Tamar Zakroshvili
Palacky University in Olomouc (Czech Republic)
Tamar Zakroshvili, BA student of Internaitonal Relations at Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani University has spent Spring semester of 2021-2022 academic year at the Palacky University in Olomouc under Erasmus+ ICM mobility program.
1. To what extent were your expectations about this program justified?
I think the expectations about the university, study courses and student life in Europe have been largely justified. The only thing that, fortunately, did not come true was the difficulty and fears of living abroad and learning a foreign language. Adapting to an unfamiliar environment turned out to be much easier than I expected. As for the process of learning and communicating in English, there were some difficulties, but I think I managed to overcome them to a large extent.
2. What was the most important benefit for you from this program?
Talking about the benefits that this program has given me will probably be endless on my part, but I will try to highlight some of the main ones. First, I will touch on the academic side, which was really special and different from our university, and I think it was an interesting experience for me. Further, social life and relationships must be highlighted, which were varied and interesting in every way during the entire five months. In my opinion, we rarely have the opportunity to live in a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society. ERASMUS+ gave me the opportunity to "study" willy-nilly and learn even more about the people of other nations and their culture.
3. Which personal skills did this program help you improve?
Although I have been independent since a very early age, I think it was the best experience to live independently and take all the responsibilities on myself. I think I have learned even better to overcome or at least control my fears of difficulties. Most importantly, I became even more courageous, bold and open to new things.
4. Which professional skills did this mobility help you to improve?
I think one of the first is communication in English, which is still not perfect but has improved a lot. In addition, I learned where, how and in what ways to find information about current events in international politics and how to analyze all this.
5. Which of the courses you studied there did you like the most?
The first and best course for me was Problems of the Post-Soviet World, since this subject was about the recent events of our country's history. During the course, for me personally, it was very interesting to see how the international community or even ordinary citizens actually viewed and appreciated the history that is part of my/our daily life. I would like to have the opportunity to take a similar course at my university.
6. What will you miss the most?
It is difficult to single out one specific thing that I will miss after returning to Georgia, however, I would particularly like a completely different, European, active and fast-paced student life. relationships that are a particularly precious and unforgettable part of my Erasmus.
7. What are the advantages of participating in an exchange program? Why should a student participate in such a program?
Participating in the exchange program gives each student a unique opportunity to improve a number of competencies needed in the future, both in career and personal life. In addition to deepening or diversifying academic knowledge and experience, students are given the opportunity to learn about themselves from many angles and discover new interests or opportunities. In addition, I think the level of independence reaches its zenith at this time in a student's life. Throughout the semester, the student takes full responsibility for his material life, safety, academic performance, and many other minor details.
8. Your recommendation for other students who are interested
To participate in the exchange program. To every student who even slightly wants to participate in an exchange program, and to those who don't yet, I will tell you now, then, and always that they should do everything they can to be a part of it all.
9. Complete the sentence: If it weren't for this exchange program, I would continue to pursue my goals at a much slower pace and in smaller steps. European life would be only stories read in books or shots seen in movies, the sensation of which in reality would remain a perspective of the distant future. I would have a few less people by my side who believe in me completely, and without them I would not have dared as much as I did.