An article by Nil Akpınar, a graduate of Public Relations and Publicity Department, was published in Istanbul Gelişim University Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences Monthly Activity and News Bulletin SosyoCom.
The article by Akpınar about her memories of Erasmus in Poland is as follows:
Hello, I am Nil Akpınar. I graduated from Istanbul Gelişim University, Public Relations and Publicity Department. I did Erasmus twice: in the fall semester of my 3rd year and in the fall semester of my 4th year. I was constantly researching the Erasmus program and it was very interesting to me. I always loved travelling and communicating with people from different cultures. While I was studying at the university, I was in search of a project where I could do these. While I was in search of this, our Erasmus coordinator in the department made an announcement about the Erasmus exam.
After this announcement, I took the exam and passed it. In both of my Erasmus exchanges, I went to Poland. The name of the institution I studied on Erasmus at was The East European State Higher School in Przemysl. I was very happy and excited after passing the exam. This excitement was followed by anxiety from time to time. I had no previous experience abroad; moreover, I was going abroad to stay and live there for a certain period of time, not just to travel. After the orientation meeting held at our school, I decided to go with peace of mind. Listening to the experiences of students who have previously undergone Erasmus during the meeting was a great relief for me. So it was time for me to go to Poland.
The journey that started uneasily left its place to great excitement and a desire to explore. Everything is new for you the moment you get off the plane. A new country, a new culture, new people, new food... Even though I struggled a little in the first days, it didn't take me long to get used to it. I had experienced great things during my time there. My self-confidence increased, I learned that I was self-sufficient. I was more comfortable with communicating with people. I learned how to cook.
Making friends from different cultures broadened my horizons. It is a great feeling to make friends from many countries of the world and to know that there are always people you can knock on in those countries. So is the country you live in becoming your second home and adapting to its culture. I think another beauty is travelling. One of the reasons I chose Poland was that it was in an ideal location and travel from Poland to other countries was cheap and effortless. In this way, I went to many countries I wanted to visit and had countless memories. I met very good people. I got out of my comfort zone and believe me, it gave me great pleasure. We had to cut back on certain things to travel. We slept at the airport for more sightseeing; we ate the packs of pasta we had in order not to pay money for dinner. I know I will not again find the joy of these in the future. Therefore, anyone who has the opportunity should definitely do Erasmus. I think a person knows himself best when he is alone and on the road. This is how I got to know myself and loved the person I turned into after my return from Erasmus
