Exchange studies

Where did you spend your semester abroad and why did you choose this country in particular?
I spent my semester abroad in Lisbon, Portugal, and lived in one of the older parts of the city, Alfama. Many of my friends, who also spent their semester abroad in Lisbon, recommended me to apply because of its amazing culture, food and of the city as a whole. Apart from everything that I had heard about being a student in Lisbon, a big reason why I chose that city in particular was because of all of the possibilities to travel and discover Portugal and its amazing nature.

How did Covid-19 affect your time in Lisbon? What were the restrictions in Portugal?
During the first few months, there were very few restrictions and I was enjoying myself at restaurants, pubs, beaches and parks as long as I was wearing a mask and taking the necessary precautions. The classes were given in both physical and digital form which definitely affected the connection with other students, which is a big part of being abroad. As things were getting worse, the restrictions were stricter and a lot of my time was spent at home. Luckily, if I can phrase it like that, the school work was intensifying at the same time which would have resulted in me having to stay home to study anyways. In short, Covid-19 affected my time in Lisbon in many ways, both as a student and as a visitor, but I feel happy that I was able to go through with my exchange semester.

What were your highlights and what challenges did you face during your semester abroad?
I faced many challenges getting used to juggling five courses and finding ways to prioritize these in the best way possible. The highlights were all the different and new courses and things I learned as a student within the field of informatics and economics. The challenges I faced in my everyday life was to adapt to life during a pandemic in a new city and the precautions that I had to take as well as all the things that were not possible to do as a result of it. On the other hand, the highlights were the complete opposite - the things that I was able to do and see in Lisbon and its surrounding areas.

What advice can you give to students who are about to start their semester abroad or thinking about applying for an exchange?
The process of getting the right papers and certificates in time during the months before the semester, and to find accommodation, i stressful and sometimes overwhelming and you might be afraid that you missed something important. Of course, starting to prepare early always releases some of that stress but a lot of these things work out in the end even though some things take longer than you expected or that you forgot some things. It is normal that the period before leaving for the exchange semester is a bit chaotic and I think that more people planning on applying for an exchange need to hear that. Apart from that, a lot of going on a semester abroad is about working things out as they come, which is my final advice to other students: do not be afraid to contact other students who are in the same position and solve things together as you go and enjoy the journey, because it is one of the best experiences one can have.