Don't get demotivated if you feel lonely in the first few weeks

The Erasmus experience is unique: you meet new friends that will make you grow personally, you relate to people from different cultures, you travel the world, you learn new languages, you leave a bit of your life in a remote place of world... and you return home a new person.

However, for many, the first few weeks in a new country can be very difficult. If you don't meet anyone, if you don't have a group of friends to go out with, if living away from home is a big challenge... surely more than one of these things has happened to you, right? From my experience, I want to teach you that you should not be discouraged at the first sign of change. Let things run their course and in the end, it will be one of the best experiences of your life that you can tell your children about.

A start full of frustration and lack of motivation

I have always been a shy person and I find it difficult to relate to others. When I arrived in London, despite my "decent" level of English, I felt that I was not up to par because I was not able to follow conversations fluently, which led me to participate less when I first started to meet people. This was a big problem because it is these conversations that determine your friends for the year. That's why the first weeks of my Erasmus were literally hell. I didn't understand English classes either (like physics and maths aren't already complicated enough... )

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So because of all this, I wasn't motivated at all and I wanted to go home, be with my family, my loved ones, and to end this nightmare. But if something characterises me, it is my perseverance. It's a good job I didn't make that absurd decision.

Remembering why I was there

Before buying a return ticket home, I thought about what had brought me to the city of London. My love for science, the desire to understand the world, new customs, people who bring out my personality despite my initial introversion...

Having said that, I made one of the greatest efforts of my life in relating to others, I even told people my problems and they understood why I had been so sad and quiet. Since then, things went more smoothly, I am now enjoying myself here and I hope to stay here for many more years to come.

Why am I telling you all this?

My decisions aren't random. If I decide to stay, despite the loneliness, I have thought about the decision before making a commitment. One of my strengths is my insistence on getting everything I set out to do. Deep down I wanted to relate more, connect with my colleagues and experience unforgettable moments.

When I feel unmotivated I think about people who have achieved goals through perseverance and overcoming all adversities to reach success. I am more modest, but I take advantage of their wisdom and thanks to this webpage and many others, their words of experience and knowledge help me to move forward. Everyone motivates themselves in a different way, and this is how I do it.

I also regularly follow TED talks, since they provide messages of encouragement, hope and spirit for society. From big businessmen like Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg, even lesser-known students like Logan Laplante, these talks have moved the world by reflecting on new ideas to make it a better place for everyone.

It may sound weird, but it has helped me. If you're also having difficulties, I advise you try and find what motivates you so that you don't abandon the path you chose. Surely you chose it for a reason!