I started my MA degree at 27
and did my Erasmus semester at 28!
I graduated in Linguistic Sciences in 2012 and I swore I would have never studied again! Indeed, my bachelor was quite frustrating, I even had a burnout, and all I wanted was to have my degree and go abroad.
But when I had to face, once again, that I had no real job opportunities in Austria, I enrolled at the Master’s degree programme English & American Studies. After completing my European Voluntary Service in summer 2014, I struggled getting a job in Carinthia, the Austrian region where I lived with my former boyfriend. Long story short, in 2017 I decided to give Austria one last chance: Getting an Austrian degree. So I chose that specific MA because of the similarity of my previous studies, in order not to repeat the entire bachelor’s programme. I noticed also that Austrian companies are more keen to hire students for internships, and I though it would have been a suitable occasion for me.
I applied for the MA’s programme and the university replied me some weeks later with good news: I had to attend only two courses of the bachelor’s programme, and I could do these exams whenever I wanted during my studies. I was able to afford the university because my university it’s almost for free for EU citizens. Indeed, I literally laughed when I got the payment for the first semester. At that time, I was teaching Italian for a famous company, once or twice a week. I quit that job, which salary was ridiculously low, and I started my MA adventure in October 2017 (of course I wished for more classes, but they do not want to hire you with a part-time or permanent contract).
Obviously every class was in English and everyone immediately expected I had an idea about my MA’s thesis. I was shocked at first, because I was a freshman, I did not even know how things worked there. My classes were not attended by a lot of students, and that means that every professor knows you and you know everyone of your department. This is one of the aspect I enjoyed the most, because during my bachelor I was just a number and I had around 250 colleagues. I could choose how many and which courses I wanted to take. Exams were not written or oral, I did not have to study some books by heart, but I had to define a research project, conduct the research and present the outcomes in class. If it was a seminar course, I also had to write a seminar paper, and the deadline was usually set for the end of the following semester. In Italy you study to have a good grade and this means that you easily forget what you read. Conducting your own research and writing an essay (3000–5000 words) implies that you know what you are talking about. I even did two writing courses because I had no idea how to write an academic paper. I learnt to perform a speech in front of my professors and colleagues, which was something totally new for me and now I am very proud of the several competences I gained through my studies.
In January 2018 I applied to go to France for my Erasmus semester. Why France? Because Ireland was not available (it would have been my first choice if it was available) while UK too expensive. I did not take in consideration any overseas programmes because they were too expensive as well. I chose Lille because it is at the centre of Europe, very close to Belgium, and I’m glad I did this good choice.
I arrived in Lille at the end of August 2018 and it was my very first time in France. The first days I discovered the Northern French accent, enjoyed living in town, I discovered the first nice places to take some pictures, and also the delicious French bakeries. I stayed in Lille until 23rd December, the day I left Northern France crying. That day I landed in Italy, as I spent Christmas at home, and I was very sad to know that in a couple of weeks I would have been in Austria again. Indeed, during my stay in France I acknowledged that something was not working within my love relationship and I started questioning if I had to split from him. I felt great eventually able to think about my own life, I did not want any other partner at my side. I started thinking that I wanted to decide for myself and not always consider his decisions.
During my stay, I met people from Germany, Italy (even my province!), Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, South Korea, Japan, U.S., Australia, Spain…and it was amazing! My French improved and everyday I spoke French and English. I added German and Italian if I met my German and Italian friends. I went out twice or three times a week, I did yoga in French every Tuesday evening, attending the university’s gym. Sometimes I felt lonely because I lived alone in a 26 sqm apartment, until I learnt to feel comfortable with myself once again and go out with friends when it was possible.
I did some trips as well: Bruxelles, Bruges, Dunkerque and Amiens. I enjoyed all these places a lot and I definetely have to visit whole Belgium, as I fell deeply in love with Flandres.
On my Flixbus to Zaventem airport I was crying, I felt so sad. Everything I lived so far had to end. Even though I had some terrible moments, I felt accepted and not a foreigner. Indeed, I always felt a foreigner in Austria. Even though I speak German very well and I understand the local dialect, I wasn’t able to become integrated in the society, which really hurt me. I felt I was a human being belonging to B class, the less important one. France made me understand that I was not the problem, but the place I chose to live was my problem. I came back to Austria at the beginning of January 2019 with a stone in my heart, because I knew that the right thing to do was to finish my studies and go away from that place, which is not so easy when you have no family where you live and you can rely only on your boyfriend.
However, I want to end this article with something more joyful than my last paragraph. Still in Lille, every time I said I was 28, nobody believed me. Since my face seems very young, in class everyone thought that my age was between 18 and twenty-something. I attended classes from the first year of the bachelor, to the first year of the master, and I perfectly blended in every lesson.
When I met some Germans it was very funny, because they did not understand how I was able to speak their language so well. At first, they asked me if I come from South Tyrol. Then they asked me if my parents come from that region or from a German speaking country. I still laugh when I think about it, because everyone supposes you speak a good English abroad, but why should you know German?!
No matter what age, I recommend you to do an experience abroad: It will change your life, because you will change.
