New culture. New people. New situations. Foreign language. Family and friends far away. Solitude. Fear.
I dare say that almost every student who has taken the opportunity to travel abroad with the Erasmus + program knows that all these fears and anxieties will disappear within the first few days. But before students decide to travel, it goes without saying that they have similar ideas. For many students, even the idea of studying abroad can be a great psychological burden, and perhaps because of this, in the end, they decide not to use this option and stay at home.
At Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem, we therefore decided to help students. Since academic year 2019/2020 we do offer to our students a free course called “Resilience and crisis communication”. Based on specific cases prepares this course students for new situations, they can meet abroad. Practically, in the safety of home and with knowledge of the environment.
And how the students themselves evaluate this possibility?
“Personally, I would like to emphasize the fact that it is important to be able to work especially with yourself than with others.”
“I had been aware of many things before, but during the course my theories were confirmed and gained practical dimensions during my stay abroad.”
“I finally know how to work with myself, with my fear and panic.”
“It helped me to realize that every, really every situation has a solution and can be managed.”
“I will use all the acquired knowledge in everyday personal life.”
What about you? Do you have some experience abroad? What fears did you face before leaving?
dear Jitka the course idea is actually great and I think it can be of use in a foreign setting, where sometimes things can feel… alien 🙂
Especially communication, being able to express one needs in a respectful way is paramount for a proficient and successful Erasmus experience!
I wish we could implement such a great idea together with a joint initiative! What do you think?
Yes, I am definitely in! We would be happy to share our experience with this kind of student ´s support and would like to hear about your experience as well.
I also think a preparation of some together course is more than possible!
The course was a great idea!
Actually, there are students who have refused to do an Erasmus stay this academic year due to fear and lack of information. I’m sure that if they had been able to take this course, some would have taken the step and wouldn’t have stayed home.
I think it is a very good idea to prepare a course together for all the students. Let’s see if we can organize it!