While studying at our university, I was offered a fantastic opportunity to go to an Erasmus+ student mobility program to a European country in the first semester of the fourth year, where I should study (in the field of Tourism and Hospitality Management) for 5 months. Having carefully compared various universities, I opted for Thomas More in Belgium, so my invaluable Erasmus+ experience began in September 2022. I am living in a student dormitory in the small town of Mechelen, which is only twenty minutes away from two big cities in Belgium: Antwerp and the capital Brussels. Belgium completely exceeded my expectations which were high – it is much safer, more open and clean, there is a lot to see, speaking of historical and cultural importance, their architecture is very unique and interesting and in general, the standard of living is much better. On the other hand, Belgians as people, although I don’t like to put the whole nation in the same basket, are very different from us. They are more closed, more individual and not particularly hospitable. And they all ride bikes.

In general, I am very grateful to Singidunum University and the Tempus Foundation for the scholarship and above all the opportunity to see what it is like to study in another European country. Unfortunately, I was not that lucky and chose a university that is not suitable for my future education, but I still do not regret it.  It reminded me once again of the things that make studying a lot easier at Singidunum, and which we overlooked because we got used to them – the system of block classes; expertise, availability and commitment of professors; Teams platform as support; recorded lectures and live classes; evaluation of students’ efforts and activities during classes and fair assessment. However, I would recommend everyone to take the opportunity and go on Erasmus+ mobility because it is a valuable life experience.