cosiness at the supermarket checkout. Unlike in some supermarkets in Austria, I didn't get stressed, because in France you still have time for a chat. Something that (hopefully) won't be part of everyday life for other Erasmus students was the mask. I still remember a comment from a French woman about FFP2 masks: "You Autrichiens with your FFP2 masks, you really always overdo it!"

In many cases, I was still wearing a mask, but I enjoyed visiting a few other cities all the more. Metz is so wonderfully located that I was able to visit Reims, Paris, Nancy, Strasbourg, Brussels and Luxembourg City, the latter of which I can only recommend.

At the end of my Erasmus stay, I travelled back to Austria with my bag and baggage. I will always remember my Erasmus stay in Metz, a small but beautiful city on the Moselle with numerous sights such as Metz Cathedral, the Temple Neuf, the Centre Pompidou Metz or the Esplanade and other extensive cultural offerings (which I really made use of). And I also made contacts from France and all over the world, which made my Erasmus stay even more special. I really enjoyed it!

Text: Nicole Ljevar

My decision to do an Erasmus semester had been a long time coming. However, I hadn't actually planned for it to happen in my third semester at Trawi. But what would we do without dedicated professors who talk you into it so that you decide in favour of it just four months beforehand? It's easy to explain why I chose the UMons: It should be a francophone country, preferably not in France, because I've been there many times, and a good translation department, with a top Russian department, couldn't hurt either. Voilà: UMons!

As everything was a bit last-minute for me, it was a bit stressful. But even though I was too late to get a room in a student residence, for example, I found a nice place to stay with a Belgian couple, together with an English woman who, as luck would have it, was also studying at the Institute for Translation and Interpreting!

As far as the courses are concerned, I can only say: top level! Especially the Russian courses (I attended the first and second year courses), which are very interactive and lively, even though the level is very high and demanding. The same goes for the German-French/French-German translation courses. But what would life be without challenges? The size of the Institute for Translation and Interpreting (L'Eii, as we like to say) is particularly characteristic of this university. With eleven departments, it is considerably larger than that of the University of Innsbruck and especially in the run-up to Christmas it is nice when each department organises its own little Christmas party (the Yolka of the Russian department, the Feuerzangenbowle of the German department, etc.).

In my free time, I took advantage of a great offer for under 26s: the so-called GoPass, a very cheap 10-trip ticket for the entire railway network in Belgium! And if you're not so keen on travelling (which I don't think you will be if you decide to do an Erasmus semester, but you never know...), ESN (the European Students Network) or the extensive sports programme at the university (in my case volleyball and football) offer a welcome break from the stress of studying.

Because you should definitely treat yourself to that: To enjoy the experience, despite all the work and high expectations!

Text: Nathalie Schachinger

Why Poitiers?

For me personally, it quickly became clear that I would go to Poitiers. The vacancies in Rennes were already filled and Paris was not an option for me. In retrospect, that proved to be the case. Paris is beautiful and great for weekend trips, but I was always happy to return to the small and "cosy" Poiters.

Preparations

As Poitiers had not uploaded a valid course schedule online, we had to take the courses from the old programme. Thanks to my Erasmus correspondent in Poitiers, we then found out which courses would take place and which would not. Putting together the Learning Agreement was a bit tedious at times, but with the help of Mrs Mayer Martina, who was my Departmental Coordinator in Innsbruck, I managed to put together a Learning Agreement after all.

Arrival

In my opinion, arriving in Poitiers is very well organised for Erasmus students. It's worth dropping by the international relations office right at the beginning, as they will go through all the important checkpoints for your Erasmus stay. They will also provide you with information about your first events. There is also the ESN Erasmus Poitiers organisation, which tries very hard and organises trips to Bordeaux, La Rochelle, Lyon etc. from time to time. As a result, I quickly came into contact with other Erasmus students, which made the start in a new city much easier.

Accommodation

Finding accommodation proved to be difficult at first, as flats in Poitiers are rare and I wanted to find something on my own. I wanted to find a flat share with French people in order to improve my language skills. Afterwards, I found out that the Service des relations internationales office in Poiters also offers chambres chez l'habitant, i.e. accommodation with private individuals in their houses or flats, which is highly recommended (simply write to them from May onwards). Flat prices generally vary between 300 and 400 euros per room. Le Bon Coin is a website that is similar to ebay classifieds and where you can also find flat adverts without registering. I finally found what I was looking for there. (Note from the Institute of Translation Studies: The Institute accepts no liability or responsibility for the content and offers of external websites.)From reports from other Erasmus students, I can recommend the Michel Foucault student residence.

