Rokas Laurinavičius, a student of the English for Public Relations study programme at the Faculty of Arts and Education of Kauno kolegija Higher Education Institution (HEI), took advantage of the opportunities of the Erasmus+ programme after a summer internship on the island of Corfu, as offered by the Amber job company, and tried international studies in Portugal.

During the interview, R. Laurinavičius talked about the opportunity he took to go on an international exchange, shared his experiences and discoveries in other countries, and also emphasised why it is worth trying the Erasmus+ programme.

– What is the first thought that comes to mind when you hear the word Erasmus+?

– Limitless possibilities.

– What made you decide to go on an Erasmus+ exchange? Why Portugal?

– I went to the north of Portugal, to the city of Bragança. Of the universities I could go to for an international exchange under my study programme, the University of Bragança seemed like the best choice. My goal in studying was to get to know different cultures, and of the possible options, the University of Bragança is in the country furthest from Lithuania. So I was fascinated by the idea that I would get to know the diversity of cultures there.

– What challenges did you face?

– The whole programme went very smoothly. Probably the only difficult thing was finding time for everything I wanted to do. There were so many opportunities, so little time. Since I was living alone abroad, I had to do all the mundane activities myself, which “burned” a lot of time that I could have spent on interesting cultural activities.

– What impressed you about this international exchange experience?

– The mountains, the travel, the people and their openness, the different study styles, the independence, freedom.

– What new things have you discovered about yourself after taking advantage of the opportunities offered by the Erasmus+ programme?

– When it comes to friendship and human relationships, I realised that it is not difficult for me to establish a connection, or to communicate with other people. During my Erasmus+ internship in Greece and during my studies in Portugal, I was always surrounded by a large group of friends. I think that coming to a more open country, compared to Lithuania, where the majority of the population is quite closed, revealed my personality.

– Why do you think others should take advantage of international opportunities?

– An Erasmus+ internship or study can be one of the best experiences of a young person’s life. When you can have invaluable experience for free because you receive an Erasmus+ scholarship, then why not take advantage of such an opportunity?