Studying in Cyprus, an Erasmus traineeship in event marketing in Portugal, and a graduate traineeship working with international students in the Canary Islands. Monika Kupková took the opportunity to go abroad through the Erasmus programme more than once. What did her experiences abroad give her, what was her graduate traineeship like, and what advice would she give to students who are still unsure about Erasmus?
“A completely unique time and space in your life, a bubble outside everyday reality.” That’s how Monika describes Erasmus. A place where you meet open-minded people, discover new places, and step beyond the boundaries of both your cultural and comfort zones.
And she knows what she’s talking about. Her first Erasmus experience was a study stay in Cyprus, followed by a traineeship in Porto, Portugal, and later a graduate traineeship in the Canary Islands, on Gran Canaria and Tenerife.
Once Wasn’t Enough
For Monika, her first experience abroad meant much more than simply changing her surroundings. She compares it to switching from Android to iPhone.
“I’d say going on Erasmus for the first time is a bit like trying an iPhone after using Android. At first, it just feels like a change of environment, but then you realise it has opened up a completely different way of living – and going back suddenly doesn’t seem quite as appealing.”
It was the opportunity to step outside her usual life, discover new countries and cultures, and meet people from all over the world that made her want to go abroad again. International friendships and encounters with different perspectives also played an important role, sometimes challenging her existing beliefs and the way she looked at the world.
With each new stay abroad, however, Monika realised that she had a tendency to compare one experience with another. She admits that this was something she sometimes struggled with. Over time, she learned to accept that every Erasmus experience would be different – and that each one could be unique in its own way.
That is also why she sees Erasmus as a very specific bubble outside everyday reality. According to Monika, this way of life cannot be fully transferred into everyday life in the long term, but it can show you what suits you and how you might want to shape your life in the future.
The opportunity to travel, build international friendships and discover new perspectives became so important to her that she wanted to make the most of Erasmus more than once – while knowing that each new experience did not need to, and should not, be a copy of the previous one.
From Studying to Event Marketing
While Monika studied during her time in Cyprus, her traineeships in Porto and the Canary Islands brought her into a professional environment. In Porto, Gran Canaria and Tenerife, she worked in event marketing, content creation, social media management and event production. Her time in Porto was a regular Erasmus traineeship, while her experience in the Canary Islands was a graduate traineeship.
She worked for organisations focused on international students and young people. Their aim was to build a community, help people settle into a new environment and connect them across cultures.
In the end, it was the people that Monika enjoyed most about the job.
“What meant the most to me was seeing people meet, connect and build relationships through our events. Those were always the moments when I realised why I do this work and why it matters so much to me.”
Instagram, TikTok, Surfing and Evening Events
According to Monika, describing a typical working day in the Canary Islands is not easy. Every day looked a little different.
Her mornings usually started with checking messages and the day’s schedule. As a social media manager, she was mainly responsible for Instagram and TikTok. She created posts, edited videos and recaps from previous events, and planned content to promote upcoming activities.
Her work also included community management, communicating with participants, coordinating the social media team and onboarding new team members. Monika also focused on word-of-mouth marketing, which helped gradually build a community around the events. People returned not only because of the programme, but also because of the atmosphere and the people they already knew there.
Afternoons and evenings depended on what was happening that day. Sometimes it was a trip or surfing, other times a workshop, sports activities, speed friending, a quiz, karaoke or a party. Depending on what was needed, Monika coordinated the event, communicated with participants and created social media content at the same time.
And sometimes, she did all of it at once.
From Her First Erasmus Straight to the Next One
One of Monika’s strongest Erasmus moments was not connected to a particular trip or destination. Instead, it was the moment she realised just how much her attitude towards travelling and new experiences had changed.
Leaving for her first Erasmus in Cyprus required the most courage. Gradually, however, she realised that her original fears had disappeared and that she had adapted to her new way of life so much that she did not even return home when the experience ended.
Instead, she flew directly from Cyprus to Porto for another Erasmus traineeship, which she had arranged while still on her first Erasmus. That was when she realised just how much she had changed in only a few months – not only in having the courage to take on another new experience, but also in her own abilities.
“That was when I fully realised that a new mindset was unlocked.”
With this newfound confidence, she also realised that she was capable of working in another language and in an international environment, opening the door to further professional experiences abroad.
There Isn’t Just One Version of “Normal”
One of the most important things Monika took away from Erasmus was a greater sense of openness and tolerance.
“Erasmus taught me above all to be more open and tolerant towards the different ways people can live and think. The more I travelled, discovered new cultures and met people from different parts of the world, the more I realised that there isn’t just one ‘right’ way to live. What feels completely normal to me might work very differently somewhere else, and vice versa.”
Thanks to Erasmus, she says she is now much less likely to judge others based on what is familiar or normal to her. Instead, she tries to understand where their perspectives or ways of life come from.
“And I think that’s one of the most important things Erasmus has given me. Not just the chance to discover new places, but above all a much broader view of the world and an understanding of just how many different versions of ‘normal’ there actually are.”
Study Erasmus or a Traineeship?
Monika’s graduate traineeship was quite specific because she remained in close contact with Erasmus students and participated in events for the international community. The difference between studying abroad and working abroad therefore was not as significant as it might seem.
However, she points out that a lot depends on the particular traineeship. Some are much more office-based, and you may not have such close contact with young people or the Erasmus community. In that case, the whole experience can feel much more serious.
For Monika, the main difference was in her responsibilities. In Cyprus, she regularly attended classes, completed assignments and took exams. During her graduate traineeship, she had more professional responsibility and less free time. Events took place during the day and in the evenings, and sometimes work continued through the night.
“But at least I didn’t have to write seminar papers,” she adds.
The First Weeks Can Make a Difference
What does Monika wish she had known before her first Erasmus? Above all, how important the very beginning can be.
If possible, she recommends arriving as early as you can and giving yourself some time to settle in. According to her, the first few weeks are when many new friendships are formed. Everyone is in an unfamiliar environment, looking for new connections and naturally more open to meeting people.
That’s why she recommends following ESN or other Erasmus organisations, especially at the beginning, and taking part in their activities. And sometimes pushing yourself to go to an event even when you don’t really feel like it.
“Once you find your group of people and build a sense of belonging, you naturally slow down a little. But at the beginning, I would try to be as active as possible, stay true to yourself throughout the whole experience, and give your energy to people who give it back to you.”
Monika also has one less conventional tip, based on the real experiences of her Erasmus friends: start looking around you before you even reach your destination. Several of them actually met someone on the plane who was also heading on Erasmus, started talking, and made their first new connection before the experience had even officially begun.
“Just Go”
Monika’s message to students who are considering Erasmus but still aren’t sure is simple: just go.
At the same time, she says there’s no need to leave with the expectation that the next few months automatically have to become the best time of your life.
“I think the best experiences often happen when you don’t have overly high expectations, relax a little and let things unfold naturally.”
And even if Erasmus doesn’t end up being “the best experience of your life”, it is still only a few months – and they will pass faster than you expect. The fears you have before leaving may even turn completely upside down: according to Monika, there is a good chance that leaving Erasmus behind will eventually be harder than leaving for it in the first place.
“The experience you take away from it is something no one can ever take away from you.”
