Student story‑ Erasmus+ Internship in Belgium

Interiew with Andres Salumets, Ecotechnology

Why did you choose to go to Belgium?

There were a few reasons why I chose to go to Belgium. Since I was looking for an internship position and there was an opportunity at VIVES for credit was the first reason. We had already visited VIVES with our program for a study visit and the impressions from the trip were good. Also, the internship qualified for a scholarship from Erasmus+ which really helped.

How was the study life compared to the one in Sweden?

Since I was doing an internship then the study life for me was not like for a general university student. But what I picked up from observing other exchange students was that studying and going to university was more intense than Sweden.

What was your accommodation like?

I was living in a student dorm, which was located 10 minutes walk from the city centre in Kortrijk. The room I was living was quite small, but enough for a single student. In the room, there was a place for clothes, a study table, a single bed and a small fridge with a small freezer compartment. There was also a bathroom with a toilet included in the room. Every floor had a common kitchen and the basement had the biggest kitchen/common area, where students could gather.

What experiences do you take with you?

I got a lot of insight, how academic researchers perform their work and what does their everyday life look like.
I met a lot of interesting people and made friends from different parts of the world.
Also, it was strange to experience the lockdown, because I was there during the Corona pandemic.
But in the end, it was a positive experience and I learnt a lot. I highly recommend others doing an Erasmus+ traineeship!