My name is Bia, I’m Brazilian and I am currently doing my first year of my Bachelor’s in Psychology at the Institute of Applied Psychology (ISPA) in Lisbon . My journey until here wasn’t the most conventional and I took a lot of twists and turns to be where I am now.
First Experience Abroad: Switzerland
My first experience abroad was when I was 15 years old and I did an exchange year in Switzerland (while I was still living in Brazil). This experience changed me to my core and I could say it had such a heavy influence on the rest of my life’s trajectory. It was not easy, I had to learn how to deal with so many cultural differences and ways of living. I remember them telling me “we leave at 9 AM” and being in shock that they were ready at the door at 9 AM while I was still in my pajamas, then proceeding to leave the house running with my shoes barely on, because in my country, “9 AM” means something closer to “around that time”. Or that they had to plan every single thing and hangout, while in my country we just “go with the flow”. But I learned to love and appreciate each one of those cultural intricacies, and it made me much more resilient, empathetic and adaptable. During that year, I also took German classes. Learning a language so different from my own ended up being a really fun and rewarding part of the experience. It made me feel more connected to the locals and in the culture. Being exposed to so many different people and cultures made me want to live like this forever.
Second Experience Abroad: Portugal
That takes me to my second experience, in which I decided to move with my parents to Portugal for university. At the time, I chose to study law. When I first landed in Portugal, I had a reminder of what it felt like to start life in another country, relearning all the cultural nuances and norms, having to make new friends… I believe because I had already previously lived in another country and because Portugal can be similar to Brazil in some ways, I didn’t have such a hard time adapting to it. But I didn’t really identify myself with what I was studying, and as a last attempt to “save” my studies I decided to do an Erasmus for a whole year in Berlin, Germany.
“We are mourning because this makes us want to die”- Image of the law university
Third Experience abroad and first time living alone: Berlin, Germany
I thought I already knew the “lay of the land” and that things would go down smoothly. But the thing about living abroad is that each experience is so singular and different from the other. And you have to relearn and adapt to different things. Berlin for me was very tough, it was the first time I was completely alone in a new city, and I had to figure a lot of things out by myself. But it provided me with so much self-knowledge, because spending time alone, and figuring out your preferences, and having to stand up for yourself helps you gain confidence and independence. It gave me so much perspective on my life, and the courage to – after four years of studying law- choose a different path. And that’s when I decided to start my journey in Psychology.
I think that being able to live abroad is such a privilege, and if people have the opportunity to do it they should definitely take it. Even more so in the world that we live in today, it’s very common to live in bubbles, with the algorithms only echoing your own thoughts and opinions. And I think a huge part of living abroad is exposing yourself to differences, being able to sit with the discomfort that getting out of your bubble can cause. A lot is said about the “fun” parts of Erasmus, like making new friends and partying which are definitely great but there’s so much more to it.
Author: Beatriz Campos
Bachelor’s in Psychology at the Institute of Applied Psychology (ISPA)