2023-08-07 08:48:00
Sophie, 24, was in Master 2 in Romance studies at UCLouvain when she left for Erasmus in Paris, at La Sorbonne more precisely. But, as she explains, it wasn’t her first choice. “I went there a bit with leaden feet,” she recalls. Her dream was to go and study in Canada, where she had been accepted. “I had already been to Montreal and I found the city very nice. Unfortunately, during the Covid, Canada no longer granted student visas. They told me that I might take online courses instead, but I didn’t want to do my Erasmus virtually.”
In order to allow him to travel, the people who were in charge of his case offered him to go to France, which was his third choice. “I had put it a bit like that but, in the end, everything went very well and I don’t regret this experience at all.”
What marked her during her Erasmus in France?
France and Belgium are two countries that are ultimately quite similar, however, several things marked Sophie. And in particular the fact that the French do not know Belgium well. “The Belgians have their eyes fixed on France. We know their policy, for example. They know very little. I have been asked several times the name of the President of Belgium. I saw in this Erasmus the opportunity to present Belgium. As a Belgian, it’s also quite easy to make French friends since we have a reputation for being ultra nice.”
Although the two countries are close, there are major differences in the school system. “In Belgium, access to studies is much easier than in France. In France, they must do preparatory studies before entering the Grandes Ecoles, among others. When I said that I was studying at the Sorbonne, the French thought that was completely crazy. If they wanted to study there, it was much more complicated.”
Finally, Sophie was marked by the access to culture. “I don’t know if culture is really more accessible in France than in Belgium, but that’s the impression I got. Paris really made you want to immerse yourself in culture. During my Erasmus, I went to the theater at least once a week. Since I returned to Belgium, I go there less often.”
What outstanding anecdote during his Erasmus in France?
”My Erasmus unfortunately started with administrative problems. I was enrolled in French language and not in French literature and I had a hard time changing. When I phoned I was told that the registration was final and that I might not change. Fortunately, when I was there, I came across a very nice person who took all the necessary steps. But since I hate administration, it annoyed me a bit. That said, in Erasmus, I think you have to expect to have problems.
”During my Erasmus, I often had the impression of being in a film. Studying literature at the Sorbonne makes you dream, it refers to the history of this university. While strolling in the Latin Quarter, I sometimes felt like Amélie Poulain or Simone de Beauvoir. It was a great feeling, and yet I already knew Paris well.”
What advice for an Erasmus in France?
Sophie advises Belgians who want to do an Erasmus in France not to hesitate to mingle both with foreign students (to learn English for example) but also with locals. “Meeting people from all walks of life is very rewarding, but it’s also great to visit France in the company of French people.”
”You also have to participate in the activities offered on site as often as possible. The university organized welcome days and I went several times with the ESN. They offer very cool activities in large groups. This is an opportunity to meet people and train following smaller groups. This is when international students truly become friends.”
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