Last year, given the opportunity from Epoka University I decided to apply for an Erasmus+ at the University of Lille, in France. I spent there the whole second year of my studies as a Business Informatics student.Erasmus+ allowed me to be part of an amazing and life-changing experience. I am sharing some details about the university, French lifestyle, and student life.

The University of Lille, situated in the north of France is one of the best universities in France. When I first arrived at University, I was surprised by how big the campus was. In the first days was difficult to find the buildings where I had to follow classes and It wasn’t a surprise that I was lost several times. I followed classes both in English and French and in the beginning, it was difficult to adapt to the French language but everyone at the university was really helpful. Especially the International Offices of both universities were always very kind to me. The French grading system is very different from our system and the classes combined lectures and practice sessions. Unfortunately, I could enjoy on-campus classes only for 2 months, because everything passed online due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Living an Erasmus experience isn’t only about studies and university. You live in an international environment, meet friends from all over the world, enjoy different activities, and travel. Although for some months we were in lockdown and couldn’t enjoy bars and restaurants we were finding alternatives ways to pass a great time like games, small gatherings contests, etc. I could attend some events with ESN Lille and I loved them. My favorite event was Kitchen Erasmus. Every week a group of Erasmus students gathered to cook traditional dishes from different countries. We organized also Kitchen Erasmus Albania where we cooked some of the most famous Albanian dishes. In the last months of my Erasmus, we could also enjoy more going out, organizing picnics, dancing, visiting museums, and see other cities. During my mobility, I traveled a lot and I discovered some of the most beautiful French cities like Paris, Bordeaux, Nice, Cannes, Toulouse, etc. I can say that trips were my favorite part of this experience. New places, a lot to discover, good friends and always a great time.

In conclusion, I can say that mobility is a lifestyle and I will always remember it as one of the best experiences. I turned back in Albania with many memories, a wider horizon, and very good international friends.

P.S We have now maintained a tradition. Every 6-12 months we will visit each other in the home countries and the first country our group visited, was the gem of Europe, Albania!