Miserable in my Erasmus+ journey

Attention, click bait alert 🚨

First, let me tell you about my history with Erasmus!

I am Sam Yoeun 🙋🏼‍♂️, I am Cambodian 🇰🇭, I went on Erasmus journey during my senior year in ②⓪①⑦ . I was studying in Royal University of Phnom Penh, then i applied for Erasmus and spent 5 months in University of Lucian Blaga of Sibiu in Sibiu, Romania 🇷🇴.

Now, let’s briefly talk about the difficulties of Erasmus journey during my senior year:

I had to leave my beloved country 🇰🇭, spend months at the place 🇷🇴 I have never been, I had to studied in the different language that I don't understand 🙊, I had to deal with a lot of paper works 📝 when applying for visa 🛂, I cry at the end of the journey, start to hate yourself 😩, and ,my life was completely changed 👏🏼.

BUT, what the heck are these difficulties? what are the lesson learned?

Don't be frustrated by these difficulties yet, because trust me these things make your life change and they lifted you up. Now let me explain what are these difficulties about :

( ⚠️ ) I have to fly ✈️.

Of course, a study exchange let you go to a new place to learn new knowledges. But going miles away from home, you not only learn new skill that lecturers, professors teach you, you also learn about life, learn how to cook, learn how to communicate with the people from other places of the world, and learn how to be independent in different country by yourself. Personally, all these knowledges and travels are quite meaningful, and the people in Erasmus Student Network are my buddy, they are nice people, they are cheerful and they are very kind. I don’t regret even a second of my Erasmus.

( ⚠️ ) I studied so many classes in the different language (Romanian) 😐.

During my Erasmus, I went to Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu. I study in the faculty of engineering, and all the bachelor classes there are taught in Romanian, but i don’t speak Romanian. Before applying for the Erasmus i was very worried that my GPA will go upside down, So the lecturer provide me the documents to read at home and submit the projects instead of taking exam, and the students in class will help you anyway. So, don't worry about the studying in the different country, it will be fineeeeeee.

( ⚠️ ) The VISA application is a headache 😩.

“Preparing documents for the visa application is a nightmare, but it worths the hard work.”

Well, this is very important. The paperworks that needed for visa is a HEADACHE. I am Cambodian, and there is no Embassy of Romania in my country, So i googled for information and decide to apply for visa in Vietnam. I prepared for insurance, flight booking, the invitation later, the note verbal, the criminal record and everything. It was going smoothly, but as i submit the document via the e-visa form , the embassy in Vietnam email me that they would be in the vocation soon, and redirect me to go to Malaysia instead. It was fcking me off, and i almost decided not to go Romania anymore. But after 30 days of nervously waiting, i got my visa and fly to Romania safely.

( ⚠️ ) I hate my old self, and my life will never be the same 🙃.

This is the last point now, after finishing the Erasmus, i have asked myself so many time “Why didn't apply for Erasmus in my sophomore year or junior year?”, “What have i done all these time?”, and i wish i would start the Erasmus journey sooner. Erasmus changed my thinking, change my viewpoint, change my spirit, and change my life forever. I never know that life can be so challenging, life can be so much fun, life can be so much fluctuated.

“Sometime you need to get away, to place that no one know your name, then you will find a start to something new.”

My suggestion:

To those who are hesitated in the applying for Erasmus:

don't worry about your GPA, or afraid of becoming miserable in the other country, there are communities out there to support you, they are wise people they are kind and they will help you to become a much more better person. I experience all the hardness before my journey to Erasmus, i wanted to give up, but i love every moments of my Erasmus.

If you ask would i do it again, i will shouting out loud say “YAASSSSSS”.