Humans of Europe
We want to share the stories of Europe!
Here is Márcio's story:
👋 Hello everyone, my name is Márcio and I come from Porto. My connection to Europe started when I was in the third year of my Civil Engineering degree, as I took part in a buddy programme to assist foreign students on their Erasmus exchange in my university. It was a great occasion for me to bond with other Europeans, while showing them the city, going on trips or to parties together, or simply helping them out in their daily lives in a foreign country.
✈️ Soon after, I myself decided to take part in Erasmus. My first choice, in terms of countries, would have been Finland, Denmark or Norway. However, the high cost of living in the Nordics looked quite overwhelming for a Portuguese student, so I completely changed direction: I decided that I would go for Czech Republic. At the university in Prague, a very lively buddy programme was also in place – funnily enough, two people ended up tutoring me! Plus, through that same programme, I could also teach my mother tongue to interested students in the community.
💪 My student exchange actually coincided with my first time living independently: even though challenging, Erasmus was really positive for me, as I successfully combined studying with part-time working, while still being able to enjoy social life. Moreover, after leaving Prague, my Erasmus experience inspired me to go on a trip across Europe to explore every bit of it.
🇪🇺 Europe can really influence the lives of people in a positive way. Maybe we do not fully realise this, as the youngest among us were already born in “free” Europe. In my view, the final argument to support Europe is the balance between the freedom to do almost whatever you want and the security of knowing that not everything can be done freely.