The university

At the beginning, I was quite overwhelmed by the French university system. However, this was due to the fact that the UFR Lettres et Langues changed its curriculum in the winter semester of 2018, which meant a lot of changes. It took me at least a month to put together a halfway decent timetable. As you have no idea of the content of the courses when you put together your Learning Agreement, I can only recommend trying out a wide variety of courses. After all, you have about four weeks to make the changes . You should keep your nerve, not give in and start to get used to the French administration. Mrs Mott Elisabeth (the Erasmus correspondent for German-speaking students at the time) was a great support to me at this time.

In general, however, the French people are extremely helpful and I was pleasantly surprised by how many fellow students helped me in everyday university life. I was generally very happy with my courses and my professors. I can also recommend taking a grammar course at the CFLE(Centre français de langues etrangères), as this was very useful for me personally (even though there is unfortunately a charge for this).

Financial matters/life

In general, life is a little more expensive than in Austria. However, you quickly discover where you can buy cheaper. In my opinion, good quality at slightly cheaper prices can be found at Carrefour City in the city centre. Monoprix is to be avoided, as in my opinion the prices are totally overpriced. As my flat was in the city centre, I took the bus to campus almost every day. Line 1 is great for this - it takes eight minutes from the city centre to the campus. I bought a monthly subscription from Vitalis, the local bus company, which was very cheap.

In terms of train connections, Poitiers is very conveniently located, as it takes no more than two hours to get to Paris, Bordeaux and La Rochelle. We recommend the Carte Jeune from SNCF, which offers a discount of up to 60 per cent on journeys within France. Unfortunately, the connections to nearby towns such as Nantes and Angers are not as favourable. However, you can also book a carpooling service(Blabla Car). (Note from the Institute of Translation Studies: The Institute accepts no liability or responsibility for the content and offers of external websites).

Free time

Since Poitiers is a small city and it rains a lot in the winter months, I can only recommend enrolling in suaps courses(Université du sport). However, you should definitely register for several courses and only then decide on one, as the expected level is often different or the courses are already too full (French chaos sends its regards).

Conclusion

Although I missed the nature and the mountains, I really enjoyed my time in Poitiers. Poitiers has a very special charm with its medieval buildings and there are also a few nice bars and cafés. It's funny that after about a month you get the feeling that you know everyone because you meet so many different students at university. This somehow creates a cosy atmosphere. If you get bored, you can organise weekend trips to Nantes, La Rochelle, etc. All in all, I feel that I've learnt a lot, both personally and professionally, and I've met lots of interesting people who I hope to meet again somewhere, sometime in the future.

We chose Rennes as our destination because it was important for us to go to a rather large city. However, Paris was too big for us personally, which is why we quickly realised that Rennes was the right choice for us.

In order to plan such a mobility, many different things have to be done and thought through before the actual stay. It starts with the fact that you first have to take care of all the formalities (learning agreement, timetable etc.). All these organisational things take a lot of time and patience, but you should take your time so that you have fewer problems on site. Only then did we deal with questions such as "What is the weather like there?" or "What do I need on site?". Once we were sure that we were ready for our semester abroad and had sorted everything out, we were ready to start our journey.

After nine hours on the train from Zurich via Paris to Rennes, we finally arrived at the place where we would be spending the next semester. At first we were overwhelmed as we didn't know exactly how we would get to our student residence. To make things easier, we took a taxi, which brought us directly to our accommodation.

When we arrived at the student residence, we were a little shocked at first, as it didn't look very inviting from the outside. However, we didn't have much time to gather our first impressions as there was a lot of organisational work to be done at the student residence. The rooms were 9 square metres, so they weren't very big. However, we soon decorated our rooms quite cosily and quickly felt very comfortable in them. We would personally choose the "Alsace" student residence again, as it is really very cheap.

The University of Rennes 2 is very large compared to the University of Innsbruck. It has a really large campus where lots of students always spend their breaks. We were at the Institut L.E.A. (langues étrangeres appliquées), Parcours Allemand et Anglais, and we really liked it there. Of course, it took some getting used to at the beginning because it's really very different from Austria. You really have to attend the selected courses in the first week of university in September so that you can see whether they are the right ones and whether you need to make any changes. Of course, every beginning is difficult and it took us some time to get used to the fact that only French was spoken, but you get used to it. We were not very enthusiastic about our translation courses as we had to translate English to French and vice versa and not German to English and vice versa. In the end, we realised that we simply weren't up to these courses and stopped attending them. The other courses were really good and the CIREFE courses (intensive French course) were also very helpful and fun.

