To say that I liked it is almost nothing to say. I am very grateful to fate and all those people who helped me to get on this program. This experience, perhaps, is one of the key in my life.

What is "Erasmus+" for me? This is the whole life:

• These are friends who, I believe, will stay with me forever, even if there are thousands of kilometers between us because the distance is nothing. During my study I met wonderful people from Poland, Spain, Turkey, Japan, Italy, Ireland, Portugal, America, Hungary, France ... I found wonderful friends and now the world has become more open to me. And, of course, we became friends not only with students but also with all the teachers and specialists from the Erasmus+ office at UJK who received me with all the warmth, helped me to cope with all the difficulties and took an important place in my heart.

• This is the knowledge of a different culture - the study of another language, the comprehension of values, customs, and traditions. For four months I was able to start speaking, reading and writing in Polish, and I have improved my English. Moreover, you know, the knowledge of foreign languages opens up the whole world for us.

• It is professional and scientific growth. Besides the fact that I was able to learn in another system, with different requirements and priorities, I was fortunate to learn also the practical side of my scientific field. My teachers from the Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce organized many visits to various social centers for me wh ere I could not only listen to the information about their work but also see by myself how the social system in Poland works. Also, I was lucky enough to participate in the student conference and write some articles with my teacher from UJK and with one Polish student. And I’m really grateful for them.

• This is personal development, the struggle with your fears and overcoming yourself. I feel that changes have taken place inside me - I became bolder, more organized, more open to the world. I'm no longer afraid to be in an unfamiliar place alone - because now I know that there will always be kind people who will want to help me. I like to engage in serious business - I like to feel responsible and cope on time with the tasks set.

• This is the opening of the world, it's emotions, these are new people and new opportunities, this is the ability to value my time and prioritize, this is what is now forever with me.

No one knows how the future life will develop and how events in the past influence our future. However, I am absolutely sure that the experience I acquired while studying under the Erasmus+ program changed me and my life. And I know for sure – change is for the better.

Natalia Shurlakova