Lindsay Williams, an Erasmus student from Camosun College in Canada, embraced a life-changing opportunity to study abroad last year, choosing the Faculty of Physical Culture PU for her experience. From attending engaging courses like Disability Studies to running a half marathon in Olomouc, her time was filled with growth and adventure. In this interview, Lindsay opens up about the highs and challenges of her Erasmus experience, how it shaped her personally and professionally, and explains why she recommends the international experience to everyone. Curious about her story and the impact of this adventure on her life? Read on to discover Lindsay’s inspiring journey!
Why did you choose our university for your Erasmus study experience?
I chose this university partly because it offered extra funding to support living abroad, while also being a very central location for exploring Europe and it was going to be such a different cultural experience than living at home.
Were your expectations different from the reality?
I didn’t really have many expectations from the experience since I have never lived or studied anywhere else. So generally speaking I would say going into the experience with no expectations was a good way to go.
Can you compare your study experience in Olomouc with the experience from your home university?
The quality of content was less demanding here compared to home. A lot of courses that were transferable are ones I have already taken so I can compare them accurately and I would say that the ones from my home program have a lot more information and have more assignments and exams. The content was far more in depth at home.
What was your favourite course and why?
My favourite course was Disability Studies because it was very involved. I learned lots about different adapted sports and it was a lot of fun learning how to play them and run warm ups or drills to learn the skills required for them.
How did you spend your free time?
I spent a lot of time traveling to other countries, attending the ESN events that were hosted, and got into running which led me to signing up for a half marathon in Olomouc.
Was the ESN (Erasmus Student Network) helpful during your stay?
It was excellent. I enjoyed all of the events that they hosted and it was such a great way to create friendships with the other international students. I particularly enjoyed the national presentations to learn about different countries of the students studying here.
What were some of the biggest challenges you had to overcome as an Erasmus student?
The language barrier was a big one. I didn’t know about the beginner’s course offered until after arriving as it wasn’t on the course selection when I was organizing my semesters. Learning how to navigate the transportation was also challenging but once I figured it out it was easier. As an older student it was a bit harder to find common ground with my peers as well, but I think I adapted alright.
What is the single most memorable experience you have from your Erasmus life?
Attending the pub quizzes with all the friends I made through the program was probably my favourite experience. Creating friendships with people from all over the world and expanding my knowledge on their homes and what is going outside of my country was also a great experience. And I will forever remember running a half marathon there.
Have you changed because of your Erasmus experience?
I think I’ve grown as a person, improved my communication skills, and proved to myself that sometimes doing scary, new things is a great way to grow. Life can be difficult no matter where you are in the world and you can pretty much adapt to anything if you believe in yourself enough.
How can this experience benefit your future career?
I learned about how different countries run programs which can be beneficial to bring to any future jobs. It makes you think about things in a different way. It also created networking opportunities.
Would you recommend the exchange stay at the Faculty of Physical Culture PU to your friends? Why?
Yes I would recommend it. I think the courses could be more beneficial if some of the physiotherapy ones were allowed to be chosen when coming from the Kinesiology program in regards to the education aspect. But the city is wonderful, the ESN group puts on such a wonderful set of events to attend, the instructors are friendly and easy to communicate with and the accommodation is fine and conveniently located regarding classes.
In conclusion…
I had a wonderful experience and while I might not be back for schooling, I hope to make it back to visit the people I met and see this lovely city again. I definitely recommend allowing students to choose from the physiotherapy program courses as when I looked at them further I think they would have been more applicable to my program at home which is really important for financial support and efficiency for completing the degree in a timely manner.