The Erasmus students got on better with the locals in certain courses and less well in others. In general, however, it was rather difficult to socialise with French people as they liked to keep to themselves and didn't show much interest in making friends with foreign students.

Rennes itself is a beautiful city. The centre is really nice, but it's smaller than we thought at the beginning. You can basically see the city and all its sights within a day. We liked the coasts and the small harbour towns in Brittany best. All the towns are easily accessible by train and are definitely worth a visit. If you don't just want to be in Rennes and want to visit neighbouring towns or the coast, you shouldn't hesitate to spend money on it - it's worth it. However, you won't get very far with the Erasmus money itself. It is important to really plan enough money so that you can experience a lot during your semester abroad. Food and especially toiletries are more expensive than in Austria.

In general, our semester in Rennes was really great and we experienced a lot of things and met a lot of new people from all over. Our semester abroad in Rennes was certainly not our last visit to beautiful Brittany.

Text: Magdalena Hieble and Alexandra Szalay

For the first time in France. And for an entire semester. I was really looking forward to it: finally putting my French skills to the test with real native speakers and getting a taste of a new culture. However, I also had a queasy feeling in my stomach at the thought of being completely on my own: What if I didn't understand the people there? What if the university courses were too difficult for me? Well, I guess I had to go through that now. The adventure into the unknown could begin.

After successfully taking out household contents insurance and becoming the proud owner of a French bank account, it was a real load off my mind. I could do it! Now I just had to find my way around the city and the university and settle into my hall of residence, where the next challenge was already waiting for me: a communal kitchen, but no pans, no pots, no crockery. But I managed that too, because the university in Tours provided us with lots of utensils. It was a funny sight to see students marching through the streets to their halls of residence with large clothes racks, irons and hoovers under their arms.

As for the city itself, I was immediately enthralled as I strolled through the picturesque streets of the old town with its half-timbered houses, curiously admired all the sweet delicacies in the display cases of the pâtisseries , strolled along the Rue Nationale with its upmarket boutiques and passed the imposing town hall with its artistically designed forecourt. There was something going on everywhere, everything felt so lively. Luckily for me, shortly after I arrived in Tours, the Journées du Patrimoine (Heritage Days ) took place, when many museums and cultural sites opened their doors free of charge and invited visitors to take part in interesting guided tours. Of course, I didn't miss this opportunity and visited the Musée du Compagnonnage (a museum about the history of arts and crafts and the French guild system), the Bibliothèque Municipale, the Cathédrale Saint-Gatien, the Château de Tours and the Jardin Botanique.

Yes, the city really has a lot to offer. Then there are all the excursions organised by the International Relations Office for Erasmus students: From a day trip to Bordeaux to the castles of the Loire Valley to wine tastings, everything was included. However, I soon realised one thing: I didn't speak as much French as I had imagined. It was somehow easier to get into conversation with Erasmus people than with the French people at university. So I signed up for so-called tandem talks. The coordinator for German-French was very obliging and was pleased about my interest. Every week, I met with various French students from a wide range of disciplines who were keen to improve their German and in return talked to me in French, giving me an understanding of the country and its people. "You've chosen the ideal city for your Erasmus stay," many people told me, "the Touraine region is known for its pure French; the people here speak very clearly, without an accent or dialectal influence." As it was my first time in France, I hadn't realised this straight away, but yes, I was amazed at how well I understood the locals, even if they sometimes spoke a little quickly.

I was also able to follow the courses well. The courses were interesting and the lecturers were very nice; many were even happy to have someone from Innsbruck there. I had the wonderful feeling of being welcome.

What can I say, I was fully immersed in life à la française, had friends and enjoyed my Erasmus semester. And in the spirit of the saying "You should leave when it's at its best", my adventure was already over. What seemed like a long semester to me at the beginning was only a much too short one when I left.

Text: Lisa Harrasser

I decided in favour of Perugia rather than Rome, as I wanted to go to a city that was similar in size to Innsbruck. However, the preparations were somewhat difficult, as I sometimes waited weeks for feedback from Italy, including from the university there.

I didn't really know Perugia beforehand, but I was very pleasantly surprised. As both the city and the institute are rather small, you quickly get to know people. I was accepted very quickly and made friends, which is definitely an advantage of a smaller city. Perugia is also a city where flats tend to be cheap, so I was able to pay my entire rent with the help of the Erasmus grant.

