While I have been in Madrid, other students in the same year as me at Coventry have also been on Erasmus exchanges or on a placement year. Through our Facebook and Google noticeboards, I have been keeping up to date with other peoples experiences. As part of my Erasmus year, I am required to write a blog post which reviews three other students blogs throughout their year abroad or in the industry. Although we are all in different countries and cities, I have found many similarities throughout others posts (especially others on Erasmus) but also with those on placement. Especially as I was so interested in doing a placement year but of course I could only do one or the other.
Annie Gaceciladze - Blog in Stuttgart, Germany - https://annushka-inc.tumblr.com/post/181708826284/how-i-got-my-own-radio-show-in-germany-1118
The first blog which I will review is by Annie Gaceciladze who has been in Stuttgart, Germany for her Erasmus exchange. Annie is a Media and Communications student at Coventry University and is studying Advertising and Publishing in Hochschule der Medien in Stuttgart.
I wanted to review someone's experience in Germany, mainly after visiting Berlin in December as I found the culture to be SO different from the culture here in Spain; regardless of the fact they are both European cities and their proximity. However, I immediately found some similarities in our experiences even though the culture and society of the two countries are so different. She began her erasmus experience like I did, through acting like a tourist in our new homes! Visiting everywhere and everything we could. Annie posted about her new city and wrote about their culture, particularly about Oktoberfest which made me really want to celebrate this in Germany next year! It’s been a huge part of my experience in Spain adopting their culture.
Annie also became involved in a radio show in Stuttgart known as ‘Lost in Germany’ as part of her university project. She really enjoyed the experience and got offered a job at Horads Radio Station so has benefitted greatly from her university’s guidance. While I found Annie’s experiences very interesting and it has been positive to read about the benefits of her particular university there, the blog was also engaging throughout and very informative.
Joe Scotting - Vlog in China - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCywqbs-yn4ZnBkx4Mnfh1SA
The second post I wanted to review was by Joe Scotting. I wanted to choose three very different approaches to the same task, this being a ‘vlog’ rather than the blog I created, I was interested to see the difference. I had also been watching his vlog’s throughout the year and found them particularly interesting because of his Erasmus experience being in China! As well as being a vlog, I was also interested in his experience in China as I’ve not been, and imagine his experience to be very different to mine culturally.
Joe is a journalism student at Coventry who is studying journalism and various types of Chinese culture and language the Zhejiang University of Media and Communication. After watching his first Vlog I realised how our experience has been quite similar in many ways. He arrived at his university and the modules he had chosen over the summer didn’t exist which was exactly what happened when I arrived in Madrid! He also then had trouble with the university not knowing what ones of their subjects were thought in English, again exactly what happened in Madrid. I really respected how honest he was as a lot of people try to act as if their year has been perfect which is certainly not the case! It has been a huge shock coming from a very structured course in Coventry to UEM in Madrid (and for Joe in China) - I’m glad I wasn’t the only one to think this! Joe also mentioned about how it was practically impossible getting around without knowing the language, even though it would be quite dramatic to say that about Spain, while being here I have learnt so much and it has made it a lot easier so I can’t even begin to imagine how difficult this was in China. As I expected I have learnt a lot about China and it has made me so excited to plan a visit; the culture, food, places to see and things to do are all so intriguing.
(April Update)
I had finished my blog post review for all three of my chosen blogs. However, after continuing to read others posts I came across a more recent post from Joe and I felt that I had to mention this in my review. The most recent post from Joe was very honest and actually very upsetting. He wasn't enjoying his time in China and I'm happy to say had the guts to do something about it and move to Stuttgart, Germany which he is actually enjoying (Coincidently the same place in which Annie is studying who I reviewed first). I hope to read more about him enjoying his time in Germany!
Cheryl Yee - Placement in Malaysia - https://cherylonthejourney.weebly.com
The third, and final, blog post I wanted to review was by Cheryl Yee. Cheryl completed a placement year in Malaysia, which is also her hometown. As the two previous blog/vlog posts I have reviewed have been from Erasmus students, I wanted to make sure my final review was blog by a placement student. Although there were so many to choose from, I decided on Cheryl’s because she was in Malaysia. I was so interested to find out more about it.
Cheryl is a Media and Communications student at Coventry university and has completed a marketing placement at GEMW Group which is a medicine clinic in Malaysia. I was particularly interested in Cheryl’s blogs throughout the year as I am interested in a very similar field of work and to be quite honest I am very jealous of her year! When I was deciding what to do for my third year I was interested in a placement year and this is such a good opportunity.
Throughout her blog posts Cheryl talks about how much she’s learnt from the experience and progressed in her position at the GEMW Group. It sounds as if she will have benefitted dramatically throughout her placement year. Not only were her posts engaging and informative, they have definitely persuaded me to apply for summer placements between my 3 and final year at Coventry University. Cheryl began her posts discussing the difficulty in applying and coping with rejection. Although her placement experience sounded very positive overall I liked how she still included the negatives. It’s much more relatable. The only criticism would be that I want to know more about her placement as our career paths and aims sound so similar!
Comentarios