ISCTE, Festa do Calorio

I found this video…I was present at that party and I can tell you that it was awesome! There were four stages with different kinds of music (reggae, house, electro, drum’n’ bass). On main stage among others Tom Novy was present… They organize Festa do Calorio every year and its very popular party not only among ISCTE students. I can’t imagine something like that would ever be done at my home faculty in Slovenia…The whole faculty full of students having fun, dancing,…WAAAAUUU!

ISCTE

While being in Lisbon I was studying at ISCTE…I like that they don’t only take care for education but also for fun! I LOVE IT!!!

Memories

This weekend I felt quite bad. I missed my staying in Lisbon and my flatmates so much that I made this amateur movie for them. To show them how much I care…

ERASMUS #3

If you don’t know where to go to do your Eramus I would highly recommend you to choose Lisbon.This video can give you first impression how is it there. Just great. I’ll write about first-hand experiences later on.

Keep posted.

ERASMUS #2

If you want to learn language of the country you are going to, I would advise you to supply for EILC (Erasmus Intensive Language Course). It takes sometime between two weeks and one month. You will probably be notified for one or two possible courses, but maybe they will not fit in your free time period. Do a little research by yourself. Google »EILC IN X«. X stands for the name of a country you are going to. Choose courses that take time before your classes start. Than you have to fill a form to supply for that course. You can write more wishes. I don’t know what they consider to be important factor for choosing students, but for the course I took place, they have chosen 30 out of 400 supplies. This course is free of charge for Erasmus students and you will probably get Erasmus scholarship for that period as well.

You can also take an instant course at your host faculty, but usually you have to pay for them and they might not be as good. You will get ESCT for language course. I got 4 ECST out of 20 that I needed to justify my scholarship for one semester.

Where to stay? The best thing is if you know someone that has been in the same city that you are going to and he/she can give you a first-hand advice. Otherwise you can ask your host faculty to give you some contacts or do some surfing on the internet. Prices depend on the location of the apartment, number of students living in one room and apartment it-self and of the quality of the accommodation. You have to decide if you prefer to live in city centre or nearby faculty. In my opinion is good to live near public transportation (metro, bus) and not to switch it many times to reach your faculty. Parties are usually in the city centre. So if you decide to live near faculty you will spend some more money for taxi, but the room you will rent will be cheaper. If you will have to wait between two classes, you can go home, which is not the case if you would live far away. I guess that depends on preferences. Never rent a room without a window, there are many rooms available, so take some time to find the right one. Many universities have campus, which is an area with faculties and apartments, shops, fitness. If that is the case, maybe is best to stay there. In the beginning it will be easier for you to meet people. But you can find cheaper and better apartment in other places. In my opinion you shouldn’t live with people from your home country, because one of the best things of being abroad is to meet other cultures. I went to Lisbon and sometimes I felt like being in Slovenia, because there are just to many Slovenians. I heard its top destination for Slovenians. I’m happy that I didn’t live with them. It’s not that I don’t like Slovenians; it’s just that I wanted to meet other cultures, to make some international friendships and not to talk in Slovenian. I have noticed that Italians, Spanish and Germans (also Slovenians) hang mostly within a group of people from their country. I can’t see any point in doing that. They don’t know what they are missing.

ERASMUS #1

While having a goodbye party for one of my friends I met during my Erasmus, we were talking that we should do something special together, like write e-book about Erasmus life. We would split chapters and each of us would write about a topic he/she prefers. Before that happens I have decided to start doing it on my own, on basic level. If you are thinking of going on Erasmus exchange or not…follow this theme of mine…

Erasmus exchange can last three months, one semester or two semesters. If you decide to stay short period and you find out that you would like to stay longer you can extend your Erasmus period (your supply has to be submitted by your home faculty and your host faculty). You will get a scholarship which differs from country to country. In Slovenia we get 300eur/month no matter where we go. But if you decide to extend your Erasmus period maybe there will be no more money for your scholarship. You can go on exchange in countries that are part of European Union and some others. Your home faculty should have agreement with some faculties from different countries. The easiest way is to go on one of them. If you would like to go on another faculty you should make a contract with that faculty especially for you (the procedure might be a bit complicated).

First of all you should decide where would you like to spend your Erasmus period, after knowing that you should supply for it on your home faculty. They will select who is allowed to go (that depends of number of free places on host faculties), if you won’t be selected for your first wish there is always second and third one.

Once you find out if you have been selected and where will you go you have to do some paper-work. You have to make Learning agreement. You have to gain some ECST during your Erasmus period or you will have to return you scholarship. You should go and ask professors on your home faculty if they would recognize one of the subjects you can choose between on your host faculty. Getting signatures means that if you will pass that subject, subject that those professors teach on your home faculty, will be done. The easiest way is to choose selective subjects, for them you can choose whatever subject you want and it will be recognized.

Two days before my Erasmus ends…

Here I am sitting in our apartment my two flat mates (the last survivors) and two German guys (graffiti writers), listening »It’s raining man« and talking about the meaning of the song. I didn’t realize before what that text. In German “Es regnet man” means »People, it’s raining.« But actually it means that man (plural of men) are raining as if you would answer on the question »What is raining?«. Interesting, I might say. I should admit that yesterday before going to Bairro Alto I felt like going home right now. I didn’t want to stay here anymore. That’s because it hurts when friends you make go back to their home country. But later, while partying with friends that are still here, I really wanted to stay here longer. I’m leaving Lisbon. Nooo, let me stay longer. I won’t see these, close to my heart, people. But I’m going HOME, to see friends and family. Boy, I miss them. It’s weird to go back after half a year. This period was the best experience ever, months that I’ll never forget.

Lisboa amo-te!