The courses were mostly very similar to Innsbruck, with a slightly greater focus on interpreting. The German level is of course not like ours, but the professors are native speakers and if you take a course from a higher semester, it's pretty similar to Innsbruck. The level of English was also slightly lower than here, but there were a lot of essays, which was good practice. There was no canteen, but you could "order" food - choose from a menu list and it was brought from a supermarket just in time for the lunch break, which is the same for everyone.

I would definitely go to Perugia again, it was a really great experience and also helped me a lot with my language skills.

Text: Natascha Pirnbacher

Writing my Master's thesis abroad - why not? Before I decided to study abroad in Wroclaw, I had already toyed with the idea of incorporating my interest in Polish into my Master's thesis. How fortunate that I not only found the right Master's thesis supervisor in Michael Ustaszewski, but that he, as Erasmus coordinator for Wroclaw, also made it possible for me to write my thesis there.

I had already attended a Polish course at the Slavic Studies Department in Innsbruck beforehand, but as there is the alternative option of acquiring some basic knowledge of Polish on site before the start of the semester, this is certainly not a prerequisite. It is generally possible to get by on site in English or even German, but it is more fun if you can express yourself at least a little in Polish (it is also helpful if you get off at the wrong station). By the way: Russian and Polish are similar in some structures, but that doesn't mean you should speak Russian. This only happened to me once on my very first taxi journey and I'm not sure whether the taxi driver was thinking of letting me out immediately.

I was privately accommodated in a shared flat through an international church congregation, which I realised was a real stroke of luck, as I was able to get to know completely different corners of the city, which was a lot bigger than I had initially assumed. But from what I heard, life in the two halls of residence Kredka and Ołówek (Bunt- und Bleistift, which explains itself architecturally) was at least varied and exciting and also a good opportunity to get to know other Erasmus students.

University life is a little different to that at the University of Innsbruck. When I was there, online banking was still a foreign concept, but perhaps that has changed in the meantime. Applying for a library card also took some time. Tip: Just ask at the Erasmus office, they know their way around, the information on the website is sometimes a little cautious.

As I was already in the final stages of my Master's programme, I didn't attend many courses. However, there are some exciting courses at the English and German departments, which are also interesting for us as electives. However, you shouldn't expect translation or interpreting courses unless you already speak fluent Polish.

While my Polish courses also allowed me to socialise with others, the other courses I attended were not so suitable for this. This is mainly due to the fact that the students almost all have their lessons together and know each other very well. So joining them for a few lessons is a bit strange at first. Nevertheless, everyone was very friendly and open-minded.

Wroclaw itself has become one of my absolute favourite cities. The mixture of communist apartment blocks and beautiful architecture, which hints at the country's centuries of eventful history, makes the city very appealing. It's definitely one of the best places to get lost and discover a new, cosy café around the next street corner. Wroclaw has an incredible variety of pubs, restaurants and the aforementioned coffee houses. Also: be sure to eat doughnuts! As many as you can! Everything is a bit cheaper than in Austria, not least because of the exchange rate. The Erasmus grant was exactly enough to cover my rent, and there is certainly a bit more money left over in the student residence.

On the one hand, the city is steeped in history and the city centre looks as if it is stuck in the past, but on the other hand it can also be modern - namely with an extremely large number of shopping centres. The history of Wroclaw is incredibly exciting, the city was Austrian and German, was destroyed and rebuilt during the Second World War and is now a Polish city with many international companies based here. From here you can also discover other cities such as the beautiful Krakow or Warsaw and Gdansk (keyword: Ryanair!).

I can only recommend a stay in Wroclaw. It's best to arrive a few weeks early, look for accommodation, explore the city and attend Polish language courses, so you have the best starting conditions. You have to familiarise yourself with everything that is so different here from Innsbruck, but basically the same applies here: With a little courage and enjoyment of (administrative) adventures, your stay in Wroclaw can be easily mastered.

Text: Anna-Marie Parnitzke

Preparation

We knew right from the start that we wanted to spend our semester abroad in Russia, but we didn't realise in advance that there were so many cities to choose from. This made it difficult for us at first, but after a short period of consideration we decided in favour of Nizhny Novgorod. The main reason why Nizhny Novgorod became our destination is that the Nizhny Novgorod Linguistic University has a Faculty of Translation Studies, which made it easier to choose suitable courses. The city's central location was also a decisive factor for us. Nizhny Novgorod is close to Moscow, but is also relatively close to other well-known cities. The distance from the student residence to the university also played a major role. The university is only a few minutes' walk away, which is a great advantage during the Russian winter months.

