Erasmus+ students from Germany Laura Böttcher and Anne Kleinert
You have spent a semester as an Erasmus+ exchange student at the Faculty of Social Sciences at VMU. Why did you choose our university?
VMU is a partner university of the PH Heidelberg, so we found it on the list of potential ERASMUS opportunities. As we both didn´t know a lot about the country, it´s language or its culture, studying in Lithuania was a very interesting experience for us.
How would you generally describe your Erasmus+ experience and your experience at VMU?
We spent one semester in Lithuania with the ERASMUS+ programme. This programme provides a lot of support when it comes to planning and executing the stay (we had mentors in Germany and in Lithuania who we could always ask when problems occurred). When you want to study in another European country for one semester, ERASMUS+ is a great idea as you not only get organizational but also financial support.
In general, VMU appeared as a very modern and futuristic university to Anne. We were very impressed by their social media appearance (Instagram page of VMU with really good photos). The courses were very international as the offer of English courses was quite big. The people we got to meet there were also really nice and became really good friends. We also appreciated that the teachers were always replying so fast to e- mails and that they were very flexible (for example when we had to switch the exam to online very spontaneously because we were in contact with a friend who got the Covid-19).
What did you like the most during your studies at VMU?
We really enjoyed that the courses in general (field of social sciences) had so much focus on discussion. The input of the courses was very interesting.
Which useful competencies do you think you acquired during your Erasmus+ exchange period?
We got to improve our English and Lithuanian. We improved our competences in creative works (creating an Instagram profile, inventing myths, etc.), how to write essays and hold presentations in English. We got more open-minded and learned a lot about history, geography and culture, not only about Lithuania, but also about other parts of the world.
Would you recommend VMU for other students who want to study abroad? Why?
We would definitely recommend VMU for this experience. This is a great chance to learn about history, another culture and yourself.
What are your career plans for the future?
We are studying special education, so we are hoping to work with blind/ deaf people one day.
Interview conducted by Laura Lapinskė, International relations coordinator of the Faculty of Social Sciences at VMU