Biochemistry student Barbara Gorda was able to gain valuable work experience in the research industry in Sweden
Barbara’s Story
Erasmus+ Ambassador Barbara took part in Erasmus+ as part of her degree at Cardiff University. As a Biochemistry student looking to work within the research industry it was essential for Barbara to get experience and an Erasmus+ traineeship perfectly fitted the bill. The placement at pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, in Gothenburg, Sweden, was for one year and based within the Cellular Reagents & Assay Development team.
AstraZeneca has a strong multi-cultural community and supported her transition to a new location where many colleagues and the local community spoke English. There were opportunities to take free classes for those interested in learning Swedish but Barbara found that you could learn quite a bit just from being engaged in the Swedish way of life.
I personally think the experience of doing a placement year abroad led me closer to finding my true self and opened up many opportunities and choices for my future life - Barbara Gorda
Swedish 'Fika', Inter rail and expanding horizons...
The professional and personal benefits of undertaking a placement can open up new doors to exciting adventures. Barbara was able to travel across Scandinavia visiting the likes of Stockholm, Oslo and Copenhagen and experience much of the traditional cuisine, including the Swedish phenomenon of Fika (a social coffee and cake break). Like many Erasmus+ students she also made sure she took the opportunity of being on mainland Europe to go inter-railing, visiting Berlin, Prague, the Austrian Alps and Croatia.
Barabara added: “Having the opportunity to go abroad instead of staying in the UK for my placement year has benefitted me in many ways - especially in the skill of adaptability as living and working in another country puts you outside your usual comfort zone. I have gained a broader perspective on the differences of culture and made many connections with people from all over the world due to the wide variety of individuals working for such a big company. I feel that even though staying in the UK would have undoubtedly improved my team-working, communication and inter-personal skills, I owe my self-belief and willingness to explore to the experiences I encountered, finding myself in an unfamiliar place that became a place close to my heart.”
From the placement Barbara has gained a broader perspective on cultural differences, and improved her team working, communication and inter-personal skills. It has also contributed to her final qualification, forming up to 10% of her final degree. She thinks her Erasmus+ placement experience has been one of the best opportunities of her life. She highly recommends going abroad to study or work, as the experience you will gain, the people you will meet and the adventures you will have will certainly be worthwhile and life-changing!
I feel more confident in my studies and in everyday life because of the excellent experience I got research-wise and through living abroad in an unfamiliar environment - Barbara Gorda
Top tips
Barbara gave these three top tips for other students wanting to participate in Erasmus+:
- Do not be afraid to ask for help, everyone is more than willing to help.
- Travel to nearby towns and countries, you won’t get the same opportunity again.
- Immerse yourself in the culture to get the best experiences.
Barbara's top Erasmus+ highlights
- Best year so far.
- Eye opening.
- Lifelong connections.
- Valuable experience for final year and future career.
- Culturally enriched.
- Swedish phenomenon of ‘Fika’.
Want to find out where Erasmus+ could take you? Take a look at our where can I go page!