Our Departmental Coordinator, Mrs Bailesteanu, was very helpful in preparing and obtaining the documents. We had to fill out forms to apply for the semester abroad. In order to be nominated, we had to have a valid passport. In addition, you should already have a rough idea of the course selection, but this is not binding, as the courses are only finalised in Russia. After we had received the nomination, we went to the International Relations Office of the University of Innsbruck with the remaining application documents (letter of motivation, application form, passport photos) to apply for a scholarship. We recommend that you start the visa application process as early as possible!

Accommodation

The correspondents in Russia took care of finding accommodation for us. We were accommodated in a student hall of residence near the university. The student residence has double and triple rooms, which are a little smaller than expected, but cosy. There is a shared kitchen and a shared bathroom for every two rooms on each floor (or for six rooms on the floor for Russian students). Cooking utensils, table lamps and other household items should be brought from Austria or can be bought on site. You have the option of doing your laundry directly in the hall of residence for an extra charge of 50 roubles. If you have any questions or problems, the staff on duty are always available to help.

Housing in Russia is very cheap compared to Austria. The monthly rent was the equivalent of around 40 euros. Buying food was also cheap. You can also go out to eat in a restaurant now and again, as there are often very good offers.

Studying in Russia

As soon as we arrived in Russia, firstly a medical examination was carried out. Secondly, there was a lot of bureaucracy to deal with, such as registration (comparable to the registration form in Austria), which you receive after a week. In addition, the correspondents deal with the immediate extension of the visa, and we often had to ask them to hurry up, as otherwise we would have had very little time to travel.

At the beginning, choosing a course seemed easier than it actually was. We had an idea of the courses we wanted to take in Russia, but sometimes there were no courses available and we had to search for the right ones. This could take up to three weeks, as the timetable was constantly changing and the courses sometimes overlapped. Once we had chosen all the courses, we filled out our learning agreement and sent it to Ms Bailesteanu, who translated it and forwarded it to the student representative, Mr Carpentieri.

The courses mainly required active participation, but we didn't have to prepare very much outside of class. There were also courses offered specifically for foreign students, which were very helpful.

Conclusion

We travelled a lot during our stay in Russia. We not only got to know Russia's metropolises, but also other sides of the country on our trip to Siberia. Our professors thought it was important that we explored Russia and were therefore very flexible. We learnt a lot during these months. And we don't just mean on a linguistic level, but also on a cultural level. We learnt a lot about life in Russia and we were fascinated by Russian cuisine. We can wholeheartedly recommend a stay abroad in Russia, as you develop both linguistically and personally. The semester abroad in Russia was certainly one of the best experiences of our lives!

Text: Dolores Beno, Robert Natter, Christian Riedhart & Nicole Zambanini

As part of my Bachelor's degree in Translation Studies, I spent the 2018/19 winter semester in Alicante, Spain. In this report, I would like to share my experiences with anyone interested in spending a semester abroad in Alicante and give a few helpful tips for a successful Erasmus semester.

The decision to spend a semester abroad

Even before I started my degree programme, I knew that I wanted to study or work in Spain. After one of my friends had already spent a year abroad in Alicante the previous year, I received very good feedback about this destination. Alicante has a lot to offer: The small, manageable city is located by the sea, has a very mild climate and is in an ideal location for exploring other cities in Spain. Alicante also offers a vibrant nightlife and plenty of restaurants and cafés where you can sample Spanish specialities.

The organisation

Once I had made the decision to go to Alicante, I sent a letter of application to my Departmental Coordinator Ms Feyrer and soon received confirmation that I could be nominated for an Erasmus stay. The organisation was mainly done online with the International Relations Office (IRO), which sent me all the necessary information, including for my Learning Agreement. The Learning Agreement is a list of all the courses that will be attended abroad and also all the courses that will be recognised in Innsbruck. As I didn't have too many courses left in the 5th semester, it wasn't easy to find courses worth 30 ECTS for which there were equivalents at the university in Alicante. It took several appointments with our study representative Mr Carpentieri before the learning agreement was finalised. But when I received the final confirmation email, all the stress was forgotten and I was really looking forward to my semester abroad.

