Sixties lover

La fac: slowly decaying since 1967. I'll admit, I'm a sixties lover, but not when it comes to university infrastructure. The French toilets on the Aires de repos a are cleaner. My classroom from 1st grade in elementary school used to be more equipped than my current ones. And did I mention the non-existing airconditioning? Got to love la Fac when it's 30 degrees outside! 

I wish I could say being at la Fac was worth the bloody ligne 22-busride, but unfortunatly, it isn't. You've just been sandwiched in an overcrowded bus, then get squeezed out, only to come across your first obstacle: the stairs.

After climbing the stairs, you present your student card to the watch dog, who has the most ungrateful job in the world: checking grumpy student's student cards and probably scaring off possible terrorists. With no weapon. And a hawaii shirt and shorts. Very convincing. 

Oh, how I pity him. Which is why I brought him some diversion. Since I didn't have my card for two weeks, each and every time I passed him by, I had to explain why. By the end of the week, he would see me climbing the stairs, shrugging my shoulders, upon he would ask: "tu es Erasmus?", upon which I would agreeably shrug my shoulders, upon which he would indifferently shrug his and finally, let me pass. 

Yes, when you're Erasmus, people might shrug their shoulders at you every now and then. But in return, you can do the same. It's called: playing the Erasmus card. You're late for classes? Shrug your shoulders and say "Je suis Erasmus...". You were uninformed about a set assignment? Idem dito. 

PS. it only works the first week. 

Because believe it or not (you would not believe it if you looked at the building), la Fac is and remains a very large, respected university campus. And I am and remain a little Flemish girl from a mere teacher training college. So, yes, I struggled. And I did not get to play any Erasmus card.

First, there's been the problems with my study programme. After a week or two, I began to feel that I was not quite prepared for some classes. I came to realisation that there was a reason why Erasmus students usually arent't allowed to pick master courses. But, somehow, I had been assigned three of them. 

Why? Because, unlike all, and I swear, all of the other Erarsmus students I met, I had a fixed study programme. In fact, during the introduction week, we were explained that, due to our Erasmus status, we were allowed to pick ANY course from the entire department, even if it wasn't 100% in line with our studies at our home university. The sole condition was that we would validate the agreed amount of ECTS-points. I was immediately thrilled by this prospect: after all, I was also at the arts campus, so I was already picturing me taking a drama minor and attending some singing classes. 

But, instead, I decided to be a good girl and do exactly as told by my university. I attended all the classes, did efforts to keep track (even though I had no idea what they were talking about), but called it quit when I realised there was no way I would ever make it through the exams. And all those weeks later, I'm still not sure if I will. 

You see, I am studying to become a teacher. A teacher of secondary education. French and English - as a foreign language. A bachelor's degree... from a university college. Then, all of a sudden, I get dropped into a university, into master's courses even. I get to attend bachelor and master courses from the sciences du langage department, which is more applied linguistics than eduction. My classmates have various backgrounds, varying from degrees in applied linguistics, literature or interpretation. And I'm a mere teacher-to-be...

But if there's one thing I am, it's I'm not a quitter. I am brave. (I could be in Gryffindor, you know.) 

So I took matters into my own hands. I explained my case, substantiated it and I won it. Changes were made, my programme was adapted, and I could finally breathe again. But the battle wasn't won. I knew it would still be a tough call. And trust me, it is.

But despite my 'less' enthusiastic attitude towards la fac, altogether, I am happy to be there. Nobody said it was easy, Chris Martin once said. And that is perhaps the greatest lesson Erasmus teaches you: if things get rough, don't just wait for the answer to miraculously pop up. Take matters into your own hands! Take initiatives! Dare! Think out of the box, and you will find more than just the answer. You will find yourself.




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