My Erasmus Experience in a Nutshell
Back in time, my mother and father migrated from small village of Turkiye to Istanbul. Their goal was giving my older sister and me better life since the job oppurtunities were abundant at that time. Unluckily, odds were never in their favor. But it was too late to return.
I grew up in a family of four, we were not rich and when the economy was relatively better we lived a happy life. I experienced so much stuff when I was young thanks to my family. But as I grow up, times changed and the political situation in Turkiye became worse and worse for poor people to survive.
My dream was just go to university, acquire a diploma, earn money and save your family. Just like other people.
When I accessed the social media and the lives of other people in other countries, obviously I turned jealous. I wanted to experience that life too. But who am I to experience that? There are so many people who deserves this, I am not one of them too.
Also, because of the political ground Turkiye had, it was very hard for me to have a visa to just travel Europe. Economy gets worse and worse and one day, it became impossible.
I saw other people doing Erasmus too, one of them was my friend and she wanted to apply and asked for my help. I helped her and she said “Why don’t you also apply? Worse scenario, you’d just back out.” and I replied, “You know what? You are right.” and that was the beginning of my Erasmus experience.
I didn’t think that I would be the first and I would have Erasmus grant. Otherwise, it would be impossible for my family to finance it. I didn’t think my visa would get approved and it will favor me.
They all happened.
A small boy, from a small family, won in life.
This is my one sentence answer to “How was your Erasmus experience?”
I met a lot of people from different ethnicity, from different backgrounds. I met people like me, I met people like I watched on social media. My idea is that all animals migrate, it is a right for humans too. I kinda ‘migrated’ from my country to Czech Republic.
They were so many great nights filled with laughter, so many mornings filled with exhaust because I danced a lot.
My education was something else, I had four classes with awesome instructors. They were helping me a lot and they helped me to see better perspective rather than “go to university, acquire a diploma”. The laboratory equipment were so good and the building was so nice that I got jealous again because we didn’t have it back in my home university. The campus life was something else, everyone looked happy and caring.
Czech Republic wasn’t a country I knew before. When I arrived at the country, all I knew was how to go to train station and how to go to Usti nad Labem. Before coming, I took some online Czech language course so I knew some basics and a little bit of history but seeing in before my very eyes was something else.
In a small town like Usti nad Labem, I thought I would bored but with so many nice people here and there, I never felt boring. My first days were lonely because it was my first time (and first in my family too!) being in a different country. With the help of my Erasmus Buddy (shutout to Martin, he is a gentle man.) I discovered the city and the transportation system. He thaught me the history of the buildings and region. I went to lakes and pools, the events with my friends. There is small but nice staff to explore and experience.
Miss Bohumila was there to help me with anything. Her warm-presence felt like my mother helping me.
I have visited those places and I can definitely say that, Prague was best of them:
I’ve visited Prague the first weekend. I have visited Vienna and Budapest together with my two friend. Dresden with my friend group. Paris, Lyon, Venice, Verona, Bologna and Rome by myself.
And to note that, all of them visited in a span of 4 months with only Eramus grant. It is not that much but it was enough for me.
For 4 month, I experienced how to be me. I discovered other areas of myself that I neglected for all my life. Erasmus gave me a nice trip to figure out who I am and what I want to do with my life for the rest of my time. I am forever grateful that this oppurtunity is available even those who are not lucky in life. And I cannot express how grateful I am that I experienced it with the UJEP and Czech Republic.
No one will remember but there is a child that will remember Usti nad Labem and UJEP as perfect times for the rest of his life.
TURKMEN Yunus Emre, Biology, ESKISEHIR TEKNIK UNIVERSITESI, Turkey, summer semester 2025/26