The search for accommodation

I immediately took the next step and started looking for accommodation. Luckily, a friend who had been in Alicante the year before gave me the mobile phone number of his local landlord at the time. If you don't know anyone, you can find a large selection of shared student flats in the centre of Alicante in various Facebook groups. You can also look for a flat near the university (San Vicente), but most Erasmus students live in Alicante, as this is where Spanish life takes place between tapas bars, discos and the beach (Playa de Postiguet). In terms of price, living in Alicante is a lot cheaper than in Innsbruck. In my time there, rents were between 200 and 300 euros. Although most flats are well equipped, they are poorly insulated. It is therefore advisable to look for a flat with air conditioning.

The air conditioning

I arrived in Alicante on 30 August 2018 and travelled back to Innsbruck on 31 January 2019. During this time, there were very few rainy days and lots of sunshine in Alicante. I went to the beach almost every day until November, and in winter it was usually between 15 and 20 degrees; it was rarely cool or cloudy. I even took a dip in the sea once in December. Nevertheless, you should pack a few jumpers because it can get chilly at night.

Mobility in the city

Alicante is a small town and ideal for walking to the supermarket, beach, coffee shop or one of the many bars. To get from the centre to San Vicente to the university, you can either take the bus or the tram. The tram takes about 30 minutes, the bus is a little quicker (about 20 minutes). Spanish buses are usually very crowded and noisy, but I quickly got used to it and later even enjoyed listening to the everyday conversations of the locals.

The university

A big plus point for the Universidad de Alicante is undoubtedly the huge, beautifully laid out university campus. Between palm trees and cacti, fountains in which ducks swim and green spaces that invite you to relax during breaks, it is not so easy to find your lecture room, but you enjoy going to university. Unfortunately, I personally found the organisation of the university to be inadequate. My learning agreement had to be changed during my stay as some courses overlapped. Unfortunately, I felt pretty much left to my own devices. Although there was a coordinator on site, I soon realised that I had to take care of most things myself and everything progressed very slowly. The courses themselves were generally interesting and gave me the opportunity to get to know fellow Spanish students.

Eating and drinking

The experience abroad didn't end after the lectures, it really began then. There are countless restaurants, bars and pubs in Alicante where you can eat and drink at very reasonable prices. If you want to be spoilt with Spanish tapas and beer or wine for 1 euro, you should definitely stop by the famous low-cost bar D'Tablas. Of course, there are also slightly more upmarket bars where you can eat very cheaply by Austrian standards. However, if you arrive there at 6 pm with a hungry stomach, you will have to be patient. Dinner is not served before 8pm in Spain. People who eat dinner at midnight are not uncommon. But nobody has to starve: La Rambla street is home to several well-known fast food chains that are open around the clock. Bars and pubs are a dime a dozen in Alicante. They are loud and lively and people like to sit outside. At the weekend, it's as if the whole of Spain is sitting in the streets drinking a Jarra de Tinto de Verano or Sangría with family, friends or work colleagues.

Fiesta

A day in Alicante generally starts later: supermarkets and shops don't open until around 10 a.m., people eat very late in the evening and therefore go out partying later. People usually meet up in a bar at 10 pm. Clubs and discotheques are usually deserted before 1am. The low-cost bar Parabarap is popular with Erasmus students, tourists and locals, where free bachata and salsa lessons are organised every week for informal participation. There is always something going on there, even before 1 a.m., which is probably due to the bargain-priced mojitos and the atmospheric reggaeton playlist. In general, if you go to Spain, you should be prepared for predominantly Spanish or Latin American music in the clubs, lots of dancing people and a lively atmosphere. A Spanish party night can last until 7.30 in the morning. Incidentally, cooling off in the sea the next day is the best remedy for the after-effects of a night of partying.

Language and culture

Although Valenciano, a dialect of Catalan, is spoken in Alicante as well as Spanish, you will mainly hear Spanish on the street. I had no problems understanding the locals, as I found their pronunciation relatively clear. I found the people there to be very helpful and open; they are used to socialising with tourists.

Connected worldwide

During my Erasmus stay, I got to know an incredible number of open and humorous people from a colourful mix of backgrounds in a very short time and took them to my heart. So if you have doubts about going abroad alone because you don't know anyone there, don't worry: no matter how crazy and unique you are, at Erasmus you belong. I've made real friends here who I can visit whenever I want all over the world. I learnt a lot about other countries and cultures, but also about myself.

