MILSA participants 2016/2017

I am studying at the Aix-Marseille Université in the autumn semester 2016. My aim is to improve my French language skills and to actively use them in daily life and in an academic environment.

Furthermore I want to reflect on my experiences abroad and my own role. I hope the MILSA mentoring program will support me in my intercultural learning process during my study abroad. Afterwards I want to reflect on my study abroad and go beyond "it was great" when talking about it.

Hi, my name is Marc and I am studying Biology in Bern. This autumn I will do an exchange semester. I am going to Mexico City to the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico. 

When I first heard of the exchange program I knew that I wanted to do this. Last autumn I started to inform myself about the program. Because I am learning Spanish at the moment and the best way to really make progress in learning a language is go to the country where they speak it, I decided to search for a partner university of Bern in a Spanish-speaking place. I have been in Latin America before and I really liked my experience with people there and I think Mexico is a very interesting place to go, I decided to go there.

For me this exchange is a big opportunity to get to know another culture, to see a different university and  to have the chance to work on my Spanish. 

After I got accepted by the university in Mexico I heard about the MILSA mentoring program. I am participating in the program because I want to participate in the program is because I can improve my English writing skills and the confirmation of participation I will get at the end will look good on my curriculum vitae. 

I am doing my exchange semester in Valencia, Spain. I have always known that someday I will participate in the SEMP Program, as I am keen to discover new places and cultures. I hope I can benefit from teaching methods in Spain and opportunities offered by University of Valencia in my field- Business Administration. Going abroad means to me getting to know new people and experience the unknown. I decided to participate in the MILSA Program because it allows me to share my experiences with my peers and receive support each other in everyday difficulties - all for a good reason: intercultural and international learning!

For my SEMP/ Erasmus I’ll head to Lisbon. There are multiple reasons why I applied for this specific city. Firstly, I’d like to expand the Portuguese language skills I already have. Secondly, I find Portuguese culture with its very distinct history and roots particularly interesting. Last but not least it’s quite a sunny spot in Europe (both concerning climate and people). To participate simultaneously in the mentoring program MILSA is the cherry on top. Staying in constant discourse with fellow students and mentor, allows to approach the new environment in the most reflected manner possible. All in all, it’s a great opportunity to rethink personal attitudes and an excellent tool for further activities in international contexts.

I hope I can improve my Spanish skills this autumn semester at the Universitat de València. Of course I’m also interested in the culture of this region and would like to meet new people. The MILSA-Mentoring seems like a perfect assistance for getting to know new cultures. It’s important that we understand and respect them and not just know about the differences. I’m really looking forward to exploring the soul of Valencia and I’m sure I will be able to tell a lot of amusing stories after my stay in Spain.