My semester abroad in Alicante was a great experience that benefited me in every way. I would choose to do it again at any time and can only recommend everyone to experience the Erasmus adventure for themselves.

Text: Verena Reimer

I've lost count of how many times I've sat down in front of my laptop, opened a Word document and done absolutely nothing (virtually). Writing a report about my Erasmus semester in Granada - sounds simple in principle. But the more I think about everything I experienced, the more difficult it becomes. Where to start? How to summarise six months of your life on one page? Okay, one thing at a time. Slowly. Despacito - like the unofficial anthem of my Erasmus stay, which my music-loving flatmate insisted I listen to.

I decided relatively spontaneously to go to Spain. My first foreign language is English, but ironically it was my second language, Spanish, which I had never quite warmed to. Well, that was soon to change in Granada in wonderfully sunny Andalusia. Admittedly, it was raining when I arrived in February 2017, but that was an isolated incident. In fact, by the end of my stay, I considered it normal to write exams at 40°C in a non-air-conditioned lecture theatre. Not so bad if you're a flamenco dancer and bring a fan.

It took me a surprisingly short time to feel completely at home in Granada. I had never been away from my family for long and before my Erasmus stay, I had unabashedly brought the washing to my parents' house every weekend. Now I was on my own and enjoyed being independent. I became familiar with the Andalusian accent of the shop assistant in the supermarket round the corner. (It turned out that on my first evening, he didn't try to shake me down at the till, but rather tried to sell me the DIA membership card). I discovered my love of Spanish food and tapas culture in particular. (When you order a drink in a bar or restaurant in Granada, you automatically get a free appetiser). I explored the colourful alleyways of Albaícin and found my way to university after a few weeks, even without Google Maps. (I love INTRAWI with all my heart, but it was admittedly not easy to get used to our... halls again after the Palacio de las Columnas ).

Of course, my time at the university was very instructive and did wonders for my Spanish skills. In the end, I was able to translate the witches' scene in Macbeth into Spanish AND perform it very dramatically. I'm sure that people in Granada still talk about this performance in awe today. But it was life in Spain itself that awakened my love of the language and culture. Flamenco, empanadas, la Alhambra... I also learnt many things while travelling through the region, including that you should never underestimate the enthusiasm of the Spanish for the semana santa, the obsession of the monkeys of Gibraltar with plastic bags and the importance of sun cream.

All of these experiences are now a part of me and have meant that my time in Granada has really changed me. As cheesy as it may sound, I've carried a bit of Spain with me ever since. Even if I will never fully understand the entire nation's obsession with reguetón . But, well, I wouldn't have escaped Despacito in Austria in 2017 either. Ay... Fonsi.

Text: Magdalena Hirn

Tinto de Verano and tapas with university friends from ten different countries. The orientation week, during which you don't leave the side of the other foreign students for fear of getting lost at the temporary university. Study meetings with your Erasmus buddies, where you explain your own culture to each other. Everything that characterises an Erasmus stay in Spain would be unthinkable in times of the pandemic - as I write this report. So it's not surprising that these experiences now seem almost like a fever dream. And yet it's as if I only got off the plane last week. It really is a strange mixture of feelings that come to mind when I think back to my exchange semester at the Universidad de Granada in Spain.

I remember that I had always planned to do an Erasmus exchange during my studies at school. However, I always thought that I would go to England, Scotland or Ireland one day. What made me throw my long-standing plan overboard and go to Spain instead is not important now. In any case, I wasn't exactly happy with my decision to improve my Spanish rather than go to a country where I was already more or less fluent in the language. I got off the plane at the Aeropuerto Granada-Jaén and was immediately struck by the heat of the airfield and regretted a little not being welcomed by the pleasant autumn air of the British Isles. My resentment grew even more over the next few days when I realised that Spaniards speak much faster than our professors, so I couldn't even answer the question "¿Quieres un bolsito?" (Would you like a bag?) in the local supermarket. Looking at my report up to this point, it doesn't seem like I've made a good decision, does it? How wrong I was!

As soon as the orientation week started, I got to know my more than dedicated, super nice and fortunately German-speaking Erasmus buddy, who was there to help me with every little problem. Together with my two colleagues from Innsbruck, we managed to change our learning agreements, found groups of friends for long evenings in the nearby tapas bars and helped each other over the language hurdles. The flair of the city and the colourful mix of nationalities helped us to settle in quickly and not want to go home again. But it wasn't just my social life that blossomed in Granada; I was also able to cope with the lectures - after some initial comprehension difficulties - with a little help from the lecturers and achieved thoroughly satisfactory results. I probably learnt things there that I wouldn't have even attempted in Innsbruck. And the five months of continuous Spanish definitely gave my language skills a real boost.

So, was I able to realise my dream of spending a semester abroad in the UK or Ireland? No. But I have no regrets, because Spain offered just as much in terms of language, culture, new friendships, unique and unforgettable experiences and I would make the same decision again if given the choice. And who knows, maybe I'll visit my circle of friends in the south after Corona!

Text: Katja Pleschberger

Prelude: I had already learnt Spanish in sixth form - El Español de la Isla. The island referred to here is, of course, Spain. I was attracted to world events from a non-Eurocentric perspective from an early age, so I saw the offer to improve my Spanish outside Europe during my studies as a gift (language) holiday.

Departure: It was 15 August 2019 and I was in my third semester of my bachelor's degree. The view from the aeroplane window after seven hours: Caribbean. Heart rate: high. Humidity: 98 %. Temperature: 32 °C. In Havana, I was welcomed by a Cuban professor who had previously lived in Innsbruck for a semester. She had invited me to her family holiday not far from Havana. Classes didn't start until the beginning of September. I quickly noticed the completely different Spanish spoken by the Cubans: a different choice of words, shortening of words and an incredible speed of speech. At first, I was shy about entering into dialogue with others, but thanks to the understanding of my conversation partners, I quickly felt at home.

'Caribbean STEOP': Two weeks later, I received a warm welcome at the Facultad de Lenguas Extranjeras (FLEX), the Faculty of Foreign Languages. The size of the faculty is comparable to that of INTRAWI: small but nice. Among other things, I attended equivalent courses on structural and textual competence for French as well as Spanish and history with a focus on Cuba. Over the course of my semester, I think the Cuban form of government shone through the course material and the lifestyle of the Cubans: communist, i.e. a) nationalistic in character and b) everyone is equal to each other. I was generally amazed at the cultural differences in interpersonal interaction, both privately and at university. I was able to experience this when I was absent for three weeks at the beginning due to a tropical illness (dengue fever; very common) and was only able to integrate slowly. The helpfulness of my fellow students was enormous. The university system was very school-like. Despite the omnipresent humour in the classroom, the demands on the students were very high.

Communism in everyday life: national pride is emphasised in all areas of life, including education. Cuba was a Spanish colony for several centuries, followed by the occupation of the island by the USA and the strict dictatorship of the USA sympathiser Fulgencio Batista. Pride in the socio-political and cultural sector is strongly linked to the fundamental reforms, particularly in the education sector, of the resistance fighter Fidel Castro, who, together with Ernesto Guevara (known as 'Che') and Camilo Cienfuegos, took action against the widespread poverty under Batista's dictatorship in the 1959 revolution. To this day, Cubans are divided over the resulting personality cult, as it perpetuates patriarchal and communist structures and hinders the development of a national economy. Even today, Cuba's national motto, coined by Castro, is Patria o muerte ('Fatherland or death'); in memory of him, one often hears and reads Viva Fidel ('Long live Fidel'). In my time in Cuba, communism there meant the equivalent of a €30 monthly state salary, regardless of profession or family size. This fact is not reflected in interpersonal relationships, but as a foreigner you should show a certain sensitivity to it.

Interview with one of Castro's resistance fighters: In the course on the history of Cuba, we were assigned living Castro resistance fighters for an interview. Equipped with questions, a microphone and a camera, two fellow students and I conducted an interview with Ada Bella: it took place at her home so that Mrs Bella could take us on a narrative tour of her pictures and the honours she had received.

A day in Cuba: you set off, you stop buses and cars with gestures, the main thing is to know where you want to go, even if you don't always reach your actual destination straight away. Nothing can be planned in terms of transport, nothing can be booked online. Deceleration is in the nature of Cuba: you plan for daily power cuts. It's only here that you realise how everything is powered by electricity. A small amount of mobile data for everything (4 GB) has only been available since 2018, yet people are always incredibly resourceful in the event of any kind of inconvenience. The perfect place for a journey into the past and to the core of life: happiness.

Impressions: I used the LV-fee time around New Year to explore Cuba. I was also able to experience Havana's 500th anniversary in November 2019 with New Year-like state celebrations. In general, I was not disappointed: six months right on the Malecón (no access to the beach), vintage cars, colourful colonial buildings and people who are still with me today.

Text: Judith Stella Pagliardini